Presentation and Vibrancy - Reports

3.4

Ordinary Meeting - 20 July 2016

Draft Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Plan

Document Information
Author

Natalie Jacobson, Coordinator Inclusive Communities

Deb Simpson, Acting Manager Community Partnerships

Responsible
Director

Michael Smyth, Acting Director Community Wellbeing

Summary/Purpose
The purpose of this report is for Council to consider the draft Cultural Diversity and
Inclusion Plan and release the Plan for a period of community consultation.
Policy Context
This report responds to the following:
City of Greater Bendigo Independent Review (Independent Review):
Recommendation 47 - Develop a Reconciliation Action Plan and a Cultural Diversity
Strategy during the 2013/14 financial year.
Council Plan 2013 - 2017 (2015/16 update):
Strategy 3.6 - Greater Bendigo has inclusive and equitable communities where people
feel welcome and connected to others.
Action 3.6.3 - Promote equitable and inclusive communities through implementation of
the Human Rights Charter across the organisation and development of a first
Reconciliation Action Plan and Cultural Diversity Strategy.
Council Policy:
City of Greater Bendigo Human Rights Charter 2014:
Freedom of expression;
Freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief; and
Cultural rights.
Background Information
The Independent Review noted that the City of Greater Bendigo (the City) was the only
Local Government Area in Victoria with a population over 100,000 people that did not
have a Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Plan (CDIP) or similar. It also noted that without
strategic approaches to fostering social equality and to reducing all forms of racial and

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religious discrimination, the City was at risk of failing to meet the legislative requirements
of the Victorian Human Rights and Responsibilities Act, Race Discrimination Act and the
Local Government Act.
The Citys development of a CDIP is in response to the Independent Review
recommendations and Greater Bendigos growing multiculturalism (including many
residents from non-English speaking backgrounds). The CDIP is intended to promote
strategic and collaborative approaches to improving cultural inclusion as a key
consideration in achieving social cohesion, and to preventing racial and religious
discrimination.
Australian Bureau of Statistics data demonstrates that between the 2006 and 2011
Censuses there was a 26% increase in the number of Greater Bendigo residents born
overseas. Additionally, Greater Bendigo experienced a 178% increase in people
becoming Australian Citizens between 2011/12 and 2013/14, along with a transition to a
majority of those being from non-English speaking backgrounds. It is anticipated that the
results of the pending 2016 Census will highlight continued growth in Greater Bendigos
multiculturalism.
Previous Council Decision(s) Date(s):
5 August 2015: Council endorsed the CDIP project methodology. Council also resolved
to appoint Councillors Williams, Weragoda and Fyffe to the CDIP Community Reference
Group (CRG). Councillor Cox also opted to participate in the CRG out of personal
interest.
Report
Significant bodies of research have identified that cultural inclusion does not naturally
occur as a direct consequence of increased cultural diversity. Cultural segregation and
racial and religious discrimination are generally commonplace in culturally diverse
communities where there has been an absence of strategic and ongoing investment in
cultural inclusion.
Cultural inclusion and social cohesion are key determining factors in assessing
population health and wellbeing. Improvements in these two factors are considered
integral to the achievement of outcomes in many of the City adopted strategies and
plans, including the Municipal Health and Wellbeing Plan and the Economic
Development Plan. For example, a community that is respectful and inclusive of cultural
differences is far more likely to attract investors and tourists, which in turn generates
positive social and economic flow on effects.
Whilst Council committed to the development of a CDIP in 2013, the social divisions that
became apparent following the Citys receipt of a planning permit application for the
construction of a mosque brought the need for a CDIP into sharp focus.

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Development of the draft CDIP

The draft CDIP is premised on different organisations working in a planned and
collaborative manner to implement a range of evidence-based objectives and actions
over a three year period.
Consistent with the project methodology endorsed by Council in August 2015, the
development of the draft CDIP has involved significant research and consultation to:
1) understand local attitudes towards cultural diversity and the experiences of
culturally diverse residents.
2) identify community needs and possible opportunities.
3) develop the proposed evidence-based objectives and actions
4) develop the proposed governance structure.
The CRG has played a pivotal role in the development of the draft CDIP. The
Multiculturalism in Bendigo forum held in October 2015 attracted over 120 participants
and provided an excellent opportunity to promote the CRGs role. Monash Universitys
Professor Markus - who developed the Social Cohesion Index and has led the largest
body of longitudinal research on social cohesion within Australia - and Doctor Tim
Soutphommasane - the Australian Race Discrimination Commissioner - both provided
thought provoking presentations at the forum.
Following the forum, a public expression of interest process for membership of the CRG
was undertaken. There was strong interest in this opportunity and 26 people were
subsequently appointed as CRG members. The community sectors represented by CRG
members include business / industry, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD)
residents, community and emergency services, education, ethnic groups, government,
health, refugees, settlement services, sport and recreation and youth.
Upon its establishment the CRG agreed on priority theme areas to focus on. These
theme areas were informed by the local research results. The theme areas were as
follows:
Cultural inclusion in the workplace
Cultural inclusion in sports and recreation
Welcoming newcomers to Bendigo
Youth
Community awareness about Islam and addressing discrimination.
The CRG then agreed to form smaller focus groups to enable more rigorous discussions
around each theme area and to support the development of proposed themed objectives
and actions for inclusion within the draft CDIP. Each focus group was facilitated by a
nominated CRG member and had the ability to invite input from other stakeholders with
particular expertise in the relevant theme area.
49 people have been involved in the CRG and its focus groups to support the
development of the proposed objectives and actions included within the draft CDIP. See
Attachment 1 - Membership List for further details.

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Local research
121 residents from culturally diverse backgrounds participated in the local qualitative
research process. They included representatives of the following categories:
international students
migrants
skilled migrants, including invisible migrants i.e. migrants with an Anglo ethnicity
who still experience cultural differences such as migrants from Denmark,
Germany, New Zealand and the United States of America.
refugees: men, women, seniors and youth.
representatives of local cultural, ethnic and religious organisations.
The opportunity for people from culturally diverse backgrounds to participate in the
research was advertised publicly and through various networks and organisations. The
following themes (which align with Professor Markus Social Cohesion Index) were
explored through the research:
sense of belonging and inclusion.
access to information.
civic and community participation.
experiences of discrimination.
A selection of the research findings are presented below and provide a brief overview of
some of the current issues, observations and feelings within the community as identified
through the local qualitative research:
Most participants felt that Greater Bendigo is a friendly community and had
experienced welcoming actions and support.
There was strong interest in participating in community events that are family
friendly and do not involve alcohol.
Most participants observed a lack of cultural awareness and sensitivity in the
broader community. Many reported being treated differently because of their race,
culture or nationality.
There was a prevailing host / guest dynamic i.e. most participants felt more
accepted if they did not express their culture or question norms.
The ability to access services and opportunities was strongly related to personal
agency, confidence and education.
Many participants felt disconnected from ethnic, cultural and religious communities
that exist in Melbourne and felt an absence of local cultural expression and
resources.
Many existing intercultural friendships had been fostered at sporting clubs or in
workplaces.
Many participants expressed strong interest in growing their civic and community
participation e.g. volunteering, however there was a lack of knowledge about the
availability of such opportunities and processes to get involved.
There was a lack of understanding regarding human rights, ways to address
discrimination and a reluctance to complain about discrimination.
Visible migrants and Muslim residents reported increased levels of different types
of racial and religious discrimination over the previous 18 months. This has
caused great distress to residents, many of whom have modified their behaviour
to reduce the risk of further discrimination.
Many migrant women expressed significant challenges in finding employment.

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Refugee seniors expressed strong interest in cultural preservation and spiritual

connections.
In addition to understanding the experiences of CALD residents, the CDIP research was
concerned with understanding broader community attitudes towards cultural diversity. To
achieve this a partnership with Monash University was established as it was managing
the delivery of the Australia@2015 survey, which provides a measurement on such
issues. Fortuitously this nationwide survey coincided with the CDIP research phase and
Monash University agreed to disaggregate Greater Bendigos data from the national
data, with 1250 Greater Bendigo residents completing the survey. Initially the survey
data was to be released in early 2016 however the release of all data has now been
delayed until August 24. This data, once received, will be able to be used to inform
future CDIP objective and action planning.

A limitation of the Australia@2015 survey was the 18 years of age or over criteria in
order to participate in the survey. To support the development of draft CDIP objectives
and actions for youth, a modified version of the Australia@2015 survey was developed
for young people and promoted within local schools and youth services. In total 786 local
young people completed the survey with the survey data identifying:
90% agreed with the statement we should recognise that cultural and ethnic
diversity is an important feature of Australian society.
89% agreed with the statement we should do more to learn about the customs
and heritage of different ethnic and cultural groups in this country.
there were different feelings towards different ethnic and religious groups e.g. 26%
felt cold towards Muslims, 22% felt cold towards Jews, and 8.5% felt cold
towards Asians.
19% of first and second generation Australians had experienced racial or religious
discrimination, the most common site for which was an educational institute.
most wanted to learn more about other cultures and religions and participate in
anti-racism bystander training.
The final tool that supported the development of draft CDIP objectives and actions and
baseline progress measures was the Human Rights Commissions Workplace Cultural
Diversity Tool (Tool), which provides a measurement on the degree of cultural inclusion
in workplaces. The Citys CDIP Internal Working Group undertook an assessment of the
City using the Tool. The City achieved a score of 39 points out of a possible 90 points.
This score reflects that the organisation is in the starting phase of developing policies
and processes that support cultural inclusion, rather than merely relying on good
intentions. Many of the actions under the draft CDIP Goal 4 The City of Greater
Bendigo is a leading organisation for cultural inclusion are in response to this
assessment and it is anticipated that upon completion of the actions a repeat
assessment would show a dramatic score increase.
The draft CDIP
As previously outlined, the CRG and its associated focus groups have played an integral
role in the development of the draft CDIP objectives and actions. 18 different
organisations including the City are proposing to share responsibility for progressing the
36 objectives and 135 actions - see Attachment 2: Draft Greater Bendigo Cultural

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Diversity and Inclusion Plan. The various objectives and actions have been aligned
under the following goals:
1) Goal 1: A Greater Bendigo community that understands and respects cultural
and religious differences and supports multiculturalism.
Focus areas: increasing opportunities for intercultural exchange, awareness and
institutional cultural inclusion - particularly in sporting clubs, workplaces and
volunteering organisations.
2) Goal 2: Residents from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse
backgrounds have equal opportunities to access culturally appropriate
services and participate fully in the Greater Bendigo community.
Focus areas: increasing employment opportunities; capacity building of CALD
organisations; fostering opportunities to participate in sports, recreation and
volunteering; increasing access to information for quick settlement and integration.

3) Goal 3: Religious and racial discrimination is prevented and / or addressed

effectively.
Focus areas: reducing racial and religious discrimination in schools; increasing the
capacity of both bystanders and subjects of discrimination to respond effectively;
mitigating extremist behaviour.
4) Goal 4: The City of Greater Bendigo is a leading organisation for cultural
inclusion.
Focus areas: increasing access to City information, services, programs;
increasing the cultural diversity of the workforce; developing culturally inclusive
work environments.

5) Ensure capacity to implement the CDIP and apply continual improvements.

Focus areas: strong project governance and accountability structures; review and
evaluation.
For each proposed action there is a Lead Organisation indicated. Lead Organisations
will have responsibility for progressing the respective action.
Other organisations have indicated a strong commitment to the draft CDIP through their
willingness to be named as a Lead Organisation. Lead Organisations will also be
encouraged to enter into a CDIP Partnership Agreement.
It is acknowledged that the draft CDIP is ambitious. Whilst there is a risk that not all
actions will be able to be progressed, there is a collective level of stakeholder confidence
that most will. If Council endorses the draft CDIP, the City will be responsible for
implementing 84 (62%) of the actions, with responsibility spread across 13 different
business units. The City will also be responsible for supporting the CDIP governance.

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It is proposed to evaluate the CDIPs impact in the following ways:

Measuring change in community attitudes towards cultural diversity.
Measuring the number of self-reported experiences of discrimination.
Measuring levels of CALD resident community participation, particularly in
terms of sports and volunteer roles participation.
Measuring change in the Citys Human Rights Commission Cultural Inclusion
Workplace Assessment Tool score.
If Council adopts the CDIP, City officers will undertake a recruitment process for
membership of a CDIP Steering Group (Steering Group) to support CDIP governance.
This will include maintaining relationships with Lead Organisations and monitoring
progress on actions. Steering Group member recruitment will involve a public expression
of interest process however representation by Lead Organisations that represent
different community sectors will be strongly encouraged.
Priority/Importance:
Council endorsement of the draft CDIP is of high importance. Council resolved to
complete all Independent Review recommendations within the current Council term. If
the draft CDIP is not released for community consultation at this point in time Council will
not be able to meet its Independent Review goal as Council is unable to adopt strategies
or plans during Caretaker Period.
Timelines:
The following timelines are proposed to enable Council to adopt the CDIP (should
Council opt to do so) prior to the commencement of Caretaker Period:
20 July - Council to review the draft CDIP and to consider releasing the draft
CDIP for a period of community consultation.
21 July to 8 August - Community consultation period.
31 August - Council to review the final version of the CDIP.
Risk Analysis:
In recent years cultural and religious diversity has been a controversial issue within
Greater Bendigo, generating strong and often polarised public opinions. Whilst the
proposed draft CDIP community consultation period seeks community comment, it is
possible that the draft CDIP may provide a platform for some extremist comments and
actions. It is proposed that this risk is mitigated as far as possible by the existing
Communications Plan, which ensures consistent messaging and outlines the CDIP
objectives and the level of diverse stakeholder support.
There is a risk that 19 of the proposed actions within the draft CDIP will not be able to be
progressed as they are reliant on attracting additional external funding. It is proposed to
manage and report on this risk on an action by action basis.

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Consultation/Communication
Internal Consultation:
12 City business units have supported the development of the draft CDIP and its
associated objectives and actions through their involvement in the CDIP Internal Working
Group.
All City staff will be encouraged to provide input into the draft CDIP should Council
resolve to release it for a period of community consultation. This will include relevant
Community Partnerships unit staff promoting the opportunity to deliver presentations on
the draft CDIP at unit or directorate meetings across the organisation.
External Consultation:
Apart from the CRG and its focus groups, external consultation regarding the draft CDIP
has been undertaken through the following:
Living Together Forum: Held during the Festival of Cultures (in partnership with
Make a Change Australia and Loddon Campaspe Multicultural Services), over 100
people participated in this forum. It sought feedback from participants on the
challenges and opportunities presented by multiculturalism and cultural inclusion.
Understanding Islam and Cultural Inclusion in the Workplace Forum: This forum
was facilitated by the Greater Bendigo Human Resources (HR) network. 34 HR
professionals participated in this forum and feedback was sought on challenges
and opportunities associated with cultural inclusion in workplaces.
Council officers also provided presentations and sought feedback about the CDIP
concept to the following groups: the Greater Bendigo Settlement Network,
Councils Farming Advisory Committee, the Bendigo Safe Communities Forum,
various local ethnic and cultural groups, the Municipal Emergency Management
Planning Committee, and the Communities for Children Steering Committee.
Resource Implications
Responsibility for implementing the CDIP will be shared between the City and other
organisations who have already agreed to be a Lead Organisation to implement the
proposed actions.
Resourcing of the proposed actions will be achieved via a combination of the following:
existing City resources ($42,000 is denoted for CDIP implementation within the
draft 2016/17 budget).
existing resources of other organisations.
individual organisation and partnership based grant applications.
to a lesser extent, bids within respective organisations for additional resources.
External Funding Sources:
There is a risk that 19 of the proposed actions within the draft CDIP will not be able to be
progressed as they are reliant on attracting additional external funding. It is proposed to
manage this risk on an action by action basis.
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The City is the lead agency in a Strategic Partnership Grant application to the Victorian
Multicultural Commission that is currently under consideration. Bendigo Community
Health Services and Loddon Campaspe Multicultural Services are the application
partners. If the application is successful it will contribute to the delivery of several of the
19 proposed draft CDIP actions that are reliant on obtaining external funding. Officers
will continue to explore alternative and additional external funding opportunities in
conjunction with other organisations to assist with the delivery of the 19 proposed actions
that require external funding assistance.
Conclusion
The development of a Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Plan (CDIP) has been established
as a priority through the City of Greater Bendigo Independent Review and the Council
Plan 20132017. The CDIP is intended to promote strategic and collaborative
approaches to improving cultural inclusion as a key consideration in achieving social
cohesion, and to preventing racial and religious discrimination.
Research outcomes and internal and external stakeholder consultation have informed
the proposed objectives and actions outlined within the draft CDIP. 17 organisations
apart from the City of Greater Bendigo have been involved in the development process
and are committed to assuming responsibility for implementing relevant proposed
actions. Whilst 13 different City of Greater Bendigo business units have also expressed
their commitment to implementing relevant proposed actions in the draft CDIP.
The proposed draft CDIP community consultation period from 21 July to 8 August
presents an opportunity for internal and external stakeholders to further shape
development of the CDIP.
Attachments
1.
2.

Membership List
Draft Greater Bendigo Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Plan

RECOMMENDATION
That Council:
1) formally thank members of the Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Plan Community
Reference Group and the other individuals / organisations that were invited to
provide input into the respective focus groups.
2) endorse the release of the draft Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Plan for a
community consultation period of 21 July to 8 August 2016.

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Productivity - Reports

4.

Ordinary Meeting - 20 July 2016

PRODUCTIVITY

Nil.

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