Wednesday, 29 July 2026

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Violence Reduction, Minister for Finance) (11:22): Under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006, I table a statement of compatibility:

Opening paragraphs

In accordance with section 28 of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006, (the Charter), I make this Statement of Compatibility with respect to the Multicultural Victoria Amendment Bill 2026 (Bill).

In my opinion, the Bill, as introduced to the Legislative Assembly, is compatible with human rights as set out in the Charter. I base my opinion on the reasons outlined in this statement.

Overview

The Bill is a fundamentally rights-promoting piece of legislation. The Bill lays the foundation for a renewed approach to working with Victoria’s multicultural and multifaith communities, and strengthen Victoria’s multicultural settings, institutions and frameworks. The Bill is expected to have positive impacts on Victoria’s multicultural and multifaith communities through strengthened engagement between government and communities.

The Bill seeks to amend the Multicultural Victoria Act 2011 (Act), by abolishing the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC), and establishing a new statutory entity called Multicultural Victoria. Multicultural Victoria will promote Victoria’s rich multiculturalism, deepen community engagement, strengthen accountability for whole-of-government multicultural outcomes, and enhance community engagement.

The Bill will retain the VMC’s existing objectives for Multicultural Victoria while also enshrining the promotion of language services; place-based and regional engagement with multicultural and multifaith communities; and First Nations self-determination and Treaty as new objectives.

New leadership roles for Multicultural Victoria will be enshrined in the Bill through an independent Multicultural Coordinator General (Coordinator General), supported by two Deputy Coordinators General, one of which will be a designated regional appointee. This refreshed leadership structure will enable Multicultural Victoria to play a more influential role, provide an independent voice into government and become a trusted conduit between community and government. The Bill will require the Coordinator General and Deputies to act in accordance with impartiality when performing their functions, which will involve acting without bias and self-interest, acting fairly and equitably and supporting all individuals and communities from diverse backgrounds.

The Bill will also establish the Multicultural Community Advisory Group (MCAG), which will be an independent group of advisors to Multicultural Victoria and actively participate in community events, consultations, and government forums.

The Bill will also address recommendations made in Victoria’s Multicultural Review (Review) led by George Lekakis AO and the Expert Advisory Group. The Review provided an opportunity to examine how multicultural institutions, settings and policies are operating; recommend ways in which government can enhance its support for Victoria’s multicultural and multifaith communities; as well as strengthen government’s response to current challenges and future social cohesion issues. The Review made 41 recommendations, several of which required amendment to the Act. These recommendations have been considered in the preparation of the Bill.

Human Rights Issues

In my opinion, the human rights under the Charter engaged by the Bill are the:

•   right to recognition and equality before the law (section 8 of the Charter);

•   right to privacy and reputation (section 13 of the Charter)

•   right to protection of families and children (section 17 of the Charter);

•   right to take part in public life (section 18 of the Charter); and

•   cultural rights (section 19 of the Charter).

For the reasons outlined below, I am of the view that the Bill is compatible with the Charter because, to the extent that some provisions may limit human rights, those limitations are reasonable and demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. I consider that other provisions of the Bill promote human rights.

Right to recognition and equality before the law

The Bill engages the right to equality in section 8 of the Charter because it promotes equality before the law. Section 8(3) provides that every person is equal before the law and is entitled to the equal protection of the law without discrimination. Multicultural Victoria is being established under the Bill to promote unity and positive relationships among multicultural and multifaith communities and to encourage full participation in the social, cultural, economic and political life of Victoria. The Bill provides that functions of Multicultural Victoria include to represent and promote the interests of multicultural and multifaith communities, advise the Minister on a range of matters impacting multicultural and multifaith communities, undertake wide-ranging consultation and develop and maintain partnerships with public sector bodies, Councils and community organisations. These functions aim to provide opportunities for Victorians from a broad range of backgrounds to be heard, promoting equality before the law by ensuring their views are reflected in government decision making.

The Bill also recognises and promotes language services as an essential service for multicultural communities, which is necessary to overcome disparities which may have occurred due to language or cultural barriers. Members of multicultural and multifaith communities will be able to gain better access to essential services such as health, education, legal and housing. The Bill also provides a mechanism to require certain public sector entities acquire services from the Victorian Interpreting and Translating Service (VITS) LanguageLoop. The provision of consistent language services via VITS LanguageLoop in critical areas, which may include healthcare, court, and other frontline government services, will promote greater participation and engagement from multicultural and multifaith communities, supporting equal engagement with government programs and services, further promoting equality before the law.

For these reasons I consider that the Bill is compatible with the right to recognition and equality before the law.

Right to privacy and reputation

Section 13 of the Charter provides that a person has the right to not to have their privacy, family, home or correspondence unlawfully or arbitrarily interfered with, and the right not to have their reputation unlawfully attacked.

The Charter contains internal qualifications on this right, being that interferences with privacy only limit the right if it is unlawful or arbitrary. An interference will generally be lawful where is it precise and appropriately circumscribed and will generally be arbitrary only where it is capricious, unpredictable, unjust, or unreasonable, in the sense of being disproportionate to the legitimate aim being sought.

The Bill abolishes the VMC and establishes a new statutory entity, Multicultural Victoria. The VMC and Multicultural Victoria will be subject to legal obligations in relation to the handling, use and protection of information. Various laws will apply (as relevant) to VMC and Multicultural Victoria, including: the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014; the Health Records Act 2001; the Public Records Act 1973, the Charter, and any other applicable information protection, secrecy, or confidentiality provisions.

Any information held by the VMC, and subsequently, Multicultural Victoria, must be managed in accordance with existing information, privacy or public record laws. This includes the lawful handling, disclosure or transfer of such information, where appropriate, to the Public Records Office of Victoria.

The Bill establishes reporting requirements for Multicultural Victoria. Under the Bill, Department Heads must make every reasonable effort to assist Multicultural Victoria with respect to a general report but also ensure that no personal information is provided to Multicultural Victoria as part of this assistance. Further, Multicultural Victoria is required to remove any personal information in its annual State of Multicultural Victoria report, prior it being provided to the Minister for approval and tabling in Parliament. These provisions expressly contemplate and protect the right to privacy.

The Bill provides for the Premier to develop a new Multicultural Strategy, informed by advice from the Coordinator General and community consultation, which will consider and plan for initiatives across all government portfolios. If any personal information is collected and handled as part of measuring progress towards the Multicultural Strategy or as part of the consultation process, then the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 protections will apply to the data, for the purposes of complying with the Bill.

Although the Bill’s provisions may engage the right to privacy and reputation, in my view any limitation is negligible or minimal, reasonable and demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society, consistent with sections 7(2) and 13 of the Charter.

Right to protection of families and children

Section 17 of the Charter provides that families are the fundamental group unit of society and are entitled to be protected by society and the State, and that every child has the right, without discrimination, to such protection.

I consider that the Bill promotes the Charter right to the protection of families and children. The Bill embeds a requirement for Multicultural Victoria to provide support and advice in relation to community safety planning, in order to help prevent, manage or respond to emergencies or adverse local or global events and their impact on multicultural and multifaith communities. This will help to create a safer and secure environment for families and children, particularly when participating in multicultural and multifaith events.

The Bill seeks to strengthen the Act’s principles of multiculturalism by recognising language services as an essential service for multicultural communities when accessing government services. This will help families and children access relevant healthcare, legal services, education, and housing without language barriers and in circumstances which preserve their cultural heritage.

Right to take part in public life

Section 18(1) of the Charter provides that every person in Victoria has the right to participate in the conduct of public affairs.

The Bill promotes the rights of Victorians from different multicultural and multifaith communities to participate in public life. The Bill will establish MCAG as an advisory group. When appointing members to MCAG, the Bill requires the Minister to have regard to the desirability of the MCAG having diverse membership, as well as members from different occupations and who reside in different parts of the State, with representation from regional and rural Victoria. One appointee will be a dedicated youth representative.

The Bill also enshrines a requirement for Multicultural Victoria to establish regional stakeholder engagement groups, which will include representation from all regions of Victoria. Multicultural Victoria will be required to provide feedback to group stakeholders on what action has been taken in respect of the matters raised during engagement. Embedding these groups in the Bill will protect and systematise regional and place-based community engagement on multicultural affairs, providing a dedicated forum for regional communities and groups to share their views and experiences.

The Bill also requires government departments to periodically produce Multicultural Action and Inclusion Plans. These plans will identify actions, activities or programs to increase cultural inclusion of government services, and actions to strengthen diversity in the Victorian public service workforce and of committees established, or engaged by, departments.

The Bill further promotes participation in public life by requiring Multicultural Victoria to have regard to the needs of multicultural and multifaith communities identified through ongoing community consultation when providing input into the development of the Multicultural Strategy, which is to be led by the Premier. The Multicultural Strategy may also be amended at any time to ensure it reflects multicultural and multifaith community needs.

Additionally, if Multicultural Victoria consults with representatives from multicultural and multifaith communities, such as through the multicultural community advisory group, regional stakeholder engagement groups or otherwise, Multicultural Victoria is required to report back to the representatives as soon as practicable, advising on what action Multicultural Victoria has taken in respect to matters that have been raised. This process will allow community members to determine how their input and feedback has influenced the conduct of public affairs.

For these reasons I consider that the Bill is compatible with the right take part in public life.

Cultural rights

Section 19 of the Charter provides that every person in Victoria has the right to enjoy their culture, practise their religion and use their language. The Charter also recognises that First Nations peoples have the right to enjoy their identity and culture, to maintain and use their language, and maintain their kinship ties to member of their community. The Charter also requires public authorities to adopt measures that protect and promote cultural diversity and inclusion.

The Bill seeks to strengthen the Act’s principles of multiculturalism by recognising language services as an essential service for multicultural communities when accessing government services and recognising First Peoples unique status as the descendants of Australia’s first people. This Bill also provides that it is an objective of Multicultural Victoria to acknowledge First Peoples’ self-determination and Treaty. This will help preserve culture, maintain kinship ties and support individuals using their own language.

The Bill promotes cultural inclusion and acknowledges that multicultural and multifaith communities have intersecting and diverse identities, and values the richness that such diversity brings to the Victorian community. The Bill will help to address inequities experienced by multicultural and multifaith communities and preserve their cultural heritage.

For these reasons I consider that the Bill is compatible with cultural rights under the Charter.

Conclusion

I consider that the Bill is compatible with the Charter because, to the extent that some of the provisions may limit human rights, those limitations are reasonable and demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society in accordance with section 7(2) of the Charter.

I commend the Bill to the House.

The Hon Sonya Kilkenny MP

Attorney-General

Minister for Planning

Minister for Violence Reduction

Minister for Finance

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Violence Reduction, Minister for Finance) (11:22): Under the Statewide Treaty Act 2025, I table a statement of treaty compatibility:

1.   In my opinion, the Multicultural Victorian Amendment Bill 2026 (the Bill) is compatible with the matters set out in section 66(3)(d) of the Statewide Treaty Act 2025. I base my opinion on the reasons outlined in this statement.

Overview of the Bill

2.   The Bill seeks to address recommendations arising from Victoria’s Multicultural Review (the Review) and provide renewed leadership to the Multicultural and Multifaith portfolio through the establishment of a new statutory entity, Multicultural Victoria.

3.   The proposed amendments to the Act will:

3.1 Provide renewed leadership to the Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria portfolio by establishing a new statutory entity, Multicultural Victoria and abolishing the Victorian Multicultural Commission.

3.2 Strengthen responsibility and accountability for coordinating rigorous whole of government strategic planning and reporting for the Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria portfolio by amending ongoing consultation and reporting processes.

3.3 Embed a requirement for Multicultural Victoria to support and advise relevant agencies on community safety planning following adverse local or global events.

3.4 Appoint a Multicultural Coordinator General and two Deputy Coordinators General to lead the new statutory entity.

3.5 Establish a Multicultural Community Advisory Group (MCAG) to advise the new statutory entity.

3.6 Require Multicultural Victoria to convene regional stakeholder engagement groups, with groups providing representation from all regions of Victoria

3.7 Recognise and promote language services as an essential service for multicultural communities.

3.8 Recognise the unique status of the First Peoples of Victoria and acknowledge Treaty.

3.9 Make minor and technical amendments to improve the operation of the Act.

3.10 Provide for the Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria to direct particular public sector bodies to acquire language services from VITS LanguageLoop (VITS) unless VITS is unable to provide the services.

3.11 Authorise VITS’s conduct for the purposes of Part IV of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth).

4.   Further to paragraph 3.8, the Bill:

4.1 inserts a new principle of multiculturalism, recognising that ‘First Peoples in Victoria, as the original custodians of the land on which the colony of Victoria was established –

a)   have a unique status as the descendants of Australia’s first people;

b)   have a spiritual, social, cultural and economic relationship with their traditional lands and waters within Victoria; and

c)   have made a unique and irreplaceable contribution to the identity and wellbeing of Victoria.

4.2 embeds a function of Multicultural Victoria to ‘acknowledge First Peoples right to self-determination and the advancement of Statewide Treaty-making between First Peoples in Victoria and the State’.

Consultation with the First Peoples’ Assembly of Gellung Warl

5.   The First Peoples’ Assembly was given an opportunity to advise on the Bill and indicated that it did not wish to give advice or make representations at this time, pending publication of its Community Governance and Answerability Framework, which is required under Part 14 of the Statewide Treaty Act. I understand the First Peoples’ Assembly noted that the Framework provides the mechanism through which the views of Community are reflected in its advice and representations.

Compatibility of the Bill with each of the objects in section 66(3)(d) of the Statewide Treaty Act 2025

6.   I have considered whether the Bill is compatible with the objects at section 66(3)(d) of the Statewide Treaty Act 2025:

6.1 advancing the inherent rights and self‑determination of First Peoples; and

6.2 addressing the unacceptable disadvantage inflicted on First Peoples by the historic wrongs and ongoing injustices of colonisation; and

6.3 ensuring the equal enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by First Peoples.

Advancing the inherent rights and self‑determination of First Peoples

7.   The inherent rights of First Peoples, including the right to self-determination, are recognised by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

8.   The Bill positively affects this object by prescribing that Multicultural Victoria, comprising the statutory appointees of Multicultural Victoria and members of the Multicultural Community Advisory Group, undertake their functions in a manner that acknowledges First Peoples’ self-determination and the advancement of Treaty.

9.   These are novel inclusions in the Bill that require Multicultural Victoria to expressly consider First Peoples’ interests. In this way, the Bill promotes advancement of the inherent rights and self-determination of First Peoples by enshrining an expectation that Multicultural Victoria must:

9.1 stay abreast of matters relating to First Peoples’ self-determination and the advancement of Statewide Treaty-making in Victoria

9.2 act in a way that acknowledges self-determination

9.3 act in a way that is not inconsistent with Treaty.

Addressing unacceptable disadvantage inflicted on First Peoples

10.   The Bill does not affect or limit the achievement of this object and is therefore compatible.

Ensuring the equal enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by First Peoples

11.   The Bill does not affect or limit the achievement of this object and is therefore compatible.

Conclusion

12.   Accordingly, in my opinion, for the reasons stated above, the Bill is compatible with each of the objects in in section 66(3)(d)(i)–(iii) of the Statewide Treaty Act.

The Hon Sonya Kilkenny MP

Attorney-General

Minister for Planning

Minister for Violence Reduction

Minister for Finance

 Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Violence Reduction, Minister for Finance) (11:23): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I ask that my second-reading speech be incorporated into Hansard.

Incorporated speech as follows:

Victoria is a proudly multicultural state – it is who we are. Victorians come from over 300 different ancestries, speak more than 290 languages and practise almost 200 faiths. Almost half of us were born overseas, or have a parent born overseas. All of us who are not First Peoples come from a lineage of migration, and that migration continues to shape Victoria today.

This Government is proud to uphold Victoria’s reputation as a safe, diverse and inclusive State – where all people feel safe to be and express who they are.

Global conflicts, the cost of living, and the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are pressures that have touched every community, but they have placed a particular strain on our multicultural and multifaith communities.

It was in that context, that in December 2024, the Victorian Government commissioned Victoria’s Multicultural Review (the Review) to examine Victorian multicultural settings. Led by George Lekakis AO ‍– the longest ever serving chair of the Victorian Multicultural Commission – and supported by an Expert Advisory Group comprising of Hass Dellal AO, Carmel Guerra OAM, Miriam Suss OAM and Mark Duckworth PSM, the Review heard from over 640 Victorians across the state, including over 150 peak bodies.

The Review heard about the needs of multicultural and multifaith Victorians. This Bill delivers on key commitments arising from the Review.

It’s long been recognised that when we develop policy, deliver programs, and provide services across portfolios, for multicultural and multifaith communities, that we need to consider the voices of those communities. We know that when we listen to diverse communities about policies, programs and services that impact them, we get better outcomes for all Victorians.

When we meaningfully engage with communities, we are better able to learn from our successes and challenges to continuously improve. When Victorians work together, we are better able to stand up for respect, unity and belonging.

The Victorian Government is committed to supporting Victoria as a multicultural and inclusive community, and combatting racism and hatred in all its forms.

To uphold our reputation as a safe, diverse and inclusive state, we need forward planning, coordination and meaningful engagement to inform our decisions and provide real accountability.

The Bill enshrines critical elements of this vision and lays the groundwork for a renewed approach to working together, hand in hand, with Multicultural and Multifaith communities in Victoria. These changes will ensure more voices are represented and heard.

Establishing Multicultural Victoria

The Review told us we need a fresh start and a stronger voice for multicultural and multifaith communities. This Bill will establish a new statutory entity, Multicultural Victoria.

Multicultural Victoria signals a reset in how we as a government listens to, collaborates with and supports multicultural and multifaith Victorians. It will bring multicultural and multifaith leadership to the forefront of discussions, and will raise the voices of those in the community who may not always be heard.

The new entity will bring together the functions of two separate bodies: the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) and the departmental functions of the Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria portfolio.

These changes reinforce this Government’s ongoing commitment to stand together with multicultural communities – not against them.

The Bill will see the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) superseded by Multicultural Victoria. I thank past and present VMC Chairs and Commissioners for their tireless support, contributions and achievements. Since 1983, the VMC has played an invaluable role supporting multicultural and multifaith communities through its role as a conduit between government and community. However, the Review found that the separation between the VMC and the department’s policy and programs functions resulted in an inconsistent and fragmented approach to the portfolio, and confusion among community on the role and function of each.

Multicultural Victoria will bring community engagement, policy and grants together, addressing the Review’s finding that community voice needs to be much more closely connected into policy and grants delivery. The Multicultural Coordinator General’s independent voice, speaking on behalf of our communities, will inform the development of policy and grants program design. Departmental staff will support the Coordinator General to deliver on their statutory community engagement and cross-government accountability functions, and the delivery of policy development and grants programs under the banner of Multicultural Victoria.

Strengthened leadership, effective engagement and an independent voice

The Bill provides Multicultural Victoria with new leadership positions: a Multicultural Coordinator General who will be the statutory leader of Multicultural Victoria, supported by two Deputies (including one from regional Victoria) and a new Multicultural Community Advisory Group. These independent appointees will support, represent and advocate for all multicultural and multifaith communities across Victoria.

The Bill requires the Multicultural Coordinator General and Deputies to act in accordance with the principles of impartiality – free from prejudice, bias or personal influences. This aligns with the Review’s emphasis on Multicultural Victoria maintaining neutrality, to best advocate for all multicultural and multifaith communities.

One of the key responsibilities of the Multicultural Coordinator General will be to lead systematic and wide-ranging consultation, to hear directly from our multicultural communities about their experiences, priorities and needs – and report on these to the government. Multicultural Victoria will also have a legislated obligation to report back to those it has engaged with, to explain what action it has taken in respect of the matters raised.

To ensure that engagement has impact, the Multicultural Coordinator General will have new powers to drive change for multicultural and multifaith communities across government – including strengthened powers in relation to whole-of-government planning and accountability.

They will also play a key role in working with existing community safety and emergency services agencies, such as Victoria Police and Emergency Management Victoria, to support, and advise on, community safety planning with multicultural and multifaith communities affected by emergencies or serious global or local adverse events. This reform recognises that some emergencies and global events can have a disproportionate impact on multicultural and multifaith communities, and seeks to ensure that responses are cognisant of those impacts.

The Multicultural Coordinator General will provide independent advice to the government on current issues affecting our communities, the adequacy of government services, and any other matters relating to multicultural and multifaith communities, drawing on Multicultural Victoria’s broad engagement and research, and advice from its advisory committees.

The Multicultural Coordinator General will also support the Premier in the development and implementation of a whole-of-government Multicultural Strategy, and ensure that community perspectives inform government policy and programs.

And we know that you can’t address what you don’t measure – which is why the Multicultural Coordinator General will also develop a yearly report, driven by community consultation. It will highlight what has worked and what more needs to be done across government. The State of Multicultural Victoria report will be tabled in Parliament each year, bringing transparency to the operations of Multicultural Victoria as well as efforts and opportunities to improve community outcomes.

Improving community outcomes across all government portfolios

The Review found that government’s current approach to measuring whole of government outcomes for multicultural and multifaith Victorians has delivered inconsistent results and lacks accountability to drive measurable improvements in equity, inclusion and community wellbeing. The Bill responds to this by strengthening accountability for multicultural outcomes through whole-of-government strategic planning and reporting.

In addition to the Premier-led Multicultural Strategy, informed by advice from the Multicultural Coordinator General and community consultation, government departments will be required to produce Multicultural Action and Inclusion Plans every four years. These plans will identify actions to increase cultural inclusion of government services, and actions to strengthen outcomes for multicultural Victorians through the public service. The plans must be approved by the Multicultural Coordinator General, and departmental Secretaries will be required to report to the Multicultural Coordinator General on their progress annually.

Improved whole-of-government reporting will allow for more intentional forward planning for multicultural and multifaith communities across government, in alignment with Victoria’s overarching Multicultural Strategy. A data and community feedback-driven approach will allow the government to make evidence-based decisions around funding priorities, and corporate and operational planning.

These reporting and planning provisions will be key accountability mechanisms to identify and address any gaps or areas for improvement both within departments, and in our service delivery to multicultural and multifaith Victorians.

Multicultural community advisory group

Engagement and consultation with diverse groups – including with young people, faith leaders, regional Victorians and new and emerging communities – will be bolstered through Multicultural Victoria, as will engagement with multicultural community organisations, ethno-specific organisations, faith-based organisations and peak bodies.

As recommended by the Review, the Bill also establishes the Multicultural Community Advisory Group to provide strategic advice to the Multicultural Coordinator General and Deputies.

The Advisory Group will sit within Multicultural Victoria, embedding a genuine codesign component to the development of policies, programs and services. The Advisory Group will add depth, credibility and lived experience to advice to government on matters concerning multicultural and multifaith affairs.

Reporting to the Coordinator General, Advisory Group members will work collaboratively to bring to life the objectives and vision of Multicultural Victoria. Advisory Group members will actively participate in community events, consultations and government forums, in addition to attending formal Advisory Group meetings.

Advisory Group members will come from a range of cultural, faith and occupational backgrounds. Membership will include representation from rural or regional Victoria as well as a dedicated youth representative. The Advisory Group will be formed and informed by a diverse range of views and experiences.

They will engage actively at the grassroots level and ensure that the voices and perspectives of multicultural and multifaith Victorians are reflected in government policies and programs – to make sure that no one is left out, and no one is left behind.

Multicultural Victoria will also have the ability to establish other advisory groups and consultation mechanisms as required, to allow all Victorians of multicultural and multifaith backgrounds to have their voices heard right across our community.

This means Multicultural Victoria can continue to benefit from advisory groups like the Multifaith Advisory Group and the Multicultural Youth Network, established by the VMC.

Regional stakeholder engagement groups

The experiences of multicultural and multifaith Victorians differ across not only across culture and faith, but also in where they choose to call Victoria home.

This Bill recognises that the place where we live can shape our experiences, priorities, viewpoints and needs. To understand, celebrate and respond to our communities across Victoria, effective place-based engagement is critical.

Since 2011, Regional Advisory Councils have been an important platform for members to advise the VMC on matters of multiculturalism, settlement, service delivery and other important issues.

However, the Review told us that the model of the Regional Advisory Council is unwieldy and doesn’t deliver the improved outcomes that it should and to abolish them in their current form.

I acknowledge and thank Regional Advisory Council members for their contributions and incredible work delivered over the years. Together with other committees chaired by the VMC. I thank all members for sharing their diverse identities and experiences of culture and faith.

But we know that regional and place-based engagement remains critical – and this Bill takes deliberate steps to ensure the representation and inclusion of regional multicultural communities through a new model of place-based engagement. This model will provide flexibility and will improve the way that multicultural and multifaith communities from all regions across Victoria.

The Bill requires that Multicultural Victoria provide feedback to the groups on outcomes achieved and how their advice has been received and used by government.

The Multicultural Coordinator General will be responsible for setting terms of reference for these groups – providing flexibility to ensure the engagement model works for communities. Regional stakeholder groups may include representatives of relevant local agencies, regional ethnic councils, and community organisations ‍– as well as individuals not involved with an organisation. This method of engagement will be independently reviewed every four years to ensure it remains effective, and the voices multicultural and multifaith Victorians in regional and place-based locations are heard.

Language services

The Review also found that language services, including interpreting and translating services, are essential for Victoria’s multicultural communities, especially in critical government settings such as health, policing, courts, justice, education and emergency management. The Review recommended assigning critical areas of government language service delivery to the government’s state-owned provider, VITS LanguageLoop to improve the equity, quality and delivery of language services.

In alignment with findings from the Review, the Bill recognises that interpreting and translating are essential services for our multicultural communities within the Act’s principles of multiculturalism.

The Bill also sets the framework for assigning critical areas of government work to VITS LanguageLoop by empowering the Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria to declare by written notice that a specified entity must obtain interpreting and translating services from VITS LanguageLoop. As a supply and quality safeguard, should VITS LanguageLoop not be able to deliver the requested service, prescribed organisations may then obtain the relevant services from an alternative language services provider.

In making the Ministerial declaration, the Minister must consult with the relevant portfolio Ministers. These reforms will not extend to the private sector or integrity agencies. It is intended that declarations will be issued to a specified entity as and when their current language services arrangements expire to ensure a smooth transition to VITS LanguageLoop provision.

Positioning VITS LanguageLoop as the default provider for prescribed organisations will ensure a consistent and high quality service that can readily respond to departmental and community language service needs.

Whether you are seeking medical treatment or facing an emergency – you will be able to access quality interpreting services. This is important for many Victorians, who worry about parents, grandparents, and themselves, being able to access essential services without a family member in the room.

Every Victorian, regardless of their language background, has the right to meaningfully engage with government services, make informed decisions and be given fair treatment.

Recognition of First Peoples

This Bill recognises that all of us who are not First Peoples come from a lineage of migration. The principles of multiculturalism enshrined in the Bill acknowledge that First Peoples of Victoria have a unique status as the descendants of Australia’s first people with a spiritual, social, cultural and economic relationship with their traditional lands and waters within Victoria. In carrying out its functions for our multicultural and multifaith communities, Multicultural Victoria will acknowledge First Peoples right to self-determination and the advancement of Statewide Treaty-making between First Peoples in Victoria and the State.

What we have before us is a significant and timely opportunity to centre recognition of Victoria as a multicultural State, set the framework to engage meaningfully with our community, and stand up for respect, unity and belonging. The Bill delivers on the Victorian Government’s commitment arising from Victoria’s Multicultural Review, and will strengthen our multicultural settings, institutions and frameworks now and into the future.

This Government is proud to uphold Victoria’s reputation as a safe, diverse and inclusive State, where people feel safe to be and express who they are – and I am immensely proud to be supporting this Bill today.

I commend this Bill to the house.

 James NEWBURY (Brighton) (11:23): I move:

That the debate be adjourned.

Motion agreed to and debate adjourned.

Ordered that debate be adjourned for two weeks. Debate adjourned until Wednesday 12 August.