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Under the Queensland Government’s multicultural policy, Multicultural Queensland–making a world of difference, each of its departments is responsible for the development of an annual Multicultural Action Plan to deliver tangible improvements in access and equity for all members of Queensland’s culturally and linguistically diverse community.
In 2007, the Department of Communities published Engaging Queenslanders: an introduction to working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities, a resource to support the Queensland public sector’s engagement with people from a diverse range of backgrounds, and a series of factsheets to help communities engage with government. These resources were produced in consultation with community groups and are part of a series of resources on community engagement which can be downloaded from the Queensland Government community engagement website.
The Queensland Health Interpreter Service was launched in November 2007. Initial evaluation of this statewide service has revealed a 40 per cent increase in bookings. In addition, the Queensland Refugee Health service prioritises Special Humanitarian Program entrants and asylum seekers within the first six months of settlement through a range of health assessment and complex case management programs. In 2007–08, Queensland Health increased the funding allocation for its refugee health clinics from $1.08 million to $1.2 million to establish a coordinated, statewide refugee health service.
In 2007–08, the Department of Education, Training and the Arts provided funding of $2.52 million to a range of targeted programs for refugee school students. This was part of the funding commitment of $8.5 million over four years to the Refugee Support Program to assist with full participation by state school refugee students in school life and improve their educational outcomes.
Through a Multicultural Employment Strategy, the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations allocated $3.16 million to community agencies each year, from 2004 to 2008, to deliver intensive support to migrant and refugee job-seekers. The funding ensures that culturally responsive and needs-based employment assistance is provided to migrants and refugees.
The Department of Housing coordinates the Community Renewal Project, which funds locally-driven and needs-based projects focused on neighbourhood regeneration and community well-being. In 2006–07, a total of $2.45 million funded 14 projects that directly targeted and benefited culturally and linguistically diverse local communities.
Between 2006 and 2008, Multicultural Affairs Queensland provided more than $700 000 annually in small grants towards a range of community projects as part of the Multicultural Assistance Grants program. They targeted the cultural development needs of diverse communities and the health, employment and education needs of Humanitarian Program entrants, especially women.
Multicultural Affairs Queensland also provided over $2 million annually towards its Local Area Multicultural Partnership (LAMP) program and Coordinated Advocacy in the Multicultural Sector programs. These programs support multiculturalism and facilitate improved levels of access to services, planning and consultation by diverse interest groups across local councils and communities.
The LAMP program is a partnership strategy between the state and local governments to create harmonious and cohesive community relations appropriate for our diverse society. It supports the leadership role of local governments in managing community relations. Multicultural Affairs Queensland has resourced participating councils to employ staff to develop and implement local community relations plans and support local community relations advisory committees. A coordination role is also funded within the Local Government Association of Queensland. An evaluation of these programs has highlighted their effectiveness in linking diverse communities to services and improving social cohesion and cross-cultural competency in remote and regional Queensland.
In partnership with the Queensland Roar Football Club, Multicultural Affairs Queensland developed a three-year Queensland Roars Against Racism campaign. As part of the campaign, two exhibition matches were held in 2007 and 2008 between the Queensland Roar Football Club and elite teams from South Africa and Brazil, featuring a strong message that there is no place for racism in Queensland. Over 26 000 people attended the matches to support the campaign.
A statewide consultation held in March and April 2007 on implementation of Queensland’s multicultural policy helped identify clear future directions to achieve access and equity for the most disadvantaged community groups. The priorities that have been set for the 2008–09 Multicultural Action Plans are refugee issues, particularly among African refugees; Pacific Islander community issues; and the responsiveness and accessibility of services delivered by Queensland Government-funded, non-government organisations.
