A new Regional Advisory Council (RAC) – set up in the Grampians – was officially launched this week by the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship Nicholas Kotsiras and Chin Tan, Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC).
The purpose of the RACs are to provide advice to the VMC on settlement, multicultural affairs, service delivery and citizenship issues; advocate on behalf of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities; and promote the benefits of cultural and religious diversity at the local level.
Mr. Tan, focusing on the importance of the RACs, said: “The inaugural Grampians RAC meeting is an important milestone for the region. The members who have generously volunteered their time can now proceed with the important work of advising the VMC on local multicultural issues.”
Around 247,000 people live in the 11 municipalities of the Grampians region, with most residing in Ballarat and Bacchus Marsh. Representing these residents are the volunteer members of the Grampians RAC: Gaynor Atkin, Dimitri Dollard, Mona Hatwal, Sundram Sivamalai, Joshua Morris, Sujatha Umakanthan, Vivian Bradbury, Frank Williams, Maria Calandro and Peter Appleton. Each of these has been chosen for their dedication to multiculturalism in their local communities.
The chair is VMC Commissioner Yasser Soliman, who has worked as a conduit between Islamic youth, local councils and Victorian Police to support collaboration between these groups.
Mr Soliman said of his new role: “It is a privilege and a pleasure to be a part of the Grampians RAC and I am looking forward to working closely with the other members.
The new RAC provides an important opportunity to discuss the issues in our region and strengthen our culturally and linguistically diverse communities.”