Victoria is embarking on a major reset of its multicultural governance and community support, with Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ingrid Stitt unveiling the Victorian Multicultural Review.
The Review charts a path for stronger social cohesion, more responsive policy-making, and greater empowerment of Victoria’s diverse communities.
With the theme “A Multicultural Victoria Is A United Victoria”, the Review seeks to counter division and build trust. It was led by George Lekakis AO alongside an expert advisory group, and involved more than 640 Victorians in 57 consultation sessions, plus over 150 peak bodies and community organisations.
Premier Jacinta Allan emphasised the importance of togetherness, “We are one Victoria and we’ll never be divided. Multiculturalism isn’t the problem – it is the solution.”
“This is our vision for a united Victoria – strong anti-hate laws, strong values, and a strong society, with multicultural organisations as our stable partners and multicultural people as our champions of cohesion.”
Key Reforms & Immediate Actions
In its initial response, the Allan Labor Government has committed to the following:
- Establishing a new statutory body, Multicultural Victoria, led by a newly appointed Multicultural Coordinator-General.
This body will have two deputies (including at least one representing regional Victoria) and will be supported by a five-member advisory council. - Merging the engagement functions of the Victorian Multicultural Commission with the policy-making functions currently held in the Department, giving the new body expanded responsibilities—including creating safety plans for communities affected by serious or distressing events.
- A whole-of-government multicultural strategy, spearheaded by the Premier, to ensure that all Cabinet decisions include consideration of multicultural needs.
- Introducing a Social Cohesion Commitment for organisations seeking multicultural grants, as a pilot initially, then embedding this framework across all government funding agreements.
- A $5 million fund to strengthen the capacity and sustainability of multicultural organisations. This is intended to help them lead in resolving conflict and division and better serve their communities.
- A further $925,000 investment to boost access for more people (including children) to Victoria’s multicultural museums, which have experienced declining visitation rates. Museums involved include the Holocaust Museum, the Islamic Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Chinese Museum, the newly opened Vietnamese Museum, the Golden Dragon Museum in Bendigo, and more.
The initiative aims to ensure that Victoria’s diverse cultural and faith stories are preserved, seen, and valued.
The Review responds to concerns about rising divisions, public discourse that has edged into hateful rhetoric, and a sense among some multicultural communities of not being heard or adequately supported.
In particular, the reforms are designed to:
- Reinforce leadership and better policy oversight for multicultural affairs.
- Support multicultural organisations to be proactive partners in upholding cohesion and responding to incidents that affect community safety and wellbeing.
- Improve civic and cultural engagement by increasing access to museums and heritage stories.
- Embed multicultural considerations into all areas of government decision-making, ensuring that infrastructure, services, and laws take account of Victoria’s diversity.
Minister Ingrid Stitt added, “The Review is just one part of addressing social cohesion – but it’s the most important part of all, because a vision for a united Victoria starts by listening to multicultural communities and empowering them to lead.”
“Multicultural Victoria will strengthen leadership of the sector and reset the agenda after such a challenging five years, and our new capacity grants will make organisations stronger so they can be a part of the change.”
Challenges & What to Watch
- Implementation: Establishing Multicultural Victoria and appointing its leadership, defining its legal and operational mandate, and ensuring it has sufficient resources.
- Community trust: Ensuring the Social Cohesion Commitment and other grant-requirements are fair, transparent, and not overly burdensome for smaller or grassroots organisations.
- Funding sustainability: The $5 million capacity fund and cultural museum investments will require ongoing support and oversight to ensure actual impact.
- Measurement & accountability: The government will need strong metrics and public reporting to track whether the reforms actually reduce incidents of hate, improve inclusion, and increase trust.
- Cross-portfolio alignment: Ensuring that multicultural concerns are genuinely considered across all portfolios, not just those traditionally associated with community affairs. Housing, education, transport, justice, infrastructure—these all intersect with multicultural wellbeing.
This Review represents one of the most comprehensive efforts in recent years by a state government in Australia to strengthen multicultural governance, promote social cohesion, and uphold inclusion. It comes at a critical moment, as communities across Victoria and Australia increasingly voice concerns about discrimination, identity politics, and public safety.
If successful, the reforms have the potential to make multicultural organisations more resilient, ensure that diverse voices are not only heard but acted upon, and help foster a Victoria where diversity is celebrated, not fractured.
The full text of the Lekakis Review and details of the government’s initial response are available at the Victoria state government site. The outcomes of these reforms will likely become a key test of Victoria’s ability to deliver inclusive governance—and to affirm that multiculturalism can be both celebrated and operationalised as a core part of modern society.
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