Manningham Council has been accredited as a ‘Welcoming City’.
The Welcoming Cities organisation presented Council with the ‘Established’ level accreditation at its Strategic Briefing Session on Tuesday 1 March 2022. The accreditation is a recognition of Manningham’s work to ensure it is welcoming and inclusive. It is also based on commitments to build on inclusivity over the next three years.
Welcoming Cities is a national network that commits to supporting an Australia where everyone can belong, contribute and thrive.
Taking part in the Welcoming Cities network allows councils to benchmark its progress. It also helps to identify gaps in welcoming and inclusion practices.
Manningham Council and City of Unley (in South Australia) are the first local governments in Australia to become accredited Welcoming Cities at the Established level.
The Welcoming Cities accreditation builds on Manningham’s status as a Migrant and Refugee Welcome Zone. These programs help to foster a sense of belonging and participation for all members of our community.
Manningham Mayor, Cr Michelle Kleinert said that the accreditation is a great acknowledgment.
“We are proud of this recognition. Manningham is a place where we value and listen to people of all cultural backgrounds. We encourage everyone in the community to connect."
“2022 will be a big year for us to build on our Welcoming City status. We will soon establish a Multicultural Communities Advisory Committee, and we are delivering numerous initiatives under our Anti-Racism Project. Later in the year, we will launch our new Reconciliation Action Plan.”
The Manningham community consists of residents born in 111 different countries, speaking 84 different languages. In addition:
- 39.8% of residents were born overseas
- 42.5% of households speak a language other than English at home
- 0.2% of residents identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
Expressions of interest will soon be sought for Council’s Multicultural Communities Advisory Committee. This committee will be able to support Council to be better informed about the multicultural community and with making decisions that reflect the diversity of the Manningham community.
