Multicultural INITIATIVES
January 3 2007
The Hastings welcomes newcomers from different backgrounds: Picnics, Residents' Kit, Services Directories, TAFE Courses among PMHC's "open arms" initiatives.
Over the past five years, the Hastings has had the biggest increase among MNC councils of new residents of culturally-diverse backgrounds.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council will launch the Port Macquarie-Hastings Multicultural Directory later this month - a useful directory of services and support within the Hastings region addressing issues of need for the culturally - and linguistically-diverse (CALD) community, and their service providers.
The need for a multicultural directory of services became apparent in Council's social planning consultations held during 2005. A wide range of services and individuals was consulted in the process, including the Mid-North Coast Multicultural Network, government agencies, community service providers and Council staff.
The Port Macquarie-Hastings Multicultural Directory contains information such as advocacy and support services, children and family services, community networks and communication, education services, government services, health and carer contacts, interpreter and translation services, a map of the Hastings, migration and settlement services, a Telephone Interpreter Service Language Card (to identify native languages), quick reference numbers and a service update and evaluation form.
The directory will be launched on January 22 2007 at noon at Port Macquarie-Hastings Council (Function Room), Cnr Lord and Burrawan Streets, Port Macquarie. To RSVP please contact Jeanette Parkes or Shona Russell on 65818 055 or email jeanette.parkes@pmhc.nsw.gov.au or shona.Russell@pmhc.nsw.gov.au.
What else is Council doing to support the multicultural community?
We are developing amulticultural web page to appear early in 2007 on the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council website (Residents & Community > Community Services) which contains
- demographic and geographic information
- contact information for main services in the Hastings
- links to the multicultural and other relevant community directories
- links to residents' kits information and other web pages
- network information
- online links to other important sites such as health, Centrelink, DIMA and more.
- the web page will carry a Telephone Interpreter Service (TIS) card to assist services to identify the language spoken by an individual where it is not easily determined.
TIS cards have been provided to all Council front-counter staff. As well, training is being organised for Council's front counter staff, call centre staff and VIC and library staff, to facilitate connections between Council and the multicultural community.
Additionally Council, in conjunction with the Neighbourhood Centres and Information Shops, have developed Residents' Kits which will contain Council Fact Sheets, a Community Services and Business Directory for 2007, a locality map and quick-reference phone directory.
These will be available early in 2007 from Council offices, libraries, Information Shops and Neighbourhood Centres and on Council's website. They will be launched at Residents' Picnics to be held in conjunction with Harmony Day on March 21.
Council has provided $1,000 to each Neighbourhood Centre to run the Residents Picnics - with food and entertainment - in their local areas, with the aim of creating an opportunity for residents to meet, celebrate living in the Hastings and gain awareness of local services and support. Residents are urged to contact the centres to get involved.
Council also has given $1,000 to Port Macquarie TAFE to conduct free Cultural Awareness and Anti-Discrimination training for individuals, groups, businesses, real estate staff and service providers. The training will be held in early 2007; contact Port Macquarie TAFE on 6581 6227 for more information.
Council is also providing $1,000 for the MNC Multicultural Network to run CALD events in the Hastings to celebrate and raise awareness of CALD individuals and services.
In the future Port Macquarie-Hastings Council will continue to work closely with the MNC Multicultural Network and the community to further projects and good outcomes for the multicultural community of the Hastings. Council's Community and Cultural Development team would like to thank the network and groups for their involvement and commitment to the community.
For more information on any of the above activities - picnics, special TAFE course, new residents' kits - please contact Community Development Officer Maya Spannari on 6581 8545 or email maya.spannari@pmhc.nsw.gov.au.
