How to manage diversity and realise the advantages of a diverse range of skills within a Council organisation have become key goals for Local Government. Managing diversity for the benefit of the whole community – including multicultural, disability and indigenous issues – was the focus of the Managing Diversity Conference 2003.
Local Government, state, national and international delegates spoke at the conference, held at the Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre on 1–3 October.
Marrickville Council in NSW and South Australia’s City of Salisbury sponsored the event, providing speakers along with Brisbane, Greater Dandenong and Port Phillip Councils. A representative of Victorian Premier Steve Bracks, Kaye Darvenzia, officially welcomed conference delegates at a Parliament House reception on 1 October.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between conference host Darebin City Council and the Darebin Ethnic Communities Council (DECC) was launched by Victorian Multicultural Commission Chairperson, George Lekakis.
Darebin Mayor, Councillor Peter Stephenson, said the Parliament House reception recognised the important relationship between State and Local Government and their multicultural communities.
“The MOU and the Managing Diversity Conference lead the way in promoting harmony and understanding between government and the diverse ethnic groups in our society,” he said. “I am proud to enter into this agreement with DECC. It will guide our partnership for many years to come, while keeping multicultural issues at the forefront of our decisions.”
The conference theme was ‘Good Management, Excellent Organisations, Harmonious Communities’. United Kingdom delegate and Equalities Officer for the Housing Department of Leicester City Council, Gurjit Minhas, spoke on the Council’s Black and Minority Ethnic Housing Strategy and its application to Australia.
Community Development Manager at Marrickville Council in NSW, Linda Livingstone, discussed capacity building and community leadership in light of a Marrickville project that has increased residents’ involvement in community life.
Aboriginal Policy Officer at Greater Dandenong Council, Byron Powell, presented a case study on the Inter Council Aboriginal Consultative Committee’s work with Melbourne’s south eastern Councils.
