- Published:
- Monday 4 December 2023
The Allan Labor Government is helping multicultural communities better plan for, respond to and recover from emergencies with funding to help organisations reach out to these communities.
Minister for Emergency Services Jaclyn Symes today announced three organisations have shared in
$1.5 million through the Emergency Management Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communications Strategies Grants program.
The funding is supporting the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria, the Burnet Institute and LanguageLoop to deliver better access to trusted, culturally appropriate, and in-language information for multicultural Victorians about emergencies.
The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria will work with local groups and community leaders to co-design emergency resources and training.
The Burnet Institute will work with multicultural communities to understand their communications needs and improve information sharing, while LanguageLoop will deliver in-language resources that are tailored to communities’ needs and preferences.
The funding comes as authorities urge Victorians to be ready for the upcoming fire season, with increased fire risk along the Surf Coast and East Gippsland forecast this summer due to increased grass and forest growth from recent rain.
The rest of the state is expected to see normal fire potential. On hot, dry and windy days, fires are possible as areas dry out.
Victoria remains well prepared for fires, with a mix of water bombing aircraft, air supervision and air intelligence gathering aircraft positioned across the state. These support thousands of dedicated volunteers and career firefighters on the ground, trucks, heavy machinery and plant equipment.
It’s vital for communities to understand their local risks. Victorians should download the VicEmergency App and stay across both the VicEmergency website and local emergency media broadcasters. People can also make a fire plan via the new Online Fire Planner.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Emergency Services Jaclyn Symes
“We’re giving multicultural communities in Victoria locally-led support to better plan for, respond to, and recovery from emergencies.”
“This seasonal outlook is a good reminder that fire safety is everyone’s responsibility. Victorians should use this time to get ready, understand their local risks and keep up to date with the latest information on VicEmergency.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ingrid Stitt
“We recognise the work of multicultural community leaders and local groups in keeping their communities safe. That’s why we’re supporting multicultural and multifaith Victorians to get timely and clear information during emergencies.”