The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) has welcomed a range of measures aimed at providing cost-of-living relief in the Victorian State Budget, while warning new investment will be needed to sustain multicultural policies and programs in the coming years.
ECCV CEO Farah Farouque noted the Budget was ‘a curtain raiser’ to the main event, the state election, which is due on 28 November. People from migrant backgrounds are an important part of the electorate and can sway outcomes in key seats.
Ms Farouque said: “It’s good to see several practical measures in the Budget, but beyond that we really need to see greater investment in multicultural organisations that do so much to support communities. We hope to see this addressed as we head into the state election.”
Leading community advocates in the Filipino community also welcomed the practical economic relief outlined in the Allan Government’s budget, as cost-of-living pressures are being widely felt in migrant communities.
The CEO of the Filipino Community Council of Victoria, Roxanne Sarthou, said: “The recent budget measures offer essential immediate relief for our community, particularly through subsidised public transport, fuel price caps, and vehicle registration discounts. These initiatives directly alleviate the daily cost-of-living pressures facing our members.”
Multicultural Seniors Support Program
ECCV also said two years of additional funding for the popular Multicultural Seniors Support Program, which supports ethnic seniors’ groups across Victoria, would be very welcome news at this time.
ECCV CEO Farah Farouque said: “These modest grants – eligible ethnic clubs can get up to $2000 annually – play an important role in supporting cultural connection and wellbeing for seniors. ECCV has long advocated for government to make an ongoing investment in ethnic seniors’ clubs.”
This new funding is expected to benefit many Filipino seniors’ groups and community organisations across Victoria, which provide social support, cultural activities and community connection for senior Filipino Australians.
CEO of Australian-Filipino Community Services Corina Dutlow said: “It is essential that the Victorian Government continues to support ethnic communities, such as the Filipino community, in building our capacity to support our kababayans. This reflects the Government’s commitment at a policy level to recognising and addressing the culturally and linguistically specific needs of the Filipino community. Continued investment in safeguarding community infrastructure and resources developed over decades will ensure these foundations are strengthened and remain capable of supporting our growing community into the future.”
Roxanne Sarthou added: “While we celebrate the guaranteed two-year funding for the Multicultural Seniors Support Program as a vital win for social connection, we must view this as a starting point rather than a final solution. As our community ages, the demand for culturally appropriate aged care and long-term infrastructure continues to outpace current investment. We welcome this support, but we remain firm in our advocacy: for Filipino Australians and the wider multicultural sector to truly thrive, we require sustained, large-scale investment that ensures our elders are not just supported, but are seen and heard within a system built for their specific needs.”
ECCV is now calling on all political parties to commit to ensuring multicultural communities are fully supported ahead of the State election, saying that sustained and increased investment will be needed to help multicultural communities thrive.
The peak body has specifically called for additional funding for multicultural peak bodies, regional ethnic communities’ councils, anti-racism programs, language services and early intervention approaches in youth justice to prevent harm.
Victoria is home to one of the world’s most diverse multicultural communities, with residents from more than 300 cultural backgrounds, speaking over 290 languages and practising almost 200 faiths.
The Filipino community in Victoria is the second largest in Australia. There are 95,188 people in Victoria who have Filipino ancestry.
The City of Wyndham, in Melbourne’s west, is home to one of the largest Filipino communities in Victoria, with 10,628 people. The City of Casey, in the south-east, is next with 9485 people.
