The Victorian Government works to ensure every Victorian is treated with fairness, dignity and respect.
In 2024–25 the government launched Victoria’s Anti-racism Strategy 2024–2029. The strategy provides a 5-year plan for preventing and addressing race- and faith-based discrimination and strengthening outcomes for First Peoples, multicultural and multifaith Victorians.
The Anti-Racism Taskforce, co-chaired by Sheena Watt MP and Iwan Walters MP, played an integral role in developing the strategy and continues to offer expert guidance during implementation.
In 2024–25 the government began implementing several flagship actions:
- allocating $2.4 million through 2024–26 to the Local Anti-Racism Initiatives Grants Program, which is supporting 30 First Peoples, multicultural and multifaith organisations to deliver grassroots responses to racism
- engaging the Centre for Multicultural Youth, in partnership with Koorie Heritage Trust and Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association Ltd, to co-design a statewide anti-racism campaign in community sport, working with 7 state sporting associations (AFL, basketball, cricket, football, netball, NRL and tennis), Vicsport and VicHealth
- appointing the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) to design training that builds the capacity of frontline police to take human rights–centred approaches when engaging with First Peoples, multicultural and multifaith communities
- appointing the VEOHRC to deliver the anti-racism pilot, Better than That: Building anti-racist workplaces to recognise workplaces that are culturally safe and inclusive (DPC: $2 million in 2024–25).
DJCS led anti-vilification reform, strengthening anti-vilification laws to protect more Victorians from hate speech through the Justice Legislation Amendment (Anti-vilification and Social Cohesion) Act 2025, which was enacted in April 2025. Extensive consultation with the Victorian community (including with multicultural and multifaith communities) on potential reforms to anti-vilification laws took place throughout 2024. A consultation paper outlining an overview of the proposed reforms appeared on the Engage Victoria website in September 2024. The reforms will protect and promote human rights by:
- extending anti-vilification protections to protect more Victorians
- improving how serious vilification offences and civil protections operate
- expanding the powers of the VEOHRC to better respond to vilification (DJCS).
In December 2024 the Victorian Government announced several measures designed to confront antisemitism, protect religious worship and restore social cohesion.
This included setting up the Local Escalation and Help group (LEAH) with the support of DPC. LEAH includes representatives of Jewish community groups, government departments and local councils to provide a direct communication channel on critical issues between government and the community. LEAH was established in April 2025, focusing on community safety, combating antisemitism, improving experiences in key sectors such as creative industries, advancing anti-vilification and protest reforms and strengthening community resilience.
Through LEAH, the government has established a communications protocol that provides timely information flow and can bring LEAH together, if required, after a major incident (DPC).
Case study - VEOHRC
In 2024 the VEOHRC launched a guideline on race discrimination in the workplace as an early action under Victoria’s Anti-racism Strategy. The guideline provides a practical tool to help employers prevent and respond to race discrimination in the workplace and comply with the Equal Opportunity Act.
Alongside the guideline VEOHRC has produced anti-racism resources to help organisations meet their obligations. These include guidance on racial literacy, how to be an active bystander, developing a workplace race discrimination prevention plan and developing a workplace anti-racism policy. There are also factsheets on employee rights and employer responsibilities around race discrimination at work.
VEOHRC is also leading an anti-racism pilot for employers titled, Better than That: Building Anti-racist Workplaces, building on the guideline. The scheme will create an anti-racism framework for workplaces, develop free audit and capability tools and build anti-racism capability among employers.
In 2024–25 DPC supported the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria’s (ECCV) core operations, a peak body representing multicultural communities. ECCV advocates for multicultural communities, including in the areas of human rights, access and equity and by improving services.
Government funding supports ECCV’s management and governance, communications and policy and advocacy activities.
ECCV enhances the government’s engagement with multicultural communities, multicultural sector capacity building and community participation and embeds intersectional approaches to service delivery.
Four longstanding policy advisory committees inform ECCV’s work. In 2024–25 the committees:
- established the new Victorian CALD Community Aged Care Provider Network
- facilitated 116 stakeholder organisations to attend meetings
- convened 15 policy and advisory committee meetings
- facilitated 12 network meetings.
ECCV also published 9 reports and policy submissions in the areas of racism and discrimination, disability, digital access, elder abuse, housing and Victoria’s bicultural workforce. This work is on top of ongoing Victorian parliamentary and statewide multicultural policy engagement (DPC: $875,000 in 2024–25).
The work of the South Sudanese Australian Youth Justice Expert Working Group was delivered by a partnership between DJCS and the Commission for Children and Young People. The working group addresses the over-representation of young South Sudanese Australians in the youth justice system. In 2024–25 this working group undertook extensive consultation with the South Sudanese Australian community through its adult and youth advisory groups and Interagency Committee to inform a final report of recommendations to address the drivers of over-representation of South Sudanese Australian young people in the youth justice system (DJCS).
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