EVOCA An Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland publication | www.eccq.com.au

Issue 166 Winter edition, June 2013

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � | � ! ! " # $ % " & ' # ( ! % ) * + & , - + . ! / 0 " 1 22 + 3 3 " 1 / 1 ! # 4 / 0 ! 3 $ / 1 2 $ / . % $ # ! 2 / + .

5

11

ISSUE 166:FEATURES

1 FROM THE CHAIRAgnes M Whiten, OAM

MULTICULTURAL MEDIA TRAINING Promoting cross-cultural exchange

ECCQ STAFF SPOTLIGHT Minh Tran, a bi-lingual community

health worker in ECCQ’s HIV/AIDS,

Hepatitis & Sexual Health Program

HIV RAPID TESTINGSuccess depends on access

WORLD HEPATITIS DAY 2013 Raising awareness prevention in CALD

communities

CANCER AWARENESS WORKSHOP Pasifi ka communities

ECCQ ROLLS OUT NEW PROGRAM Strengthening community

leadership

ECCQ DIRECTOR PROFILE Surendra Prasad

SWAP IT, DON’T STOP IT Lifestyle modifi cation made simple

MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE Planned public housing shift

2013 BUDGET Opportunities and challenges

EVOCA, a publication of the Ethnic Communities Council of

Queensland (ECCQ), is published quarterly.

EDITOR

Carrie Barnett

ECCQ BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CHAIR

Agnes Whiten, OAM

DEPUTY CHAIRS

Serge Voloschenko

Michael Yau

HON PRESIDENT AND VOLUNTEER CEO

Nick Xynias, AO

CHAIR OF THE FINANCE, AUDIT & RISK

COMMITTEE

Alex Daniloff

DIRECTORS

Dr. Mustafa Ally, OAM

Surendra Prasad, OAM

Chalani Gunasekara

Irene Cayas

Gail Ker, OAM

ECCQ OFFICE CONTACTS

EXECUTIVE MANAGER

Ian Muil

ianm@eccq.com.au

HR & ADMIN MANAGER

Chris Dougherty

hr@eccq.com.au

HIV/AIDS, HEPATITIS & SEXUAL

HEALTH PROGRAM MANAGER

Zhihong Gu

zhihongg@eccq.com.au

CHRONIC DISEASE PROGRAM

MANAGER

Ella Ashley

ellaa@eccq.com.au

MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS

Carrie Barnett

carrieb@eccq.com.au

SENIOR POLICY OFFICER

Fiona Caniglia

fi onac@eccq.com.au

CHILD SAFETY POLICY OFFICER

Gail Slocombe

gails@eccq.org.au

PARTNERS IN CULTURAL

COMPETENCE

Hedy Nicolson

hedyn@eccq.com.au

ABOUT ECCQ

ECCQ is Queensland’s peak body for culturally and linguistically

diverse (CALD) communities and the multicultural sector. ECCQ

membership comprises new and emerging and established eth-

nic associations and CALD individuals. Members are supported

through policy work and community support.

For more information on ECCQ’s policies and programs go to our

website www.eccq.com.au or call 07 3844 9166.

P.O. Box 5916

West End, Queensland 4101

ON THE COVER

HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis & Sexual Health Program team (back row, from

left) Daniel Akech, Mekita Vanderheyde, Zhihong Gu, (front row)

Pauline Muraa, John Deng, and Mavice Hove.

3

6

7

8

10

13

15

16

© ECCQ

EVOCA, JUNE 2013 1

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRECCQ values cultural identity and supports opportunities to get involved Agnes M Whiten OAM

There are numerous activities that ECCQ is invited to and

directors of the Board and staff represent the organisa-

tion at many exciting events. One of the most uplifting

conferences I recently attended was the Happy Ageing

for CALD Australians Conference, hosted by Diversicare,

a division of ECCQ that provides coordinated community

based home care for ageing CALD people.

Diversicare’s Partners in Culturally Appropriate Care team

hosted the conference on 17 May at Rydges Hotel in Bris-

bane’s South Bank. The conference was such a success

that Diversicare was inundated with requests from del-

egates to host another conference next year. There were

over 200 delegates and some travelled from Far North

Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.

The keynote speaker, Pino Migliorino, Chairperson of FEC-

CA, spoke passionately about the importance of equity of

access for service provision, both in the community and

in residential facilities, for CALD communities. All speak-

ers presented from the heart and it was evident that their

passion and enthusiasm for equality for all CALD people is

at the forefront of their core business.

ECCQ is very proud to have the enthusiastic, passionate

and committed staff at Diversicare and I commend them

for their great work ethic and dedication. We all know that

the population of Australia is ageing and there is a signifi -

cant number of people from CALD background who need

culturally sensitive assistance to cope with ageing.

The 2011 Census shows that nearly half of the 20.5 per-

cent of Queensland’s population born overseas come

from non-English speaking countries. And only 57 percent

of them speak English very well and older people are less

profi cient in English than younger age groups.

I also recently represented ECCQ at the AGM of the Eth-

nic Schools Association of Queensland (ESAQ) in April.

Back in 1986 ECCQ’s Education Committee, chaired by

Ezzat Guindy, established a Steering Committee to set up

an ethnic schools association and thus ESAQ was estab-

lished.

ESAQ is a non-profi t organisation whose members provide

after-hours language and cultural education for all stu-

dents irrespective of their linguistic background.

Anne Reath Warren, an Australian doctoral student from

Stockholm University in Sweden, spoke on the importance

of teaching children their mother tongue.

ESAQ encourages ethnic community groups and associa-

tions to form their own ethnic schools to promote their cul-

ture and language to youth and the general community.

This dedicated band of teachers is led by Irene Tavutau

who was recently re-elected as president. Nationally over

100,000 students study a range of 69 languages and

in Queensland there are over 4,000 students attending

classes.

ECCQ launched a new media toolkit, Joining the Conver-

sation, for CALD communities at our Harmony Day Media

Forum in Brisbane on 21 March, which attracted over 50

guests. The toolkit was also launched at ECCQ Harmony

Day events in Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns, which

attracted about 140 people in total. This toolkit will serve

CALD communities to be able to engage with the media

and be positive spokespeople for their communities. The

events wrapped up our Multicultural Media Training pro-

ject funded by the Department of Immigration & Citizen-

ship through the Diversity and Social Cohesion program.

You can read more about this on page 3.

One of the many pleasant things I do as Chair of ECCQ is

participate in citizenship ceremonies where I have the op-

portunity to give a brief message to the newly naturalised

Australians on the importance of participating in the politi-

cal process by voting.

The Brisbane Islamic Council of Australia along with the

Crescents of Brisbane and AMARAH jointly hosted democ-

racy workshops for anyone interested in understanding

the political system in Australia, how votes are counted,

how preferences are distributed and the roles of the dif-

ferent levels of government.

These workshops involved the Australian Electoral Com-

mission and mock elections were held to demonstrate the

electoral system. ECCQ has been conducting these semi-

nars for many years, but it has to be done periodically as

emerging communities continue to increase.

I was also invited by the Brisbane Islamic Council of Aus-

tralia to attend an event about the Muslim community’s

>>

WWW.ECCQ.COM.AU 2

contributions to Australia, at which Minister for Foreign Af-

fairs, Bob Carr, was the speaker.

ECCQ will be hosting an election forum in August that will

bring together candidates of the major political parties for

the forthcoming federal election. We will keep you posted

on that.

There are many festivals held in Brisbane, such as the

Vietnamese New Year celebrations, the Bengali Society

New Year festival which featured the evolution of Bengali

songs, the Logan Multicultural Festival, the Philippine

Barrio Fiesta celebrating its national day and many oth-

ers which show the richness and diversity of Australian

society.

I would like to remind everyone that the Valuing Diver-

sity Grants Program, funded through Multicultural Affairs

Queensland, is now accepting applications until 10 July.

This grant program makes many of these cultural events

possible.

ECCQ recently hosted a Members’ and Communities’

Meeting on 19 June where we discussed the proposed

changes to public housing. Adrian Pisarski, Executive Of-

fi cer at Queensland Shelter, presented on the opportuni-

ties and challenges of these changes and ECCQ’s Senior

Policy Offi cer, Fiona Caniglia, presented a culturally re-

sponsive framework to guide implementation. Housing is

an issue that affects us all and CALD communities are

often doubly disadvantaged when it comes to securing a

safe and comfortable home. You can read more about this

on page 15.

The 2013 FECCA National Conference will be held at the

Gold Coast Convention Centre on 7 and 8 November.

ECCQ and the Multicultural Council of Gold Coast are co-

hosting this biennial conference which has been gener-

ously sponsored by the Queensland Government through

Multicultural Affairs Queensland. The theme this year is

‘Breaking Down the Barriers: A Strength-based Approach

for a Just Society’. For more information please visit www.

eccq.com.au. We look forward to seeing you there.

“Housing is an issue that a� ects us all and CALD communities are o� en doubly disadvantaged when it comes to securing a safe and comfortable home.”

Vivienne McDonald, General Manager of Diversicare and Agnes at the Happy Ageing Conference on 17 May.

ECCQ’s Chronic Disease Program participated in Diversicare’s Multicul-tural Seniors Seminar on 22 May in Maroochydore. The participation consisted of a presentation and an information stall.

Hana Alraman, ECCQ’s Multicultural Workforce Coordinator, giving a presentation to seniors, carers and their families on healthy eating.

EVOCA, JUNE 2013 3

MULTICULTURAL MEDIA TRAINING PROJECT PROMOTES CROSS-CULTURAL EXCHANGE ECCQ’s statewide Multicultural Media Training Project, funded by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship through

the Diversity and Social Cohesion Program, wrapped up this month.

The media is a powerful force in contemporary society

as it often infl uences how we think and feel about each

other and in culturally diverse societies, like Queens-

land, it can provide or hinder a sense of belonging.

People need to feel that the media is for them in order

to consume it and mainstream media coverage often

doesn’t refl ect the current demographic of Queensland.

The 2011 Census shows that over 20% of the popula-

tion was born overseas and participating in social and

political activities depends on access to reliable infor-

mation.

“The inherent right to know and to speak on your own

behalf and that of your families and communities is

paramount for participation in all aspects of Australian

society,” said Ian Muil, ECCQ Executive Manager.

The need for more diverse voices in the media led to a

partnership between ECCQ, the University of Queens-

land, Queensland University of Technology and Griffi th

University to conduct media training across the state to

build the capacity of CALD communities to engage with

the media and connect them with local journalists.

“The media training sessions were in high demand

particularly in the regions where CALD communities

have said they feel under-represented in mainstream

media,” said Samantha Ryan, ECCQ’s Media Training

Project Offi cer.

The two-day training sessions, held in Brisbane, Ip-

swich, Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns in 2012,

taught participants how the media works, how to de-

velop a story and a media release, how to engage with

journalists, how to network and how to create your own

media.

Participants were also encouraged to offer stories de-

veloped in the training sessions to local journalists and

as a result 13 stories were published in radio, print and

online media outlets.

>>

“� e inherent right to know and to speak on our own behalf and that of our families and communities is paramount for participation in all aspects of Australian society.”

Media training participants in Brisbane.

Media training participants in Townsville.

WWW.ECCQ.COM.AU 4

ECCQ partnered with Bridge Media to fi lm the Harmony

Day events across the state and document interviews

with CALD individuals on how they feel about the me-

dia. In the video, one participant said: “Even though

we are all Australians, we are not classifi ed as Austral-

ians in the media; we are portrayed only by our cultural

backgrounds, our ethnicity.”

ECCQ has been conducting multicultural media training

for CALD communities since 2010 and has long recog-

nised the need for more balanced media that better

refl ects Queensland’s multicultural society.

In 2012, ECCQ delivered media training for the fi rst

time to communities in Cairns and Rockhampton and

there has been great demand for the project to con-

tinue in the regions.

Download the Joining the Conversation: A Media

Toolkit for Ethnic Communities and watch the video at

www.eccq.com.au.

For more information about ECCQ’s Multicultural Me-

dia Training Project visit www.eccq.com.au.

A Townsville training participant, Jeff Mwanza, wrote

and sent out a media release about the launch of the

Townsville African Men’s Reference Group. A journalist

from the Townsville Bulletin subsequently wrote about

the launch and issues facing African men.

Another participant, Theophile Zawadi, had his story

of coming to Australia from the Democratic Republic

of Congo and being a translator for the United Nations

published in the Rockhampton Bulletin.

And Erwin Cabucos, another participant, had his me-

dia release on the Ipswich Filipino community’s mas-

querade ball published in the Ipswich Advertiser. These

are just a few examples of stories that introduce these

growing communities to the wider public.

As part of the project, ECCQ developed an easy-to-use

media toolkit, Joining the Conversation, to ensure all

CALD communities have access to the knowledge and

tools needed to engage with the media and to become

positive spokespeople for their communities.

Samantha Ryan, who compiled and edited the toolkit,

says that it “equips CALD communities with the tools

to correct negative stereotypes and present positive

portrayals of their communities through instructions on

how to write a media release, pitch a story, create your

own media and develop media networks.”

The media toolkit was launched in March during ECCQ’s

Harmony Day Media Forums in Brisbane and in ECCQ’s

Media Community Café workshops in Rockhampton,

Townsville and Cairns.

Across the state a total of 140 people from CALD com-

munities, migrant and refugee support organisations

and media professionals came together to discuss the

need for more diverse voices in the media.

“We are not classi� ed as Australians in the media; we are portrayed only by our cultural backgrounds, our ethnicity.”

Harmony Day forum speakers (from left) Erwin Cabucos, Cathie Schnitzerling, Manju Jehu, Ursula Skjonnemand and Angela Romano. Photo taken by Alban Vinevel.

EVOCA, JUNE 2013 5

ECCQ STAFF SPOTLIGHT: MINH TRANMinh Tran is a former health professional from Vietnam who now works as an ECCQ bi-lingual community health worker

in ECCQ’s HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis & Sexual Health Program for the Vietnamese community.

Minh Tran is a member of Queens-

land’s Vietnamese community, one

of the largest CALD communities

in Queensland. And Vietnamese

is now the third most spoken lan-

guage in Queensland according to

the 2011 ABS census.

Minh works as an ECCQ bilingual

health worker and enjoys organis-

ing education sessions on HIV/AIDS and hepatitis and

networking within Brisbane’s Vietnamese community.

She came to Australia 10 years ago with her husband and

son, who is turning 11 in September and feels fortunate to

have found work in the medical fi eld in Brisbane that has

her interacting with the Vietnamese community – which

brings together the two countries she calls home.

“I love to connect with people, so sharing my medical

knowledge, experience in the health fi eld and contributing

to healthier lifestyles in my own community suits me very

well,” said Minh.

She completed postgraduate studies in medicine while

living in Vietnam and is currently participating in ECCQ’s

Certifi cate IV in Primary Health & Community Care (Multi-

cultural) course which she feels brings together her expe-

rience in the health sector and teaches her more about

cultural competency.

“I write articles about hepatitis in the Brisbane-based Vi-

etnamese newspapers as well as promote our workshops

and information sessions to community leaders and

members. Now, more people in the Vietnamese commu-

nity know about what our sexual health program is, where

they can get help and who the service providers are,” said

Minh.

Minh says that working in this fi eld is now her life chal-

lenge and believes raising awareness is making a real dif-

ference in her community.

“Raising awareness about hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and STIs

is so important in terms of prevention and self-manage-

ment. Health information is not only for at-risk groups or

“Raising awareness about hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and STIs are so important in terms of prevention and self-management.”

people who have tested HIV positive or contracted an STI,

it is also for their family members, carers, and anyone who

is concerned about sexual health issues.”

Minh has received much positive feedback from commu-

nity members who have attended her information ses-

sions.

One woman said: “Hepatitis sessions are useful, now I

know where to get help and how to look after my liver.” An-

other woman said: “I am over 60 years old and I thought

a session about sexual health is not relevant to me. After

attending the session about STIs I now know that HPV and

cervical cancer can occur in aging people and we need to

do a PAP smear regularly every two years up to 70 years

old – thank you for this important information.”

Minh says that working in the community has a lot of chal-

lenges, but work that allows her to improve health aware-

ness in the Vietnamese community is very rewarding.

Our HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis & Sexual Health Program has a team

of 13 bilingual community health workers who work with and

for communities across Queensland. The use of bilingual com-

munity health workers is recognised globally as an effective way

to engage with CALD communities. Vitally, they ensure commu-

nities have information about HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and sexual

health that is relevant, current, sensitive to taboos and tradi-

tions and culturally appropriate.

Communities ECCQ’s bi-lingual workers serve:

Burmese, Burundi, Karen, Papua New Guinean, Rwandan, Sa-

moan/Pacifi c Islander, Somali, Sudanese and Vietnamese. They

are based in Toowoomba (Sudanese), Cairns (Papua New Guin-

ean) and Brisbane.

Languages ECCQ’s bi-lingual workers speak:

English, Dinka, Sudanese Arabic, Arabic, Madi, Vietnamese,

Bari, Swahili, PNG Tokpisin (Cairns), Burmese, French, Kinyar-

wanda, Kirundi, Karen, Somali, Kizigua, and Samoan.

WWW.ECCQ.COM.AU 6

HIV RAPID TESTINGSUCCESS DEPENDS ON ACCESS Queensland is the fi rst Australian state to roll out free HIV rapid testing in sexual health clinics. ECCQ’s HIV/AIDS,

Hepatitis and Sexual Health Program Manager, Ms Zhihong Gu, says that while testing is now more accessible,

continued efforts are needed to promote it in at-risk groups.

ECCQ welcomes this month’s roll out of free HIV rapid

tests in Queensland sexual health clinics as HIV re-

mains a signifi cant public health issue in Queensland,

particularly in CALD communities who often face many

barriers to accessing accurate information, testing and

treatment.

The decision to introduce the HIV tests was spearhead-

ed by the Ministerial Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS

(MAC) to increase the testing rates in Queensland, a

state that has seen rising HIV infections during the last

decade.

Zhihong says that while rapid testing does make ac-

cess easier, particularly for at-risk groups, continued

efforts are needed to ensure that CALD communities

and migrant populations have improved access to HIV

testing and prevention services.

“We have been in touch with sexual health clinics

across the state to ensure the test is available and ac-

cessible for CALD communities,” she said.

“So far we’ve found that CALD individuals can access

the test, interpreters and counselling support at clinics

in the regions. In Brisbane, the AIDS Medical Unit at Bi-

ala will begin to offer rapid testing to anyone who thinks

they may have been at risk of HIV at the end of June.”

ECCQ is currently consulting with communities to bet-

ter understand factors associated with barriers to HIV

testing in CALD communities, which may help direct

where rapid testing is carried out in the near future.

“It would be benefi cial if rapid testing could be expand-

ed to community settings to improve accessibility,” she

said.

“Currently the test, which is a simple and faster blood

test, is only carried out in sexual health clinics and this

may be a barrier for those communities which still may

feel that going to a sexual health clinic is taboo.”

The State Budget increased the budget for prevention,

“It’s essential to sustain targeted and language appropriate HIV awareness and prevention programs to increase testing rates in CALD communities.”

promotion and protection and ECCQ commends the

Government’s determination to reduce HIV infection

rates, and for setting targets for annual notifi cation and

testing rates. However, some at-risk groups, such as

people from high prevalence countries, do not access

HIV testing due to stigma, language barriers and cul-

tural beliefs and norms.

“It’s essential to sustain targeted and language-ap-

propriate HIV awareness and prevention programs to

increase the testing level in CALD communities. Free

testing will only be successful if it’s accessible to all.”

The trend of HIV infection in Queensland is increasing

with about 2,300 people now accessing treatment.

Nearly 31% of individuals newly diagnosed with HIV

infections in 2011 in Queensland were born in Africa,

Asia, Europe or the Pacifi c Islands.

“Since 2005 we have seen an increase of HIV infec-

tions in Queensland among individuals born overseas

although the total number of newly diagnosed infec-

tions remains relatively small.”

In 2011, there were 1,137 new diagnoses nationally,

an 8.2% increase on 2010 and the highest number

since the introduction of effective antiretroviral therapy.

www.eccq.com.au/health

ECCQ offers free training and group information sessions on

HIV, hepatitis and/or sexual health. Please contact Mekita Van-

derheyde, ECCQ Multicultural Resources, Training & Community

Development Offi cer, at 07 3844 9166 or mekitav@eccq.com.au

for more information.

EVOCA, JUNE 2013 7

World Hepatitis Day is an annual event held on 28 July

to raise international awareness of hepatitis B and C.

It is an opportunity to learn more about these viruses

and infl uence real change in prevention and access to

testing and treatment.

Hepatitis B and C kill approximately one million people

a year and 500 million people around the world are cur-

rently infected with chronic hepatitis B or C and one in

three people have been exposed to one or both viruses.

In Australia, an estimated 209,000 people are living

with hepatitis B, which was the cause of an estimated

382 deaths in 2011. Chronic hepatitis B and C infec-

tions are the leading causes of liver disease and 25

percent of liver transplants in 2011.

Hepatitis B is very common among people from Asia,

the Middle East, Africa and Pacifi c Island countries and

many migrants and refugees don not have tests for

hepatitis B and C before coming to Australia.

Program Manager Zhihong Gu says that viral hepatitis

in under-diagnosed in CALD communities in Queens-

land, particularly in communities from Asia-Pacifi c, Af-

rica and the Middle East.

“There is very little funding to promote awareness of

hepatitis infections in CALD communities and, unfor-

tunately, this may cause a burden for the Australian

health system in the long run due to expensive treat-

ment, including liver transplants, extended hospitalisa-

tion and potential loss of lives,” she said.

ECCQ’s HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis & Sexual Health Program

conducts health workshops on viral hepatitis to CALD

communities using trained bi-lingual community health

workers.

ECCQ will be hosting two hepatitis forums in July, facili-

tated by bi-lingual community health workers, Theophil

Lazaro Kabongo and John Deng, to raise awareness of

hepatitis and encourage parents and guardians to talk

to their children and young people about it.

The fi rst event will be on 6 July at the Rock Church in

Annerley starting at 12:30 and the second event will be

held for the South Sudanese community on 27 July at

the Annerley Baptist Church, sponsored by the Hepati-

tis Council.

ECCQ offers free workshops to CALD communities,

which can be delivered in community languages. Read

more about the types of workshops we offer at www.

eccq.com.au/health or contact Mekita Vanderheyde,

Multicultural Resources, Training and Community De-

velopment Offi cer on 3844 9166 or email resources@

eccq.com.au.

WORLD HEPATITIS DAY 2013 RAISING AWARENESS IN CALD COMMUNITIESECCQ’s HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and Sexual Health Program, funded by Queensland Health, raises awareness of viral hepati-

tis in CALD communities in Queensland through workshops and forums.

GET THE FACTS:

What is Hepatitis?

Hepatitis simply means infl ammation of the liver and

can be caused by a wide range of things such as chemi-

cals, alcohol and drugs, but the common cause is a

virus.

The three most common viruses that cause hepatitis

are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Hepatitis

B is the most common. If a child contracts hepatitis

B the child has a 90% chance of developing a chronic

infection. Without appropriate treatment and manage-

ment, people with chronic hepatitis B can progress to

liver failure or liver cancer.

Chronic hepatitis B and C can cause liver cancer and

most liver cancer cases in the world are caused by

chronic hepatitis B.

Getting immunised is the best way of preventing hepa-

titis B infection and the vaccine has been shown to be

effective in approximately 95% of cases. There is cur-

rently no vaccine for hepatitis C.

WWW.ECCQ.COM.AU 8

CANCER AWARENESS WORKSHOP PASIFIKA COMMUNITIES Funded by Queensland Health, ECCQ’s Chronic Disease program is the only program in Australia designed to promote

healthy lifestyle choices and chronic disease self management in CALD communities.

The Queensland Synod Multicultural Ministry invited

ECCQ’s Chronic Disease Program to conduct a cancer

awareness workshop organised by the Fijian Uniting

Church Women’s Fellowship on 4 May.

The one-day workshop was attended by many differ-

ent Pasifi ka communities, including from New Zealand,

(Maoris) Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Solomon

Islands, Nii Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Niue, Tuvalu and

Kiribati.

ECCQ’s Multicultural Health Workers presented on dif-

ferent types of cancers, the causes of cancer, lifestyle

risk factors, the importance of cancer screening and

treatment, patient resources and living with cancer.

And a guest speaker from the Prostate Cancer Founda-

tion spoke about the importance of men being able to

recognise early symptoms of prostate cancer.

Ella Ashley, manager of ECCQ’s Chronic Disease Pro-

gram, said she is excited by the opportunity to partner

with the Queensland Synod Multicultural Ministry of

the Uniting Church of Australia to provide this vital in-

formation to these communities.

“This highlights the vital role our bilingual Multicultural

Health Workers play in linking their communities with

important health care information and services. This

workshop would not have happened without ground-

work done by Malotuto’atasi Vaimoso-Semaia, our Sa-

moan Health Worker, who is also an active member of

the Pasifi ka community and a church member,” she

said.

An analysis of hospitalisation rates among individual

population groups in 2011 indicates that Samoans,

Tongans, Fijians and Australian South Sea Islanders

show higher hospitalisation rates than other popula-

tion groups due to chronic health conditions such as

Type 2 diabetes and obesity-related conditions.

“Excess weight can increase an individual’s risk of life-

style-related chronic diseases and some cancers,” said

Ella. “These workshops allow participants to fi rst learn

about different types of cancer and how to prevent

Workshop participants in front of Fijian Uniting Church.

Paci� c and South Sea Island communities show higher hospitalisation rates than other population groups due to chronic health conditions.

>>

EVOCA, JUNE 2013 9

cancer through lifestyle modifi cation, like healthy eat-

ing and physical activity.”

Research undertaken by the Cancer Screening Servic-

es Unit of Queensland Health in 2010 found that peo-

ple from CALD backgrounds are an at-risk group and

less likely to participate in regular cancer screening

and therefore most likely to be unscreened or under-

screened.

“There were many participants who, prior to the work-

shop, did not know where to access screening services.

There were also questions asked on how lifestyle fac-

tors can prevent disease,” said Ella.

“Increasing awareness means empowering communi-

ties to access services that may be vital for an early

diagnosis and an early diagnosis offers more options

for successful treatment. It was a great opportunity to

listen, ask questions and clarify myths about cancer in

a safe and culturally appropriate environment.”

Some workshop participants spoke about their past

apprehension of going to a doctor who does not un-

derstand their health beliefs and culture. Discussions

were also had on how to eat healthier by modifying reci-

pes that use high-kilojoule traditional ingredients.

Workshop facilitator, Litiana Kuridrani, who is also a

member of the Fijian Uniting Church, said the commu-

nities must take a positive approach to cancer, learn as

much as possible and create support groups.

“ECCQ has come today with everything and has sur-

passed our expectations,” she said. “We’ve gained

knowledge about the disease and the available servic-

es. This is only the beginning - It will take time for us,

but cancer is here and there is more to learn.”

ECCQ partnered with the Cancer Screening Services

of Queensland Health in 2011 to develop a cancer

screening education module and trialled it with seven

CALD communities as part of ECCQ’s Living Well Multi-

cultural Program.

BRISBANE SIKH TEMPLE WALKING & EXERCISE GROUP

ECCQ’s Chronic Disease Program partnered with Eight

Mile Plains Community Health Centre’s Healthy Life-

style Team and Sikh Nishkam Society of Australia to

deliver a 5-week program to promote physical activity

among Indian communities.

The program started on 7 April and fi nished 26 May

and was facilitated by ECCQ’s Multicultural Health

Worker Anu Indravansa and a Queensland Health so-

cial worker.

The 15 participants were engaged in a range of ac-

tivities to learn about the benefi ts of exercise, healthy

eating and how to monitor their progress. Participants

learned how to be active by practising useful home-

based exercises.

Each participant was given a pedometer and step-

log diary to monitor their walking during the program

period. The group managed to steadily increase their

daily walking activity from about 8,300 steps per day to

10,000 steps per day.

Ms Kam Athwal, Director of Sikh Nishkam Society of

Australia, said that the Indian community greatly ben-

efi ted from the information and the group exercises.

“Getting the information and education about physical

activity to this community group who do not have ac-

cess to these programs is very important,” she said.

Participants said that the program has got them “on

track” with exercise.

“Increasing awareness means empowering communities to access services that may be vital for an early diagnosis.”

www.eccq.com.au/health/chronic-disease

WWW.ECCQ.COM.AU 10

ECCQ ROLLS OUT NEW PROGRAM TO SUPPORT CALD COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP ECCQ has received funding from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) under the Settlement Grants Pro-

gram to develop community leadership within CALD communities in the Brisbane region.

ECCQ’s community leadership program aims to con-

nect communities and build social participation by de-

veloping and nurturing effective leadership skills and

qualities to better support formal and informal commu-

nity associations and support groups, and link emerg-

ing communities with more established communities.

Executive Manager Ian Muil says that leadership is the

one essential ingredient for functional societies and

communities.

“Leadership is an integral element in the resettlement

process as migrants from many different parts of the

world adapt to their new lives in Australia,” he said.

“We have long identifi ed the need to support and men-

tor community leaders who play a vital role in support-

ing their communities as they navigate education, em-

ployment, housing, health, the justice system – all in

an environment often quite foreign to that they have

been used to.”

“DIAC has also recognised the key role leadership plays

in settlement and successful integration and we’re de-

lighted that this funding package creates a partnership

whereby identifi ed and potential leaders will now be

supported as they work to assist their communities.

Throughout the history of migration to Australia ethnic

community associations have played constructive and

positive roles in the settlement experience of new arriv-

als through advocacy, by creating a sense of belonging,

by providing peer support and by being effective gate-

ways to greater participation in the wider community of

Australia.

“Community leadership and strong associations are

integral to successful settlement experiences in their

capacity to bring community members together, sup-

port new arrivals and gain small grants for community

functions and events.”

In 2007 ECCQ established the Strengthening Ethnic

Community Associations (SECA) program, funded by

the Queensland Government, to provide training,

mentorship, management and governance support,

and social and networking opportunities to ethnic com-

munity associations.

The SECA program, well known to ethnic communities

across Queensland, assisted over 150 community as-

sociations and 500 individuals with support and train-

ing. This program was de-funded as a result of State

Budget cuts in 2012.

The community leadership program will provide govern-

ance and management training to a cohort of emerg-

ing community leaders to assist with the development

of community associations and informal groups. The

program will also provide advocacy training to enable

leaders to effectively advocate on behalf of their com-

munity.

“Community leadership and strong associations are integral tosuccessful settlement experiences in their capacity to bring community members together and support new arrivals”

RESOURCE FOR ETHNIC COMMUNITIES

ECCQ has developed easy to use resources for ethnic

community associations, including the Easy-to-Use

Working Manual for committee members of ethnic

community associations, that provides information,

tools and resources to support community-based or-

ganisations in Queensland. You can access the manual

in it’s entirety at www.eccq.com.au.

If you are looking for resources about ethnic commu-

nity associations, contact us by administration@eccq.

com.au or 07 3844 9166.

EVOCA, JUNE 2013 11

ECCQ DIRECTOR PROFILE SURENDRA PRASAD

ECCQ Director and passion-

ate proponent of multicul-

turalism, Surendra Prasad

arrived in Brisbane in 1989

from Fiji and since then has

worked tirelessly to promote

equal rights and opportuni-

ties for Queensland’s Indian

and Pacifi c Island communi-

ties.

He has been recognised for this work with numerous

prestigious awards. Surendra was awarded the Order of

Australia Medal in 2006, the Australia Day Senior Citi-

zen of the Year award last year for his work in promoting

multiculturalism, the Queensland Multicultural Service

award in 2000 and many more.

He recently celebrated his 70th birthday. He stepped

down from role of president of the Federation of Indian

Communities Queensland Inc (FICQ) in 2011, but then

was elected Vice President of the Pacifi c Island Refer-

ence Group shortly after.

“I am always involved in something, but doing things

for others brings me the most pleasure in life and I’m

committed to fostering an inclusive society – for that to

happen we need to work for it.”

During his tenure as president of FICQ, Surendra ex-

panded the organisation’s reach and involvement. In

just two years he expanded the memberships from fi ve

organisations to over 30. He also organised the fi rst

open air Diwali Festival at King George Square October

of 2010.

“I’m passionate about helping the Indian community

maintain its identity in Australia, which has become a

melting pot of cultures, and to share our culture with

the wider community,” he said.

Surendra was instrumental in building up the Hindu So-

ciety of Queensland, fi rst serving as president in 1998

>>

and then establishing the fi rst Hindu Temple in Bundall,

Brisbane, in 1991. He then raised a $100,000 deposit

to buy land for a future temple and a community hall.

“Communities need places to come together, religious

places, community centres, it’s important to be social,

to feel involved and to feel a sense of belonging.”

He is a life member of the Hindu Society and is a patron

of FICQ, where he continues to provide leadership and

mentoring to enhance working relationships with state

and local government and also with the Indian High

Commission in Canberra – foundations of which he laid

during his tenure as president.

He also represents the Indian community on the Griffi th

University Community Liaison group which looks after

the welfare of international students and is comprised

of 15 representatives from diverse communities, politi-

cians and councillors.

Surendra has also been involved with many other com-

munity clubs and committees: he has been a member

of the Lion’s Club of Brisbane McGregor for the past

nine years, serving as President in 2008/09). He re-

ceived the Lion’s Club Humanitarian Award this month

and the President’s Excellence Award by Lions Interna-

tional.

“All of my community work eventually led to an invita-

tion by Agnes Whiten, ECCQ Chair, to be a part of EC-

CQ’s Executive Committee in 2011. I am very proud to

be a part of an organisation that helps so many diverse

communities in Queensland.”

Helping others was deeply engrained in Surendra’s up-

bringing in Fiji. His father died when he was 11, leaving

behind his mother and his 8 siblings, aged 2 weeks to

12. As one of the elder brothers, Surendra had to leave

“I’m committed to fostering an inclusive society – for that to happen we need to work for it.”

WWW.ECCQ.COM.AU 12

school and start providing for the family. This sparked a

life-long commitment to helping others.

“I will never forget those hard times and the people in

my village that helped my family. I remember thinking

as a boy that when I grow up I will help others because

I know what’s like to go through hard times.”

As a boy, he worked as a labourer at a construction com-

pany and then as a salesman for a saw milling company

before being hired as a conductor at age 15 for Pacifi c

Transport, a company he went on to spend 25 years

with, eventually becoming National Traffi c Manager.

“That’s my real career – transport. It brought much

needed stability to my family.”

He left Pacifi c Transport in 1981 to start a tourism busi-

ness with his two brothers, operating a fl eet of taxis and

a tourism bus service.

In 1987 a military coup in Fiji damaged his business as

tourism slowed down. Concerned for his family’s safety

and their future he, with his wife and four children, mi-

grated to Brisbane in 1988.

“I came to Brisbane with many years of experience in

transport, but my qualifi cations were not good enough

to get a job and I had to start from scratch.”

He began his career in Brisbane at a packaging factory

before getting a job as a bus driver with Brisbane City

Council, where he worked for nearly 25 years.

“The best thing in my life is to be engaged with so many

different people, to hear their stories and to help where

I can. That’s why I belong to so many organisations.”

“I remember thinking as a boy that when I grow up I will help others because I know what’s like to go through hard times.”

Surendra celebrating his 70th birthday in May 2013.

Surendra came fi rst in his race category at the CresWalk2013 held on 26 May, organised by the Crescents of Brisbane and ECCQ Director, Mustafa Ally.

Surendra speaking at the Diwali Festival in October 2011.

EVOCA, JUNE 2013 13

SWAP IT, DON’T STOP IT LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION MADE SIMPLE ECCQ’s project, Swap It, Don’t Stop It, a joint Australian and State Government initiative under the National Partnership

Agreement on Preventive Health, makes healthy living fun and accessible for all communities.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in Australia

and in Queensland just over 58% of the population

weighs more than the recommended weight for good

health.

Some CALD communities, such as the Samoan, Ton-

gan, Fijian, South Sea Islander and Middle East com-

munities, have a higher prevalence of obesity and

chronic disease than that of the Australian population.

Losing weight and eating healthy food is diffi cult for

nearly everyone and ECCQ’s project, Swap It, Don’t

Stop It, focuses on promoting simple everyday changes

people can make to start living a healthier lifestyle with-

out losing out on all the things they love.

ECCQ began coordinating the statewide Swap It pro-

ject in early 2010 and along with partner organisations

in Mackay, Townsville and Rockhampton, the project

has assisted hundreds of individuals from CALD back-

grounds with losing weight by making smarter choices

in everyday life – at work, at home or out shopping.

Anna Voloschenko, an ECCQ project offi cer says it’s

a positive approach to weight management and life-

style modifi cation by educating communities about

small sustainable swaps they can make in their every-

day lives to become healthier and reduce their risk of

chronic disease.

“Anyone can do it, irrespective of his or her culture,”

she said. “Healthier everyday choices can make a big

difference, especially in the long-run, since we know

that carrying excess weight can increase the risk of de-

veloping lifestyle-related chronic diseases such as Type

2 diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.”

The project consists of culturally tailored sessions on

good nutrition tips for healthier cooking and physical

activity. The sessions are contextualized and translated

for seven CALD communities and delivered by trained

Multicultural Health Workers.

President of CQMA, Dawn Hay; Swap It, Don’t Stop It mascot, Erik, and ECCQ Project Offi cer, Anna Voloschenko at the Rockhampton graduation ceremony in April.

Erik with the orchestra at the graduation ceremony.

>>

“Anyone can do it, irrespective of his or her culture. Simple everyday choices can make a big di� erence, especially in the long-run.”

WWW.ECCQ.COM.AU 14

“The idea is to make it fun and accessible – this

means sharing healthy recipes using traditional ingre-

dients, organising walking groups and bringing along

the Swap It, Don’t Stop It mascot, Erik, to community

events and some sessions, which is great for kids and

families.

“Erik is always a big draw card at events. His blue

rounded body and friendly disposition is particularly

attractive to children.”

Erik attracted a lot of attraction at the Swap It, Don’t

Stop It graduation BBQ in Rockhampton, hosted by the

Central Queensland Multicultural Association (CQMA),

on 27 April. The event celebrated the achievements of

over 50 individuals from CALD backgrounds who took

part in a 12-week Swap It, Don’t Stop It program.

During the festivities, held at Central Queensland Uni-

versity, the President of CQMA, Dawn Hay joined with

Anna Voloschenko to hand out achievement awards

to all who participated as well as appreciation certifi -

cates to those who helped make the 12-week program

in Rockhampton such a big success.

“Graduates and their families gathered in the shady

areas of the campus where they listened to the local

orchestra, participated in sack races and played a

variety of active games. It was fun for all,” said Anna.

CQMA coordinates the 12-week program and con-

ducts many Swap It activities for CALD communities,

including participating in Sunday Markets, cooking

classes, cooking demonstrations and walking groups.

“The 12-week program and Swap It activities have

been embraced by many CALD communities as it’s

easy to do and the results can be seen in a relatively

short time.”

ECCQ partnered with the Mackay Yamadi Lera Yumi Meta As-

sociation to deliver the Swap It program to the Australian South

Sea Island (ASSI) communities in Mackay, with CQMA to deliver

the program to Pacifi c Island communities in Rockhampton and

with the Townsville Multicultural Association to deliver the pro-

gram to Polynesian communities in Townsville.

ECCQ delivers the program in South East Queensland to seven

different communities:, Sudanese, Samoan, Indian, Spanish-

speaking, Arabic-speaking, Vietnamese and Sri-Lankan. For

more information, contact Anna, at annav@eccq.com.au.

www.eccq.com.au/health/chronic-disease

Five year-old Rudra and his parents attended a Swap It, Don’t Stop It ses-sion for the Indian community where he drew a picture of mascot Erik. Many thanks to Rudra’s parents for the pictures!

Rudra’s fi nished drawing.

EVOCA, JUNE 2013 15

“This is an opportunity to bring about broader changes

in the arrangements between public and private hous-

ing, such as improvements in infrastructure that create

a sense of belonging, further collaboration with stake-

holders as well as situations where CALD community

members are trained and employed to deliver housing

services.”

She said ECCQ was working to identify and support an

implementation process that is culturally responsive to

ensure communities have access to affordable housing

close to employment and services.

Mr Pisarski said state and federal governments had,

until recently, signifi cantly underfunded, and reduced,

public housing “which makes meeting the needs of low-

income families, recently arrived migrants and some

CALD communities a huge challenge.”

“In 2007 the Federal Government invested heavily in

social and affordable housing by marrying the need for

housing with the need for an effective economic stimu-

lus package and this resulted in several thousand new

dwellings in Queensland,” he said.

“We need to get back to public housing as infrastruc-

ture issue rather than a welfare issue.”

To view the ECCQ discussion paper, ‘From Strength to Strength:

Cultural responsiveness and social housing reforms’, visit

www.eccq.au/policy.

ECCQ has called on the State Government to be vigi-

lant in ensuring minimal dislocation to some ethnic and

refugee communities as public housing is transferred

to community management in Logan, Australia’s most

culturally diverse city.

Speaking at an ECCQ public meeting on 19 June,

Queensland Shelter Executive Offi cer, Adrian Pisarski,

welcomed the transfer of public housing to the com-

munity sector but cautioned that defunding of tenant

advisory services and the implementation of the New-

man Government’s anti-social behaviour policy, which

becomes effective next month, may mean increased

evictions, and thus homelessness, especially in disad-

vantaged communities.

ECCQ’s Senior Policy Offi cer, Fiona Caniglia, called on

the government to implement a culturally responsive

approach which includes matching larger households

to larger dwellings and integrating employment oppor-

tunities with the expansion of community housing ser-

vice providers and the housing stock.

“The pilot location for the transfer of housing stock is

Logan, one of the most culturally diverse locations in

Queensland and a place where there is a high concen-

tration of public housing,” she said.

“The objective must be sustained housing and provid-

ers will need to be culturally competent to address the

needs of these communities.”

She said that recent Australian Bureau of Statistics

data on homelessness in Australia show a signifi cant

increase in CALD representation among homeless peo-

ple with 75% of the increase in homelessness account-

ed for by people born overseas.

“Unemployment and low English language profi ciency

are negatively correlated and low income impacts ac-

cess to housing and other opportunities to participate

fully in society, such as education and social activities.

“We need to get back to public housing as infrastructure issue rather than a welfare issue.”

ECCQ CALLS FOR MULTICULTURAL AWARENESS IN PLANNED PUBLIC HOUSING SHIFTAs the Queensland Government embarks on signifi cant reforms to the delivery of public housing, ECCQ is working to explore, identify and support an implementation process that is culturally responsive.

WWW.ECCQ.COM.AU 16

>>

2013 BUDGET OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

CALD communities absolutely rely on this fl exibility and

responsiveness, particularly when they are vulnerable,”

he said.

ECCQ is particularly pleased that there have been no

further cuts to Multicultural Affairs Queensland (MAQ),

an essential expert unit within Government that pro-

vides critical resources in working across agencies to

respond to the needs of CALD communities.

“We are also very pleased to see plans to develop a

Cultural Diversity Policy Framework. This is essential to

guiding the work of all government agencies towards

the highest standards of cultural responsiveness.”

ECCQ also notes an increase in the budget for health

prevention, promotion and protection, which is essen-

tial to reducing healthcare expenses in the long term.

ECCQ’s health programs continue to offer targeted

health education using proven, culturally responsive

approaches ensuring better health outcomes.

Overall ECCQ calls on the community sector to be pro-

active in improving quality services, focusing more on

prevention and service integration as well as collabora-

tion in establishing a robust data framework for meas-

uring success or failure as a basis for further policy and

program planning or implementation.

“We support the Government’s current and planned

engagement with the sector and ECCQ will continue to

offer support and advice on how to ensure that quality

services continue to be delivered to CALD communi-

ties,” he said.

To read ECCQ’s 2013 Budget response in its entirety, visit

www.eccq.com.au/policy

The 2013 State Budget, passed by Parliament on 4

June, unsurprisingly shows continued fi scal restraint

as the State grapples with reduced revenue. ECCQ was

pleased to see 3% indexation of grants to community

organisations and additional funding to neighbourhood

centres.

There were no further cuts to programs supporting cul-

turally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.

Overall, the budget represents both opportunities and

challenges for the year ahead.

ECCQ Executive Manager, Ian Muil, says the challenge

is to become more creative, innovative and resourceful

in the current environment as many communities still

have signifi cant unmet needs. There are also planned

reforms in the way community services are delivered

which needs careful attention to ensure the needs of

CALD communities are met.

He said it is essential that mainstream services deliver

outcomes appropriate for a truly multicultural society

and that all system reforms demonstrate high stand-

ards of cultural competency and responsiveness.

“ECCQ acknowledges that while there are few meas-

ures in the Budget focused on specialist services to

CALD communities, the role of mainstream community

services, such as education, housing and health, all

contribute to maintaining and strengthening diverse

communities within Queensland,” he said.

ECCQ welcomes the planned increases in frontline

workers in areas such as health and education as front-

line services inevitably contribute to greater capacity

for responding to vulnerable population groups.

“We know that most, if not all, community services are

accessed by people born overseas and people who

speak a language other than English, and many organi-

sations working at the local level have the fl exibility to

respond to people’s real and unique needs and issues.

“We have to be committed to sustaining this capacity to

respond to diverse needs at the frontline. People from

“ECCQ will continue to o� er sup-port and advice on how to ensure that quality services continue to be delivered to CALD communities,”

EVOCA, MARCH 2013 17

Education • Commitment to an extra 724 teachers and teacher aides in

the areas of greatest need – this is bound to benefi t CALD com-

munities, especially in areas where there are high numbers of

people from new and emerging communities and new arrivals.

• A focus on early education and early family support programs,

including $4 million over four years to implement the Step Up

into Education Program which better prepares children for

school, with a focus on relatively disadvantaged places.

It will be essential that a robust data collection captures the ex-

tent that CALD communities are able to access and benefi t from

these programs and that all quality measures include excellence

in cultural responsiveness and competency.

Employment• Plans to increase access to subsidised training places will be

an important opportunity for CALD job seekers and ECCQ will

work with government to identify how these opportunities can

be effectively accessed.

ECCQ proposes reducing unemployment among disadvantaged

CALD communities by setting targets of reduced unemployment

and targets for employment of a culturally diverse workforce by

government agencies. ECCQ also recommends increasing the

capacity of work experience programs to engage with the private

sector.

Housing • Plans to reconfi gure public housing in Logan, with regional

planning in the Gold Coast, Mt Isa, Townsville and Gladstone ar-

eas.

• Logan is the pilot location for large scale transfer of public

housing stock from the government to other providers

ECCQ recommends providers implement a culturally responsive

plan that caters to larger households and in locations near to

transport, services and employment.

Health• Health budget has increased by 4.5%, which includes in in-

crease in prevention, promotion and protection services.

ECCQ recommends that the government support health educa-

tion programs that target CALD communities.

www.eccq.com.au/policy

Through individual and association membership, ECCQ can better represent the needs and interests of Queens-land’s many communities, and infl uence positive change across all levels of government.

As an ECCQ member you will not only be helping your lo-cal community, but you will also be receiving some great benefi ts

BUILDING A STRONGER MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY• You will become an integral part of a diverse and robust network of individuals, groups and associations who sup-port a multicultural society.• You will have voting rights to select who represents you on the governing body.• You will have the chance to contribute to ECCQ’s work in developing policy, undertaking advocacy and preparing submissions.

KEEPING INFORMED• You will be regularly updated on how your support of ECCQ is helping the community, and of the key priorities identifi ed by ECCQ for action.• You will receive our quarterly EVOCA newsletter, fort-nightly e-bulletin, media releases and other critical sector information as it develops.• You will be kept up-to-date on community and sector news, events, training, resources and information.

ACCESSING SERVICES AND SUPPORT• You will have access to ECCQ’s resources, services and support on a day-to-day basis.

PROMOTING YOUR WORK• You will be able to promote relevant news, resources and events free through our fortnightly e-bulletin and web-site

GETTING INVOLVED• You will receive invitations to a range of interesting ECCQ events throughout the year.• You will be invited to attend monthly members’ meet-ings, which feature interesting guest speakers, updates from ECCQ’s Executive Manager and Board of Directors, and opportunities to meet other members.

Join ECCQ by becoming a member today! Download the individual or association membership form at www.eccq.com.au/about-us/membership

If you have any further questions about becoming a mem-ber, please contact Manager – Human Resources, Chris Dougherty on 3844 9166 or email administration@eccq.com.au.

ECCQ MEMBERSHIP By becoming an ECCQ member you will be contributing to, and strengthening the voice of culturally and linguistically diverse communities across Queensland.

2013 BUDGET AREA SNAPSHOTSThough there are few measures in the Budget focused on specialist services to CALD communities, mainstream community services contribute to maintaining and strengthening diverse communities within Queensland.