The Victorian Parliament has passed legislation establishing a new statutory body to represent the state’s multicultural and multifaith communities, in the most significant restructuring of Victoria’s multicultural affairs framework in decades.
The Multicultural Victoria Amendment (Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria) Bill 2026 completed its passage through Parliament on 8 September, when the Legislative Assembly agreed to amendments made by the Legislative Council. The Victorian legislation website now records the Bill as having passed both Houses.
The new entity, Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria, is scheduled to begin operating on 1 October 2026.
It will replace the Victorian Multicultural Commission and combine the commission’s community engagement responsibilities with the policy and grants functions currently delivered by the Multicultural Affairs Division of the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
The government says the consolidated structure will create a more direct connection between what communities tell government and the policies, services and funding decisions that follow.
Existing programs and grants covered by current funding agreements will continue unchanged, while contracts and legal proceedings involving the Victorian Multicultural Commission will transfer to the new entity.
New leadership model
Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria will be led by a full-time Multicultural Coordinator General and two Deputy Multicultural Coordinators General. At least one deputy must have a connection to rural or regional Victoria.
The Governor in Council will appoint the three officeholders on the recommendation of the responsible minister. The legislation requires them to act impartially, make decisions on merit and represent communities without bias or favouritism.
Their responsibilities will include representing the interests of multicultural and multifaith Victorians, advising government on services and grants, undertaking community consultation, supporting community-led initiatives and assisting with safety planning following emergencies or serious local or international events.
Recruitment for the inaugural leadership positions is underway.
The final legislation also introduces a 12-month cooling-off period preventing people who recently served as Victorian MPs, councillors, electorate officers, ministerial officers or parliamentary advisers from being appointed as Coordinator General or Deputy Coordinator General.
The safeguard was added through Opposition amendments approved in the Legislative Council and subsequently accepted by the Assembly.
Multifaith formally included in the name
Another major amendment changed the proposed body’s name from “Multicultural Victoria” to “Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria” throughout the legislation.
The government amendments followed calls for the new entity’s title to explicitly recognise faith communities rather than treating religious identity as merely one element of cultural diversity.
The change was welcomed by Shadow Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Affairs Evan Mulholland, who argued during debate that culture and faith could not be separated in the lives of many Victorian communities.
Minister for Multicultural Affairs Paul Edbrooke said the legislation recognised multiculturalism as one of Victoria’s greatest strengths.
“Every Victorian should feel safe, valued and free to express their culture, heritage and faith,” Edbrooke said, according to The Philippine Times.
Advisory and regional representation
An independent Multicultural Community Advisory Group of between five and nine members will advise the new body.
Its membership is intended to reflect different cultural and faith communities, occupations and parts of Victoria. At least one position must be held by a youth representative aged between 18 and 24 at the time of appointment.
Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria will also establish regional engagement groups covering the entire state. These may include community members and representatives of regional agencies, ethnic councils and community organisations.
Importantly, the new body will be required to report back to communities on what happened after consultations and explain how their advice was received or used by government. The regional engagement system must be independently reviewed every four years.
Greater scrutiny across government
The legislation introduces stronger whole-of-government accountability for the way departments respond to multicultural and multifaith communities.
The Premier will be responsible for developing a statewide Multicultural Strategy, informed by advice from the Coordinator General and community consultations. The government expects the strategy to be released in 2026.
Each government department will also be required to prepare a Multicultural Action and Inclusion Plan every four years. These plans must outline how departments will improve inclusion, engage communities and deliver services responsive to factors including age, gender identity, disability, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation and location.
The Coordinator General will oversee and approve the plans, which departments must publish online.
An annual State of Multicultural Victoria report will consolidate information from across government and identify both progress and areas requiring further work. The report must be presented to the minister by 30 September each year and tabled in both Houses of Parliament within six sitting days.
The Coordinator General will also be able to request information from department heads and require meetings about their inclusion plans and reported progress.
Language services recognised as essential
The Bill updates Victoria’s statutory principles of multiculturalism by recognising access to interpreting and translation as essential to accessing government services.
It also formally recognises the unique status of Victoria’s First Peoples and acknowledges that inclusion depends on meaningful interaction, equitable participation, mutual learning and a shared sense of belonging—not simply coexistence.
One of the legislation’s more contested provisions allows the minister to direct selected public bodies—including government agencies, councils, courts and universities—to acquire interpreting and translation services from the state-owned VITS LanguageLoop. A designated organisation may use another provider if LanguageLoop declines the work.
The government says the provision is intended to provide reliable, accessible and high-quality language services. The Coalition and sections of the private interpreting industry argued that it could restrict competition and threaten the livelihoods of independent providers.
Legalise Cannabis MP David Ettershank supported the legislation and welcomed the recognition of language services, but identified the absence of an explicit anti-racism function as a missed opportunity. He argued that the new entity’s work should have been formally aligned with Victoria’s anti-racism strategy.
Reform follows multicultural review
The overhaul stems from Victoria’s Multicultural Review, published in September 2025 after extensive consultation with communities and organisations.
The review made 41 recommendations and found that global conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, cost-of-living pressures and declining trust in institutions had placed growing strain on multicultural communities and social cohesion.
According to the Victorian Government’s reform summary, the changes are intended to “reset” the way government listens to, collaborates with and supports multicultural and multifaith Victorians.
Multicultural and Multifaith Victoria will continue flagship programs previously run by the commission, including Cultural Diversity Week, the Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence, the Multicultural Film Festival and the Premier’s Multicultural Gala Dinner.
The test for the new institution, however, will be whether its expanded statutory responsibilities turn community consultation into measurable changes across government—and whether communities see their concerns reflected in policies, services and funding decisions after it begins operating on 1 October.
