News

Congratulation to the shortlisted councils in the Welcoming Communities Award for Excellence in Local Government. We are proud that all of the shortlisted candidates are members of the Welcoming Cities Network. Winner City of Stirling City of Stirling Multicultural Framework The City of Stirling developed its Multicultural Framework to build on what … Read More

The City of Melbourne has become the 36th local council and the 6th Australian capital city to join the Welcoming Cities network. Lord Mayor Sally Capp formally signed the commitment form surrounded by Councillors holding various statements of welcome and affirming their commitment to ensuring that the City’s policies, programs … Read More

Welcoming Cities is about to conclude its third calendar year, and we have much to celebrate and consider. A conversation and idea, sparked by the Scanlon Foundation and carried by Welcome to Australia, is now a national network of 26 local councils representing more than 3.5 million people (15 percent … Read More

On the 2nd & 3rd of April 2019, the 4th Welcoming Cities Symposium will convene in Brisbane at the redeveloped Howard Smith Wharves. The event will bring together international, national and local practitioners, policy-makers, researchers, business innovators and civic leaders to share and discuss the challenges, benefits and opportunities of … Read More

How rural Australia opened itself to the world and became a model of integration and revival. Damien Cave, writing in The New York Times, considers the value of migration to Australian regional towns and how many rural communities suffer not from a lack of employment, but a lack of employees. … Read More

Adelaide is set to join a national network of local councils committed to fostering social cohesion, signing on as the first Australian capital city in the Welcoming Cities network. The move will be formalised by The Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Martin Haese at the Opening Reception of the third annual … Read More

“Diversity is a reality. Inclusion is a choice.” The bold statement on the Institute for Canadian Citizenship website encapsulates the challenge for policy-makers, civic leaders, governments, businesses and communities both locally and globally. On 23 March 2018, Welcoming Cities will convene its third national symposium in the City of Adelaide. … Read More

Lake Macquarie has reinforced its commitment to being a diverse and inclusive City by becoming the first NSW Council to join the Welcoming Cities network. Mayor of Lake Macquarie, Councillor Kay Fraser, this week signed a formal commitment to Welcoming Cities, a national initiative that promotes social cohesion and the … Read More

Melton City Council has embraced welcoming as one of the key areas of its recently launched Intercultural Plan 2017-2021. A key action of the City’s Intercultural Plan is to join the Welcoming Cities network which Mayor Sophie Ramsey formally endorsed on August 2. The City joins a growing national network … Read More

Darebin Council has officially joined the Welcoming Cities Network to reaffirm and build on its long and proud history of promoting inclusiveness and equality. The City joins a growing national network of local councils who are committed to fostering a sense of community belonging and socioeconomic participation and equality for … Read More

The City of Port Adelaide Enfield is proud to be the first council in South Australia to join the Welcoming Cities Network. The network supports local councils and community leaders to leverage the ideas and innovation that come from being welcoming and inclusive, whilst working to remove barriers for new … Read More

Deloitte Australia has been engaged by Welcome to Australia and the Scanlon Foundation to research and write a draft Standard that will provide best practice accreditation framework in diversity and inclusion practices for Australian local councils. The draft Standard will be made available for public comment in March 2017. Interested … Read More

In the remote township of Nhill in western Victoria, Karen-Burmese refugees now make up 10 per cent of the town’s population and 18 per cent of the workforce – boosting the town’s economy and receiving a warm welcome from the local residents. Ciarán McCormack, a guest blogger for Amnesty International, … Read More

Hume City Council is one of the first local government authorities in Australia to officially join the recently established Welcoming Cities network. Launched in March this year, Welcoming Cities is working to grow a national network of local governments recognised for fostering a sense of community belonging and socioeconomic participation … Read More

From the 19th to the 22nd of June the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) will hold its national conference. The ALGA recently put out a call for motions to be proposed and debated at this year’s National General Assembly of Local Government (NGA). Through the support of the City of Whittlesea, Welcoming … Read More

The Scanlon Foundation and Welcome to Australia have today launched a new national initiative to assist governments, businesses and individuals to work together to create more inclusive communities. Welcoming Cities, delivered in partnership with US not-for-profit Welcoming America, will foster meaningful collaboration between Australian local governments, and implement evidenced-based approaches … Read More