Page 3232 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 21 August 2019
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This type of work has been an ongoing priority for me, and I am delighted that our ACT Labor government is committed to improving the infrastructure for our multicultural community in Gungahlin. I have had my fair share of attending and organising multicultural events. Over the years I have attended and organised multicultural events of various sizes. Many of these events are large, colourful and joyful occasions for my community.
I founded the India in the City showcase at the National Multicultural Festival and the Diwali gala dinner in Canberra. In 2015 I founded the World Curry Festival and chilli eating competition. I have also been on the steering committee for the National Multicultural Festival, among many other multicultural and community events that I have been a part of. These have all been big events. My personal style when organising multicultural events is as big as Ben Hur, so it is no surprise that I am passionate about having a larger venue for these events.
I know firsthand that organising these events takes a great deal of work, and in the past I have struggled to find an appropriate venue at the right place, the right time and the right price. Unfortunately, things like capacity issues mean that people cannot attend community events because of the limited seating and taking into account community safety considerations. These events are fundamentally about community, inclusivity and coming together, and physical restrictions or not having an appropriate venue are a barrier to this.
Our multicultural communities have raised the possibility of a larger venue in the ACT to host multicultural events, and we are listening. I would like to thank various multicultural and community organisations that have raised this with me. I would like to thank them all for raising this need for our multicultural community.
The ACT government’s commitment under the ACT multicultural framework 2015-20 is to ensure that Canberra is an inclusive and cohesive society that celebrates and promotes cultural diversity. Multicultural communities will greatly benefit from better facilities to showcase the rich culture and diversity of our Canberra community. Building the appropriate infrastructure will further embed this government’s commitment to diversity in the ACT.
My vision is for Canberra to become a cultural and multicultural destination in Australia. A new, large multicultural facility will allow Canberrans to come and witness the wonderful diversity in our city. It will also attract people from interstate and even overseas. The space can be used for various purposes, such as functions, weddings, ceremonies, symposiums and felicitations, to name a few of the purposes.
The venue will benefit not only the multicultural community but also the wider Canberra community by providing a venue for cultural events, celebrations, conferences and exhibitions. A multicultural venue at EPIC will have benefits for and impact on our broader community, particularly in the way that we use existing infrastructure in the ACT and how local businesses operate. A cultural facility at EPIC will also allow Canberrans to make use of the fantastic infrastructure in our city.
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