Hume councillor Joseph Haweil has requested a feasibility report into a potential multicultural hub for the municipality.
“I think something that is missing in Hume’s existing infrastructure services is a facility that is a meeting place for our multicultural communities,” Cr Haweil said.
“But more than that it would provide an opportunity for communities to come and to retain their language, culture, tradition, and heritage, but also create a safe space for them to express their identity and, and really create a location for various community groups to come together and learn from each other in an intercultural space.
During his stint as mayor last year, Cr Haweil raised the matter before council but no progress was achieved.
“While I was mayor of the city, I had probably over 100 different multicultural and faith groups approach me and they’ve always voiced a concern about accessibility to community facilities in Hume,” he said.
General secretary for Refugee Communities Association of Australia Parsu Sharma- Luital was one of the community leaders who reached out to councillor Haweil.
“A multicultural hub will be a place where every refugee or migrant coming in can feel they’re home, and they can come and celebrate their culture, their events, and their religious ceremonies,” Mr Sharma-Luital said.
Councillor Haweil said community members have already started to voice what they’d like to see the hub encompass.
“Many of our communities have said to me that they’d like a facility with a built in performance stage or elevated stage for a cultural dance, drama, arts, activities, and also many of the communities have asked for such a facility to incorporate standalone offices,” he said.
“I think a number of things need to be in the hub, a number of large communal spaces that allow people to get together socially.”
Yuroke MP Ros Spence said she looked forward to reading the findings of the feasbility report.
“I congratulate Cr Haweil on his suggestion for a multicultural hub in Hume and welcome the report he has asked for,” Ms Spence said.
