In May we will be welcoming back our CEO Joseph La Posta from his important tenure as Coordinator General, Bondi Community Response. We’re incredibly proud of his work in supporting victims, their families, and everyone impacted by this horrific terrorist attack against our Jewish community.
For me, it’s been a privilege to walk alongside you and lead Multicultural NSW as Acting CEO during this challenging time for our state.
As our Multicultural Community Medal winners demonstrated last month, our diversity is truly our strength. With this link to the world however, international conflicts, economic pressures and geopolitical volatility are not distant issues, they are felt in each of our homes.
As a multicultural state, we remain committed to ensuring people are safe, included and connected. And we are grateful for the work being done by all our communities to support each other.
Our recently published 2025 Community Relations Report echoes what I have seen over the first four months of 2026. Pressures on community harmony have clearly increased, but NSW remains a resilient multicultural society grounded in strong connections between people from diverse backgrounds.
The report also reinforces the need for sustained efforts across the community to counter division, racism and hate. With NSW Youth Week having just taken place last week, it’s important to recognise the remarkable young people who are leading the way in building connections across cultures and faiths. You can read more about them in this newsletter, including stories from our COMPACT Program.
I have also been impressed by the other meaningful ways our team has continued their work supporting many communities across NSW this year.
Our interpreters and translators have delivered more than 13,000 assignments since January across 98 languages. This includes supporting critical services from Government partners including Safework NSW, the Environmental Protection Authority and NSW Health.
Our Community Engagement team has been out and about hearing from hundreds of people at 35 community events and bringing together more than 70 representatives from diverse communities in our Regional Community Networks. You can also read more below about a roundtable they hosted with the Department of Education this month.
And this month, our Settlement team convened the inaugural meeting of the new NSW Settlement Advisory Council. It was an important reminder of the Government’s commitment to supporting new arrivals, regardless of visa status, to settle well, connect with services and thrive.
Thank you to our community and government partners and to the team at Multicultural NSW for your support during this period.
James Jegasothy
A/CEO, Multicultural NSW
