A year ago, the NSW Government was grappling with the highly contagious Delta strain of the COVID-19 virus.

To support the most vulnerable people in our community, the CEO of Multicultural NSW was tasked with heading the Community Pillar (also known as Pillar 5) of the NSW Delta Micro Strategy. This involved working with 13 different NSW Government agencies to develop a community-based strategy to help senior citizens, migrants, refugees, overseas students, temporary visa holders, people seeking asylum, First Nations people, and multicultural, rural, and regional communities.

Urgent solutions were needed quickly, and we are proud to say that the Multicultural NSW team was heavily involved in providing support.

This year was unprecedented. It was a journey for both the agency and the communities we serve; one filled with numerous challenges, but also one to recognise community spirit and the resilience of the NSW Community.

Last summer we saw the devastating effects of severe bushfires across NSW and Australia.

After this devastation came more challenging times in the form of drought, floods, and the global COVID-19 pandemic.

However, at the height of the crisis, we also saw our culturally diverse communities throughout Sydney and regional NSW unite to help one another.

Our multicultural identity is one of New South Wales’ greatest assets and is recognised as a social and economic advantage. Building on the accomplishments of our predecessors, the Ethnic Affairs Commission and Community Relations Commission, Multicultural NSW has been actively contributing to our State’s social tapestry for more than four decades.

In 2015-2016 Multicultural NSW’s journey of transformation, guided by the Harmony In Action strategic plan, continued.

The year had many highlights, including The COMPACT Grants Program and COMPACT Alliance, our inaugural Community Engagement Strategy, re-establishing 12 new Regional Advisory Councils, collaborating with the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) on the biennial FECCA Sydney conference, and a collaboration to develop cultural competence training with SBS and International Education Services.