The Honourable Ros Spence, MP, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, this week announced the successful recipients of the $3.5 million funding through the Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund and the Indian Community Infrastructure Fund.
I am really delighted with this announcement. The Indian Community Infrastructure Fund was a key 2018 election commitment that I was involved in as an adviser to the former Minister for Multicultural Affairs.
This is a historic moment for the Indian community in Victoria and hopefully a beginning to many successes in the future.
In 2018, the Andrews Labor government committed that if re-elected, it will further invest in improving and enhancing the facilities the Indian communities use—to gather, celebrate and share their traditions.
I am extremely proud to be here today as the first Indian-born MP to ever be elected to the Victorian Parliament, and to see that we are delivering on our commitment and promise to our Indian community.
Victoria is one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world, and diversity is our strength. Victoria is proudly home to the largest Indian population in Australia.
The Indian community has made significant contributions to the economic, social and cultural life in Victoria.
Thirteen organisations have been allocated funding through the Indian Community Infrastructure Fund. This is the first time that such announcements have been made for the Indian community.
These organisations are:
• Ballarat Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre Inc.
• Albury Wodonga Indian Cultural Centre Ltd
• Sruthi Laya Kendra (AUST) Charitable Inc.
• Anjuman-e-Saifee (Melbourne)
• Melbourne Murugan Cultural Centre Inc.
• Siri Guru Nanak Darbar
• Sri Guru Nanak Satsang Sabha
• Shree Swaminarayan Temple Melbourne Inc.
• Sri Durga Arts Cultural and Education Centre Inc.
• Sri Krishna Brundavana Ltd
• Sikh Community Gurmat Centre
• Shree Sanatam Dharam Society of Victoria
• Fiji Islamic Cultural Society of Victoria Inc.
I am delighted to see that these successful organisations have received recognition for their hard work and the commitment to their communities.
I have worked closely with many of these communities—either in my capacity as an adviser, a community advocate, and more recently as the first Indian-born MP elected to the Victorian Parliament.
I look forward to visiting the organisations that have been successful in receiving the grants, and I hope to meet face-to-face again, once the COVID-19 restrictions have eased.
I will continue to work with my caucus colleagues tirelessly to support such initiatives for the multicultural communities in future.
I take this opportunity to thank the successful organisations for their great work they do to make Victoria a great place to be for our multicultural communities.