Geelong Punjabi, Vietnamese, Nigerian communities still facing barriers

Geelong’s multicultural community has outline rising tensions and discrimination at state government review held in Norlane.

Over 100 people from different multicultural backgrounds came to the forum. Picture: Supplied.

A lack of access to services is having dire consequences for members of Geelong’s multicultural community, a state government review heard on Thursday night.

Testimonies at the event included accounts of a non-English speaking woman and her baby “wandering around in the dark unable to communicate”, and a member of the Punjabi community who reportedly took their own life in a public park after facing an intervention order.

George Lekakis – who leads the Multicultural Review – invited leaders of various backgrounds to speak about their issues and barriers at Norlane’s Cultura Centre.

Mr Lekakis said the event had come to Geelong in the wake of overseas conflicts because “there was a challenge to our social cohesion, and the Premier rightly so launched the multicultural review”.

Lara MP Ella George (Left) with review leader George Lekakis. Picture Supplied.

The crowd then heard over a dozen testimonies from leaders of different cultural organisations about their struggles – with domestic violence, accessibility, and discrimination emerging as key themes.

Speaking about domestic violence, one woman – who identified herself as a senior member of a local Punjabi association – said it was “becoming far too common in our communities these days”.

“There’s one case that still haunts me now where a member of our community committed suicide in a public park after an intervention order was placed on him,” she said through tears.

Speaking to the Geelong Advertiser, Mr Lekakis said it was clear that progress on the matter would need “bi-cultural workers to support the women”.

“You need people who can look after them, speak their language, understand their culture, and provide the care, protection, and support that they need,” he said.

That sentiment was echoed by Norlane Community Centre chief Esther Koning-Oakes, who shared one experience in which “a Vietnamese lady with a baby was wandering the streets, and no one could communicate with her to let her know she needed support”.

“Things need to change,” she added.

Another key issue that emerged was the barrier that liability insurance places on cultural organisations looking to hold events for their diaspora, with most leaders saying it had become unaffordable.

A representative from the Nigerian association said this meant they needed to apply for grants in order to afford insurance required to host events, which could often be a lengthy process.

Mr Lekakis ended the night by saying he was strongly affected by what he had heard.

“This is why it’s important that we conduct a review like this not from behind a desk but here before all of you,” he said.

The state government’s review is due to be tabled at the end of June.

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Originally published as Geelong Punjabi, Vietnamese, Nigerian communities still facing barriers