It's official, the City of Whittlesea is a Welcoming City

The City of Whittlesea has put pen to paper and joined the international Welcoming Cities network.

Council is one of just 14 municipalities across Australia to join the global movement which provides a framework to help support newly-arrived residents.

Mayor Kris Pavlidis said the City of Whittlesea had already led the way in diversity issues and was committed to inclusion.

“Joining the Welcoming Cities Network will provide us with the international support we need to strengthen our policies and strategies so we can move beyond just embracing our newly arrived residents to really supporting them to become part of our community,” she said.

Cr Pavlidis said the network aimed to help cities:

• unlock the full potential of everyone in their communities
• increase community participation of newly arrived groups
• reduction rates of discrimination
• improve community connectedness
• increase the opportunities to both learn from other cities and showcase our achievements nationally and internationally

“We know the cities that work to foster an environment of belonging and participation for new residents enjoy many benefits including economic growth and a strong community.

“Welcoming is not just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do,” Cr Pavlidis said.