MURRAY Bridge is now officially a Welcoming City, and plans are already underway to improve on the inclusive practices that earned the prestigious recognition.
The Rural City of Murray Bridge has been accredited as an ‘Established’ Welcoming Cities Council, in acknowledgement of the organisation’s leadership in providing inclusive services to all sectors of the community – including refugees, migrants and First Nations people.
Welcoming Cities is an initiative of Welcoming Australia, supported by the Scanlon Foundation.
Mayor Brenton Lewis said the community could be proud of the Council’s accreditation, in line with the organisation’s vision and commitment to creating a great place to live, work, play and invest.
“Council has long been actively working towards building a more connected and cohesive community, and this certification as a network member and a driver of change acknowledges that journey as we continue to build welcoming and Thriving Communities together,” he said.
Council’s Welcoming Cities accreditation score was 3.8 out of a possible 5 – with efforts to promote welcoming culture through advocacy and communication activities scoring an impressive 4.1.
Mayor Lewis said the Council would continue to work hard to improve that score with further initiatives already underway – including the creation of a new Reconciliation Action Plan, for which a working group had already been formed.
“We respectfully acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land and respect their culture and identity, and we seek to engage them as leaders in welcoming activities and recognise the importance of cultural diversity and inclusion,” he said.
Particular strengths acknowledged in Council’s Welcoming Cities submission included working inclusively with traditional owners, the Murraylands Migrant Resource Centre and diversity groups, and public demonstrations of Murray Bridge as a welcoming community for different cultures, faiths and ethnicities.
Other opportunities identified for future progress include increasing local cultural diversity through policies and frameworks, plans and initiatives.