By SAT community reporter
Melbourne. 12 April: Monash in Melbourne’s south east could be home to Victoria’s next Indian cultural centre. The Monash City Council has been granted $50,000 for a feasibility study to examine the needs of the local Indian community, identify service gaps and assess the viability of a community centre for the area.
With sites already earmarked for Dandenong and Wyndham, these hubs provide a space for Indian people to come together and celebrate their culture and heritage with the broader community.
Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott was today joined by Member for Oakleigh Steve Dimopoulos and local Mayor Rebecca Paterson to announce the study, which is expected to take three months.
Addressing a select gathering of community activists and leaders, Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott said, “We should be proud of our multiculturalism, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t require work. This study will help us direct our efforts.”
“These hubs provide another opportunity to celebrate and share Indian culture with the broader local community,” he said.
Talking to SAT about the progress of the proposed Indian prescient in Dandenong, Mr. Scott said, “It was with the Dandenong Council and consultations were on. An announcement is possible soon as consultations end.”
Monash’s local demographics have seen a significant transformation over the past decade, with the Indian population more than doubling between 2001 and 2011.
It’s a change that means the south eastern corridor accounts for almost a third of Melbourne’s South Asian population.
Victoria is home to Australia’s largest Indian community, with more than 111,700 Victorians having been born in India.
State Member for Oakleigh Steve Dimopoulos said, “We’ve got a rapidly growing Indian community in Monash and it’s vital we support and embrace that.
This is a first step in identifying opportunities that will give Indian people a greater sense of belonging and contribution.”
