Multicultural Recognition Act 2016

The Multicultural Recognition Act 2016 was passed as a Bill on 16 February 2016 and commenced on 1 July 2016.

The Act:

• promotes Queensland as a united, harmonious and inclusive community and will foster opportunities for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to participate in all aspects of life in our prosperous state
• acknowledges that a diverse, dynamic and cohesive society will deliver important benefits for all Queenslanders, including the community, government and business sectors
• recognises our diverse cultural heritage and aims to ensure that government services are responsive to the needs of our multicultural communities.

The Act:

• establishes the Multicultural Queensland Charter
• establishes the Multicultural Queensland Advisory Council
• provides for the Queensland Government multicultural policy and action plan
• establishes reporting obligations for government entities.

The Act complements existing government legislation, such as the Human Rights Act 2019 and the Queensland Government's Language Services Policy. It follows consultation with stakeholders to ensure contemporary community views on promoting community harmony and inclusiveness are reflected in the legislation.

Visit the Multicultural Recognition Act 2016 page for more information.