Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to speak tonight about one of the most remarkable events that takes place in the electorate of Corio—namely, the Pako Festa. Pako Festa is a remarkable event on a number of levels. For 27 years it has provided an opportunity for people from all cultural backgrounds to come together and celebrate the excitement of our multicultural society. It attracts the participation of around 30 cultural community groups and up to 60 community groups and a total attendance of around 100,000 people. It presents back-to-back performances over five stages, a dedicated FReeZA youth stage, a smorgasbord of cultural food, workshops, art and craft exhibitions, a host of roving street performers and a range of activities for children. The highlight of the event, the Pako Parade, presents a colourful stream of cultural and community floats, occupied by groups, schoolkids, entertainers and brass bands, that flow through a one-kilometre festival precinct along Pakington Street in Geelong West. Pako Festa is free. There is no entrance cost and no fee to watch performances; they do not even ask for a gold coin donation.

The organisation that has been hosting Pako Festa for the last 27 years deserves much of the credit for this event. Diversitat, formerly known as the Geelong Ethnic Communities Council, has been serving Geelong for the last 32 years. It started as a tiny migrant resource centre in Pakington Street with just a handful of staff, and today it operates across nine sites, employs over 100 staff and has an operating budget in excess of $10 million. Diversitat plays many important roles in Geelong. Core to its business, for example, is the support and resettlement of newly arrived refugees. It also provides multicultural aged care, training on a national level and education and employment programs for the disenfranchised youth. It runs an organic supermarket and cafe, providing opportunities for the communities and trainees, and they operate 94.7 The Pulse, Geelong’s own community radio station. Through all areas of its operation, Diversitat has proven its commitment to promoting access and equity in the Geelong area.

Of course, Diversitat relies on the support of the whole community to stage the Pako Festa. It is assisted by local schools, businesses, community groups, street traders, other community organisations and a willing band of hardworking volunteers, and Geelong is much the better for all of their efforts. In addition, Diversitat has attracted funding from governments every year without exception since 1976. For the last 27 years, governments have recognised the important role the event plays in promoting multiculturalism, assisting the settlement of new arrivals and maintaining and promoting our older cultural communities.

On a national level, we know that over 22 per cent of the Australian population were born overseas, and almost 14 per cent of the population were born in a non-English-speaking country. We also know that almost 16 per cent of the population speak a language other than English at home. On a national level, we strongly support programs that assist humanitarian entrants and promote integration, participation and inclusion. We are, of course, proud to call ourselves an egalitarian and multicultural nation. When we think about multiculturalism we must think of national and global solutions but, at the same time, in thinking globally we must, of course, act locally. As Victoria’s largest multicultural festival and one of the largest nationally—indeed, one of the largest street festivals in our country—Pako Festa is a great example of this global thought in local action. Pako Festa is a great local event. It is now not only a regional institution but a national institution as well, and it deserves to be seen as such.

Question agreed to.