New roadmap to tackle racism in Maribyrnong

Published on 20 August 2026

Council has endorsed a new roadmap to strengthen local action on racism, following research into the experiences of people from racialised and culturally marginalised backgrounds across the municipality.

The Intercultural Maribyrnong: Inclusion, Belonging and Social Cohesion Report presents findings from the Maribyrnong Anti-Racism Project, undertaken in partnership with Victoria University.

The project included a survey of 102 people who live, work, study or spend significant time in Maribyrnong and identify with communities affected by racism, as well as peer-led focus groups with people with lived experience of racism.

Of those surveyed, 81% reported experiencing racism across employment, education and public spaces. Experiences ranged from microaggressions and exclusion through to verbal abuse, discrimination and physical threats.

Only 15% of respondents reported incidents through formal channels. Participants identified barriers including limited awareness of reporting options, concerns about repercussions, lack of trust in institutions and a belief that reporting would not lead to meaningful change.

City of Maribyrnong Mayor Cr Mohamed Semra said the findings reinforced the need for practical, sustained action.

“We cannot accept racism as simply part of everyday life. We need to keep building a community where people feel safe to speak up, know where to get support and have confidence that their experiences will be taken seriously,” he said.

“Council has a responsibility to lead, but we cannot do this work alone. This roadmap gives us a practical foundation to work alongside our communities and partners to prevent racism, strengthen support and improve accountability,” Mayor Semra continued.

The Anti-Racism Roadmap identifies six areas for action: celebrating cultural diversity and recognition of First Nations peoples; public anti-racism messaging; anti-racism education and training; local reporting and support; cross-sector partnerships and community engagement; and stronger accountability for racism.

The first phase will focus on embedding anti-racism principles across Council, building community understanding, strengthening partnerships and improving reporting, support and accountability.

Maribyrnong News

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