Australia will soon have a dedicated Office for Multicultural Affairs, to be created within the Department of Home Affairs.
The announcement was made today by the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Dr Anne Aly.
The move comes as Australia marks 50 years since the release of its first multiculturalism policy — a milestone in a journey that has seen cultural diversity become a defining feature of modern Australian identity.
“Modern Australia and multicultural Australia are the same thing,” said Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke. “This Office provides a central hub for government work and makes sure every Australian feels welcomed and at home.”
Importantly, this initiative is backed by the elevation of the Minister for Multicultural Affairs to Cabinet — the first time this has occurred in Australian history.
Dr Aly described the establishment of the Office as a significant step: “It’s not only about celebrating multiculturalism, but about truly valuing diversity and ensuring all Australians have equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities to contribute to national life.”
The total percentage of all Australians born overseas, has seen a modest increase, 30.7 percent in 2023 to 31.5 percent in 2024.
Of Australia’s estimated population of 27.2 million (2024 data), 8.6 million people or 31.5% are born overseas. Over half the population it is estimated, are either born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas. (The number of India-borns has seen the largest growth in ten years)
The new Office for Multicultural Affairs will consolidate key functions across the Department, helping to better align policies and programs that promote unity and inclusion. It will provide leadership across all three levels of government and drive a coordinated national approach to fostering a cohesive, multicultural society.
“Multiculturalism is not just about or for a section of our society,” Dr Aly said. “Each and every one of us belongs to an Australia that has been enriched by our 65,000 years of First Nations culture and the successive stories, traditions and histories of those who have come across the seas.”
By streamlining operations, the Office for Multicultural Affairs will also modernise government services — ensuring greater accessibility and equity, particularly in community grants, settlement services, and language programs such as the Adult Migrant English Program and Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National).
