Racism not welcome

You may have noticed some new signs throughout Manningham. These signs are part of a project to help to address racism called the #RacismNotWelcome initiative. 

We are the eleventh local government area in Australian to join the campaign. The Racism Not Welcome sign initiative is just one of the actions Manningham Council is taking to address racism. To read more on what else we are doing to address racism, visit our website.

What is the #RacismNotWelcome initiative?

#RacismNotWelcome is a community-led initiative to:

• acknowledge the existence of racism
• provide a safe platform for people to speak out
• normalise conversations about racism
• and spark change within the community to stop racism from happening. We are very proud of our community and how respectful we are to one another. However, we know that racism does exist in Manningham - as it does everywhere. How do we know? We’ve heard from members of our multicultural communities who have been impacted by it.

Why are we involved?

Manningham Council has joined the campaign because:

• Manningham is a very multicultural municipality – about half of us were born overseas or had one or more parents born overseas. 
• When racial tensions develop, they don't just affect one or two of us - they affect us all as neighbours, workmates, friends and fellow Australians. 
• Studies have found that people experiencing racism can suffer from poor mental health and, to a lesser extent, poor physical health (VicHealth 2021) 
• The Manningham Healthy City Strategy identifies reducing racism as an important action in the Reduced injury and harm category.
• To help put an end to racism, everyone must take an active role, no matter who they are, including local councils. 
• The campaign provides us as a community, an opportunity to send a strong message that racism is NOT welcome in Manningham or anywhere else.

To read more on what else we are doing to address racism, visit our website.

Where will the signs be located in Manningham?

The 30 signs will all be installed by the end of April 2023 om the following locations.

Shopping areas

• The Pines Shopping Centre/Pines Learning, 181 Reynolds Road, Doncaster East
• Doncaster Hill 642-654 Doncaster Road, Doncaster
• Bulleen Plaza Shopping Centre, 101 Manningham Road, Bulleen
• Donburn Shopping Centre, Corner Blackburn and Nonda Avenue, Doncaster East
• Opposite Doncaster Police, cnr of Dryden St and Doncaster Rd, Doncaster East
• Jackson Court, Doncaster East
• Macedon Square and Plaza, Corner Manningham Road and High Street, Lower Templestowe
• Park Orchards Shopping Village, Corner Park Road and Hopetoun Road, Park Orchards
• Templestowe Village, Corner of James Street and Anderson Street, Templestowe
• Tunstall Square Shopping Centre, Corner Tunstall Road and Doncaster Road
• Westfield Doncaster, 619 Doncaster Road, Doncaster

Facilities

• Manningham Civic Centre, 699 Doncaster Road, Doncaster
• Manningham City Council Depot, 620-628 Blackburn Road, Doncaster
• MC Square/Manningham Art Gallery/Doncaster Library, 687 Doncaster Road, Doncaster
• Aquarena Aquatic and Leisure Centre, 139-153 Williamsons Road, Templestowe Lower
• Mullum Mullum Stadium, 31 Springvale Road, Donvale
• Manningham Donvale Indoor Sports Centre (DISC), 360-368 Springvale Road, Donvale
• Heide Museum of Modern Art, 7 Templestowe Road, Bulleen
• Wonga Park Community Cottage, Unit 1, 9-13 Old Yarra Road, Wonga Park
• Living and Learning @ Ajani, 2/284 Thompsons Road, Templestowe Lower

Open spaces

• Park Orchards Community House & Learning Centre, 572 Park Road, Park Orchards
• Warrandyte Library, 168 Yarra Street, Warrandyte
• Finns Reserve – Wombat Bend Playspace, Duncan Street, Lower Templestowe
• Ruffey Lake Park, 99 Victoria Street, Doncaster East
• Westerfolds Park, Fitzsimons Lane, Templestowe
• Koonung Park, Corner Furneaux Grove and Balwyn Road, Bulleen
• Domeney Reserve, Knees Road, Park Orchards
• Warrandyte Reserve, Taroona Ave, Warrandyte
• Wonguim wilam (Lions Park), 225 Yarra Street, Warrandyte

Please note, these locations may vary slightly due to site conditions.

A budget of $6,000 was allocated to this initiative.

More information

If you need support to report racism, you can contact the Social Planning and Community Strengthening team at Manningham Council on 9840 9398 or email spcs@manningham.vic.gov.au.