Embracing diversity and fostering belonging
Tasmania’s rich cultural history is built on the contributions of people from across the globe. Our Tasmanian communities are becoming more culturally and linguistically diverse.
Tasmania uses the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) definition of culturally and linguistically diverse: “groups and individuals who differ according to religion, language and ethnicity and whose ancestry is other than Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, Anglo-Saxon or Anglo-Celtic" (ABS 2016 Census).
Tasmania's Multicultural Action Plan 2025-2029
The Tasmanian Government's commitment to a harmonious, inclusive and respectful multicultural island where all Tasmanians belong and are enabled to contribute and achieve is in Embracing Diversity, Fostering Belonging: Tasmania’s Multicultural Action Plan 2025-2029.
The plan's three priority themes have been shaped by what we heard Tasmanians need to:
- feel safe in Tasmania
- feel that they can participate in Tasmanian life
- feel that they genuinely belong.
Non-English versions of the plan
The plan is available in eight languages commonly spoken in Tasmania.
Multicultural Action Plan 2025-2029 in languages other than English
- Arabic - Multicultural Action Plan 2025-29 (PDF 13.1MB)
- Burmese - Multicultural Action Plan 2025-29 (PDF 35.3MB)
- Dari - Multicultural Action Plan 2025-29 (PDF 13.5MB)
- Farsi (Persian) - Multicultural Action Plan 2025-29 (PDF 13.4MB)
- Nepali - Multicultural Action Plan 2025-29 (PDF 34.9MB)
- Simplified Chinese - Multicultural Action Plan 2025-29 (PDF 14.0MB)
- Tigrinya - Multicultural Action Plan 2025-29 (PDF 29.8MB)
- Urdu - Multicultural Action Plan 2025-29 (PDF 13.5MB)
Culturally and linguistically diverse Tasmanians
The ABS 2021 Census told us:
- There are 121 Tasmanian ancestries that are not Anglo-Saxon, Celtic or Aboriginal.
- The largest increases in identities since 2016 are Nepalese, Chinese, Dutch, German and Punjabi.
- 1 in 5 (over 85,500) Tasmanians were born overseas.
- The Tasmanian councils with the most people born overseas were:
- City of Hobart
- City of Launceston
- Glenorchy City Council
- City of Clarence
- Kingborough Council.
- 55,233 Tasmanian residents held visas.
- Nearly 1 in 10, or over 48,500, Tasmanians used a language other than English at home. That is 21,000 more Tasmanians than in 2016.
- The top languages spoken at home were Mandarin, Punjabi, Spanish, Cantonese and Urdu. However, over 5,000 Tasmanians said they spoke English not well or not at all.
Grant programs
- The Multicultural Community Festivals Small Grants Program supports new and emerging culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
- The Social Cohesion Small Grants Program supports innovative projects that address racism and foster social cohesion across Tasmanian communities.
If you would like to be notified when these programs open next, sign up to receive grant alerts via email.
Multicultural Council of Tasmania
The Tasmanian Government funds the Multicultural Council of Tasmania as the peak body for culturally and linguistically diverse Tasmanians. The council represents people from diverse cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds across the state.
Tasmanian Ministerial Multicultural Advisory Council
The Tasmanian Ministerial Multicultural Advisory Council will play a key role in advising on implementing Embracing Diversity, Fostering Belonging: Tasmania’s Multicultural Action Plan 2025-2029. There are five lived experience positions and two organisation representative roles on the council.
Members will provide advice to inform Tasmanian Government responses to issues and challenges faced by culturally and linguistically diverse Tasmanians. The council will assist in the development and delivery of government policy, programs and projects to ensure culturally and linguistically diverse Tasmanians are safe, can participate and feel they belong. View the council's draft terms of reference (PDF 147.8KB).
Expressions of interest for membership on the council have closed with appointments to be announced.