Ben Carroll’s first day as Victoria’s Premier has coincided with the introduction of landmark multicultural reforms to Parliament, marking the start of a new chapter for both the state’s leadership and its approach to multicultural policy.
The Multicultural Victoria Amendment Bill 2026, introduced to Parliament on Tuesday, proposes the creation of Multicultural Victoria, a new statutory body that would replace the Victorian Multicultural Commission as the state’s peak multicultural institution.
The reforms stem from the independent Victoria’s Multicultural Review, led by former Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) chair George Lekakis, which recommended a stronger and more independent framework to support Victoria’s diverse communities.
Under the proposed legislation, Multicultural Victoria would be led by a Multicultural Coordinator General, supported by two deputy coordinators and an advisory council, bringing together the community engagement functions of the Victorian Multicultural Commission with multicultural policy responsibilities currently held within government.
The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria welcomed both the introduction of the legislation and Carroll’s appointment as Premier.
On behalf of multicultural communities, the organisation congratulated Carroll while thanking former Premier Jacinta Allan for her contribution to multicultural Victoria.
ECCV chief executive Farah Farouque said the organisation looked forward to working with all political parties ahead of the November state election.
“With our state election platform soon to be released, we look forward to working with all sides of politics to secure the next chapter of multiculturalism in our state,” she said.
“ECCV members want to see meaningful action to tackle rising hate in all forms, cost-of-living pressures and equitable access to essential services.”
ECCV board chair Silvia Renda said the legislation represented an opportunity to strengthen the way multicultural communities are represented in government.
“The introduction of the Multicultural Victoria Bill is an opportunity to strengthen how multicultural communities are represented and heard in government decision-making,” she said.
“We need to see a model that has the independence, authority and community trust needed to make a practical difference.”
ECCV said it would examine the legislation in detail as Victoria’s peak independent body representing grassroots migrant and refugee communities.
For more than 50 years, the organisation has advocated for multicultural policies across the political spectrum and said it would continue engaging with the government, opposition and crossbench on issues including racism, discrimination, access to services, support for community organisations and cost-of-living pressures.
The reforms arrive at a significant political moment.
Victoria is home to people from around 300 cultural backgrounds, speaking 290 languages and practising almost 200 faiths, making it Australia’s most culturally diverse state.
For Carroll, the legislation presents an early opportunity to demonstrate how his government intends to build on the multicultural agenda developed under Jacinta Allan while establishing its own priorities ahead of the November 28 state election.
The proposed reforms are expected to become one of the key multicultural policy debates in the months leading up to the election, with both major parties likely to outline their vision for supporting Victoria’s increasingly diverse communities.
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