One strategy, every community
The strategy covers racism against people of any background, using the Australian Human Rights Commission's definition of racism and a single definition that applies equally to every community. It runs for 10 years, delivered through four-year action plans. Actions sit under six pillars.
- Respecting First Nations peoples11 actions
- Leading by example12 actions
- Fair and welcoming services11 actions
- Connected communities15 actions
- Reporting and responding15 actions
- Partnerships and advocacy11 actions
Download the documents
Templates come as Word files to fill in. Everything written to be read comes as a PDF. All templates are unbranded, so a council can adopt them as its own.
Start here
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Model Anti-Racism Strategy
The strategy itself, fully drafted with all 75 actions. Replace the highlighted placeholders, delete the optional text and choose the actions that suit your council.
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Guideline for councils
How to fill the template in: seven steps to adoption, section-by-section instructions, where to find each ABS figure, the annotated action menu with examples from other councils, state and territory reference tables, and a best-practice section on community-led responses to racism.
Taking it to Council
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Model council report
One report template covering all three decisions: resolving to prepare the strategy, endorsing it for public exhibition, and adopting it. Includes options, financial implications and risk.
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Councillor briefing
A single page on what the strategy commits council to, with answers to the questions councillors most often ask.
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Handling contested debates
An officer guide to preparing for the meeting: factual responses to ten likely amendments, keeping the strategy in place after a change of council, media lines, and supporting staff.
Background
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Choosing a model strategy
A background paper comparing whole-of-racism and single-issue approaches for Australian councils, and why a general framework is the better starting point for most.
How the strategy works
Built to cover everyone
- Uses the Australian Human Rights Commission's definition of racism.
- One common definition covers racism against any community, including racism against First Nations peoples, antisemitism and Islamophobia.
- When racism rises against one community, council follows four steps: notice, listen, act, report.
- Policies, statements and positions a council has already adopted continue to apply, so adopting the model reverses nothing.
- A best-practice section draws on four Victoria University studies and sets out how councils have built community-led reporting and support networks.
Six principles
- We recognise racism exists and we will speak up against it.
- We listen to people with lived experience of racism.
- We communicate and engage in ways that work for everyone.
- We lead by example in our own workplace and services.
- We track our progress and report it openly.
- We work within our role and in partnership with others.
Seven steps to an adopted strategy
Full instructions are in the guideline. Allow about two to three days of officer time to fill in the template.
- Get a resolutionUse the model council report to seek Council's resolution to prepare the strategy.
- Fill in the templateReplace the highlighted placeholders with local information.
- Choose your actionsUse the annotated menu. Confirm teams, timing and costs with managers.
- Seek adviceAsk existing First Nations and multicultural advisory committees to review the draft.
- Report for exhibitionSeek Council's endorsement to place the draft on public exhibition.
- Exhibit and finaliseConsider submissions and report back to Council for adoption.
- EmbedPut the actions in council's planning documents and report progress each year.