Multicultural services

The Moreton Bay Region is one of the fastest growing and culturally diverse regions in Australia. With an increasing multicultural community, it is important that people from culturally diverse backgrounds and their communities are supported to build stronger and better-connected communities.

Cultural diversity in the Moreton Bay Region

In the Moreton Bay Region there are 157 different languages spoken with one in four people born overseas from 184 countries. 

Country of birth

One in four people (26%) in the Moreton Bay Region are born overseas from 184 countries. The most common countries of birth are:

  • New Zealand - 5%
  • England - 4.9%
  • South Africa - 1.1%
  • Philippines - 0.8%
  • Scotland - 0.6%

More than a third of people (36.2%) in the Moreton Bay Region stated either both or one of their parents was born overseas. 

Language diversity 

9.2% of people living in the Moreton Bay Region speak another language other than English at home. There are 157 different languages spoken in the region including:

  • Samoan - 0.5%
  • Mandarin - 0.5%
  • Afrikaans - 0.4%
  • Tagalog - 0.4%
  • Hindi - 0.3%

Source: 2016 Census QuickStats - Australian Bureau of Statistics.

View the Community and economic profiles for the Moreton Bay Region. These are available in Chinese (simplified).

Cross-cultural training for the community

Council provides cross-cultural training for members of local community groups and organisations to:

  • increase their knowledge of cultures different to their own
  • increase their confidence and capability to engage with people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. 

Current training workshops

Harmony Week

Harmony Week is held every year throughout Australia in March to recognise and celebrate the cultural diversity of everyone who calls Australia home. In 2022 Harmony Week will be celebrated from 15 to 21 March, and includes Harmony Day on Monday 21 March.

To celebrate our culturally diverse region, visit Harmony Week to find out what is happening in our region and how you can get involved.

Refugee Week

Refugee Week is held each year to celebrate our cultural diversity and promote education, understanding, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. This year, celebrations will be held from Sunday 19 June to Saturday 25 June 2022, and includes World Refugee Day on Monday 20 June. This year’s World Refugee Week theme is ‘Healing’.

For more information, visit the Refugee Week website.

One in every four residents in the Moreton Bay Region are born overseas and includes people from refugee backgrounds. With more than 180 nationalities speaking more than 150 different languages in our community, our cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths and is at the heart of who we are. It makes the Moreton Bay Region a great place to live.

To learn more about some of Moreton Bay region’s refugee stories, visit Our Refugee Stories.

For more information or to share your refugee story, email local.history@moretonbay.qld.gov.au.

Multicultural Queensland Month

Multicultural Queensland Month – the state's largest multicultural celebration – is held in August each year.

As Queenslanders, we speak an incredible number of languages and dialects, and practise a broad range of faiths.

 This year, we will explore the many ways in which language is fundamental to building a truly inclusive Queensland through the theme 'Inclusion in action'. We acknowledge the incredible skills of multilingual Queenslanders, explore practical ways to break down language barriers and consider the role we all play by choosing to use language that connects rather than divides us.

 Our communities thrive when we all work together to ensure everyone can connect, contribute and belong.

 Multicultural Queensland Month is an opportunity for all of us to join together, celebrate our diversity, and consider how we can put inclusion into action.

Multicultural Queensland Charter

 The Queensland Government has a vision of a unified, harmonious and inclusive community. One way we will achieve this is through the adoption of the Multicultural Queensland Charter principles.

 The Charter's principles underpin the theme, events and activities of Multicultural Queensland Month.

 Download the Multicultural Queensland Charter Guide (PDF) to see how you can incorporate the principles into everyday life.

 For more information about events and activities, or to register your event in the events calendar visit, Multicultural Queensland Month - Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs (cyjma.qld.gov.au).

Translating and interpreting services

Contact the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) National if you require assistance. 

Multicultural network

The Moreton Bay Multicultural Action Network (MBMAN) is a network of community organisations, service providers, government and non-government agencies working to support communities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in the Moreton Bay Region.

Refer to Community network meetings for further information.

Conversational English group and language collections

Do you want to speak better English? Council's libraries host free conversational English groups.

Browse the collection of books and DVD's available in other languages at our libraries.

See language eResources for online language resources to learn a new language or improve your English language skills.

Songify Your Day

Songify Your Day was an exciting collaboration between Moreton Bay Regional Council, The University of Queensland School of Music (UQ), and the Community Action for a Multicultural Society (CAMS) program Caboolture to better understand the needs and benefits associated with creative programming for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.  

Visit Songify Your Day to see the program highlights, performance video and to find out more.

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