Department of Transport and Planning

Overview

Ethnolink partnered with the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning to support Phase 1 of a major public consultation on the future of transport in Victoria. The goal was to ensure the process was inclusive, accessible, and culturally appropriate for multicultural communities across the state. Ethnolink was engaged to provide end-to-end multicultural communications services, including translation, video localisation, stakeholder engagement, and in-person interpreter support, helping to drive meaningful participation from communities that are often underrepresented in government consultations.

Challenge

The Department recognised that standard public engagement approaches often fail to reach culturally and linguistically diverse audiences. Key materials were available only in English, and there was a risk that communities with limited English proficiency would not be able to understand or contribute to the consultation. The challenge was to break down these language and cultural barriers quickly and effectively, within the timeframes of a live consultation process.

Solution

Ethnolink delivered a comprehensive suite of services designed to maximise reach and engagement across Arabic, Greek, Italian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Vietnamese-speaking communities. We translated and produced in-language versions of key explainer videos to make the project’s objectives clear and engaging. Surveys, project webpages, posters, and postcards were also translated to support informed participation. A multilingual stakeholder pack was developed to empower local leaders to promote the consultation, and our team activated existing multicultural networks across Melbourne to distribute resources directly to community members. To support face-to-face engagement, Ethnolink also deployed professional interpreters at drop-in sessions across the city, enabling participants to ask questions and share feedback in their preferred language.