Victoria’s Brimbank Council has won a national award for a program that aims to attract migrants to move to and open businesses in the area.
The Brimbank Investment Attraction Plan for Business Migrants with a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Background was a winner at the recent Economic Development Australia Awards for Excellence.
It won the Economic Development Equity, Diversity and Inclusion category, which recognises economic development projects that foster equity, diversity and inclusion.
As immigration borders reopened in 2022, Council says it saw an opportunity to take a tailored and proactive approach to attracting migrants to invest and start a new life in Brimbank.
It devised a new migrant investment and settlement support network, specifically aimed at non-English speaking business migrants seeking permanent residency in Australia.
The Vietnamese market was identified as the ideal target in the trial phase as it is Brimbank’s largest culturally and linguistically diverse community. It makes up 17% of the population, and also has a strong business presence.
It is the first successful in-language Vietnamese Investment Migration program initiated and run by a local government in Australia.
The success of this pilot will lead to a further roll out of the program to other nationalities, Council said in a statement.
