Multicultural Advisory Panel

Annette is the branch president, ACT & NSW, ISANA International Education Association.

A former international student from Poland, Annette brings valuable personal and professional experience in advocacy and support for international students to the panel. She is active in the Polish community and highly connected to the international student community, including business, government and community organisations through her work at ISANA and CQUniversity.

ISANA is the international education support peak body and has ongoing links with the City of Sydney. ISANA members work at educational institutions and organisations in various roles covering international student services, advocacy, teaching and policy development.

Binette is a voluntary founding youth board representative for Australian South Sea Islanders (Port Jackson) based in Pyrmont. Binette’s role as a youth advisor for the past decade has seen representation across a diverse range of hospitality, arts, education and cultural sectors.

Binette has strong community engagement knowledge as project and location manager for local community and national festivals and conferences. Binette has experience working with local, state and national business sectors, and has a deep respect for cultural diversity and inclusion and belief that the cultural sector has played a key role in breaking racial tensions, bias and discrimination that exists across our collective communities.

Darren is the co-founder and chair of the Haymarket Institute, a grassroots organisation that aims to connect individuals and businesses in Haymarket. As a member of the panel, he will focus on providing a voice to the multicultural business community.

Darren has connections with community leaders and local businesses and has an interest in arts, music and culture. He is an architect, born in Australia and has lived, studied and worked in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong.

The Haymarket Institute is founded and funded by motivated entrepreneurs who have lived and worked in Haymarket. They share a vision to preserve the heritage values of the precinct and play a leading role in connecting the community with the future.

As a multicultural community liaison officer with the NSW Police Force, Dilara is passionate about fostering cross-cultural understanding and bridging the gap between police services and Sydney’s diverse communities. With a Bachelor of Social Science majoring in security and counter-terrorism from Swinburne University of Technology and a qualification in project management, she brings a wealth of academic knowledge and practical experience to her role.

Throughout her career, she’s focused on enhancing cultural awareness in policing by promoting mutual respect, inclusivity and equitable service delivery. Her academic background has equipped her with a deep understanding of human behaviour and cultural dynamics, allowing her to devise effective crime prevention strategies tailored to the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Serving as a bridge between the police and multicultural communities, she works closely with consulates, community leaders and grassroots organisations to ensure respectful, informed interactions. As a member of the advisory panel, she will strive to make sure Sydney’s diverse communities are well-represented and that their voices are heard in policy development and community relations, promoting a stronger, more cohesive society. 

Grant serves as the acting community centres coordinator at Counterpoint Community Services, an organisation dedicated to advocating for and supporting individuals, families and community groups since 1977.

With a deep connection to his South African heritage, Grant brings forth unparalleled perspectives and resilience, all while navigating a sensory disability (deafness).

He possesses a rich professional history, having worked with both large and small non-government organisations in the City of Sydney’s area. Grant’s experience ranges from frontline positions such as case manager and community development officer to senior management positions.

Grant’s expertise is particularly impactful in addressing the challenges faced by diverse multicultural communities and individuals with disability who often encounter structural and systemic barriers. His contributions to the panel provide both personal and professional insights that help navigate and highlight these obstacles.

Kris is a member of our community with extensive experience in multicultural policy, inclusion strategy, social justice and leading culturally and linguistically diverse programs. He is Australian with Sri Lankan heritage.

Kris works as a diversity and inclusion strategy partner for the NSW Department of Planning and Environment with previous stints at the NSW Public Service Commission and Ernst and Young. He will bring experience in co-design, human resources and workforce diversity to the panel. Kris will also bring an intersectional (LGBTIQA+) lens to the panel.

Limin is an Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales. The university has a significant number of multicultural and international students who study, work and live in our area.

Limin brings skills, knowledge and experience working with vulnerable multicultural communities to the panel. She was born in Shanghai and is a researcher in health promotion and service engagement in the areas of sexual health for culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Limin has significant health promotion expertise as well as extensive networks and experience in multicultural policy, research and affairs. She has an interest in tackling social issues such as racism and isolation, which will complement the work of the City of Sydney.

Mary is the chief executive officer, Ethnic Communities’ Council of NSW.

The Ethnic Communities’ Council of NSW is the community-based peak body for all culturally and linguistically diverse communities in NSW. It represents multicultural communities through advocacy, community education and community development.

Mary has extensive experience working with diverse multicultural communities. She brings broad knowledge and experience in developing and implementing multicultural policy, including consultation, planning, leadership, and strategic thinking. Mary will bring extensive local and sector knowledge to the panel.

Michael is the associate director community engagement at Multicultural NSW.

He has over 25 years engaging in community and cultural development in the for-purpose sector domestically and internationally, including work with the United Nations.

Michael has a social policy background with many of these years spent working with government agencies to develop strategies for impact in communities across Australia and in other parts of the world.

His expertise supports Multicultural NSW and the NSW government to enhance the voice of lived experience in the decision-making and policies of all government agencies.

Michael has also fostered numerous research projects during his career in partnership with universities within Australia and the US, and has been published in academic journals, most recently in the International Journal of Settlement.

With a keen interest in public policy, social impact and the lives of vulnerable people, Michael is committed to using his opportunities to ensure that everyone else can reach theirs.

Ravi Prasad founded Parliament on King, a social enterprise helping asylum seekers and refugees overcome barriers to social, cultural and economic participation in their new communities.

Ravi brings his experience with multicultural and multifaith organisations, and an understanding of access, equity and human rights to the panel.

Formerly an advertising strategist with a career spanning over 20 years, he has expertise in communications, strategy and planning.

His career has ranged from advocacy to projects and policy-based work with government and non-government sectors.

Ravi’s recognition includes a Refugee Council STARRTS Humanitarian Award, a UTS Human Rights Award and the 2022 NSW Human Rights Medal.

Vicki is an academic with extensive experience supporting students and staff to use equity programs offered by the University of Technology, Sydney through roles as academic liaison officer, international student liaison and first and further year transition experience coordinator. The roles aim to improve the inclusion of students from diverse backgrounds and address gaps in processes.

Her doctoral thesis explores communication between organisations with established processes in overcoming customer exclusion to identify areas to address.

She is a qualitative researcher, teacher, and communication professional with experience specialising in identifying barriers to entry for people from multicultural communities and people with disability.

Vicki has worked with corporate clients in health, primary industry, sport, and consumer goods and government clients at federal, state and local levels. She has extensive experience in the not-for-profit sector designing sponsorship and partnership programs to strategically improve inclusion.