DTP
MULTIPLE MULTICULTURAL COMMS STRATEGIES FOR DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT
The Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) is responsible for delivering some of Victoria’s most significant infrastructure and transport initiatives.
Recognising that many audiences impacted by these projects come from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, DTP engaged Ethnolink to design and deliver inclusive communications strategies.
I developed these strategies on behalf of Ethnolink to ensure that people from multicultural communities receive accessible and culturally relevant information that enables safe, confident and informed transport decisions
STRATEGIES
Each strategy was developed using desktop research and community consultation including:
International Drivers Strategy – to address safety challenges for international visitors, including left-side driving, fatigue, and road rules. Key channels recommended was during pre-trip via rental car companies, airports, tourism hubs, and in-language digital platforms such as WeChat and WhatsApp .
Value Fares Campaign – to boost off-peak public transport use by CALD families, young people, and seniors. Messaging was translated into multiple languages and delivered via influencers, ethnic media, community organisations, and activations at festivals and senior hubs .
No-Truck Zones (West Gate Tunnel Project) –targeting Punjabi and Vietnamese-speaking truck drivers affected by new 24-hour no-truck zones leveraging trusted peer-to-peer channels such as WhatsApp, community radio and physical pocket maps to build compliance and reduce confusion.
Rail Safety for Heavy Vehicles – focused on Punjabi-speaking truck drivers, overrepresented in level crossing incidents. By using peer advocates, community consultation, and culturally resonant messaging (“Every Trip Carries Me Home”), reframing rail safety as an act of family protection rather than compliance .
