Australian State of New South Wales Grants AUD 2M for Language Services

Australia’s New South Wales Government (NSW) announced an AUD 2m (USD 1.3m) investment into its multilingual program, timed to coincide with International Translation Day on September 30, 2025. 

Sourced from the 2025/26 budget, the funding aims to boost interpreting and translation support for the state’s diverse communities.

According to the official announcement, the capital will flow through two flagship initiatives designed to increase the quality and reach of language services: the “Multilingual NSW Academy,” which focuses on raising industry standards via professional development, and the “Whole-of-Government Translation,” a subsidized program ensuring priority government messages reach diverse audiences across all media platforms and customer touchpoints.

NSW’s Minister for Multiculturalism, Steve Kamper, highlighted the key purpose for the investment, saying that “It is important that everyone in our state has fair and equitable access to opportunities — whatever their background or wherever they are from.”

Kamper added that the investment ensures the state has the “right people across the right language groups” to support its diverse population. Currently, NSW residents can access necessary services and information in over 100 languages.

Celebrating International Translation Day

Kamper also remarked that “International Translation Day honours the critical role of interpreters and translators. Today’s announcement goes far in that effort, by investing in their professional development to strengthen services for the people of NSW.”

Reflecting NSW’s Premier Chris Minns’ support for access to language services, the initiative previously prioritized translation for sectors such as “housing, crisis communications, and domestic and family violence across print, radio, social media, and factsheets.”

The programs are credited with expanding both the skillset and the talent pool through the delivery of more than 30 professional development courses for interpreters and translators — reaching over 4,700 course completions, and granting 248 language scholarships.

Multicultural NSW CEO, Joseph La Posta, stressed the investment’s role in crisis preparedness, especially heading into the state’s warmer months.

La Posta noted that a key lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic was the necessity of translation during emergencies, ensuring “information is available in community languages throughout any possible bushfire, storm, or flood event.”