Melbourne Council is to spend a whopping $1.2 million to establish a “Little India” in Docklands, with the hope it will become a “leading cultural precinct” in the city centre. The location was selected after the city spent $150,000 on a scoping study to identify a site as part of efforts to “put Mini India on the map”. Efforts had been underway since 2019 but the council struggled to find space as Indian businesses in the city were spread across several suburbs. Melbourne already has a Chinatown and Koreatown and also a small Indian cultural complex next to Dandenong railway station in the city’s south-east. Thus, the creation of a dedicated Mini India has not been welcomed by Australians online. One user pointed out on He wrote, “If we go to India, we will just have to get used to the Indian way of life. Australia will not be small there and it will not be tolerated either. I have no problem with Indians coming here, but they need to adopt the Australian way of life and our values.” “This is why this beautiful country is falling apart. Food prices, petrol now, national parks are closing left and right, and nightlife has been taken away from Australians for at least a decade now. Yet we are turning Australia into India with our tax money,” said another. “If people miss their homeland, they can go home and this applies to all people living in other countries. Politicians should not use the tax money of native country citizens to turn it into countries and cities that already exist on the planet,” one user condemned. Many netizens in the comments called for the migrants to either be assimilated into the country or deported, with no specific area created to accommodate them. “Australians don’t want a little India in our country. Why are Australians building and funding more cultural enclaves? We have spent millions if not billions just funding Indian community centres, temples, community projects, Indian festivals etc” wrote one, calling for mass deportation and emigration.“Councilor Philip Le Liu, portfolio head of the City of Melbourne Creative and Arts Portfolio, revealed that the council was “taking big steps to make Little India a reality,” and this was part of a wider investment in culture and events. Under its $40M budget, the council is set to spend on projects, including:
- $26 million on major events such as Moomba, Melbourne Fashion Week and New Year’s Eve
- $2 million on ‘Light Up Melbourne’ project
- $4.5 million on public art projects, including the Stolen Generation Market
- $4.2 million for arts grants
- $2.6 million to upgrade banner poles
- $420,000 for new City Square Christmas decorations
- $250,000 for new multicultural event stream
- $200,000 on refurbishing business premises
According to noticer.com, the budget will be officially released on Tuesday and public consultation on it will be held from March 31 to April 28. The city’s mayor, Nick Reese, said, “We are revitalizing our streets, strengthening our cultural boundaries, and creating a city that feels brighter, safer, and more vibrant for everyone.”