VicRoads joins Sunshine College Expo
Starting over in a new place takes courage. New streets, new systems, new paperwork. And when families are juggling school routines and everyday life, even a simple question can feel overwhelming — especially if you don’t know where to start or who to ask. The Sunshine College School Community Expo plays an important role in helping guide the community through those challenges.
Last Friday, Sunshine College hosted a school community "Welcome Expo" led by the Centre for Culture, Equity & Health, bringing local services together to support families from migrant and refugee backgrounds who are settling into the area. With council services, youth services, Sunshine Police, a community legal service and other local organisations all in one place, families were able to ask questions, find the right support and feel more confident navigating life in their new community.
VicRoads was there too. Our Sunshine CSC team — Amanda Fernandez, and Michelle Balod — spent the afternoon talking with families about the things that matter day to day: learner permit and licence pathways, proof of identity, appointments and registration basics.
For Amanda, the most powerful part of the day was hearing people's stories.
"We heard so many real stories — about how getting a licence or proof of ID can be the key to finding work, getting kids to school, opening a bank account and feeling truly settled." The school also provided interpreters, helping families explain their situations, ask questions and leave with clearer next steps.
Enabling a sense of belonging through access
The day reflected the heart of our DEI Belong work: helping people feel welcome, included and supported. Belonging is what happens when people feel heard and understood.
It's also why language access plays such a crucial role for these communities. Victoria is one of the most culturally diverse places in the world, with people from more than 300 ancestries, speaking over 290 languages and dialects, and following more than 200 faiths.
To support that diversity, customers can now access the VicRoads website in 57 languages, making it easier to find information and use our services with confidence, in a language that feels familiar.