South East Water has partnered with Casey North Community Information and Support Services (CISS) and the Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre (SMRC) to launch new Dari-language videos helping customers better understand their water bills and support options.
The initiative, developed in collaboration with local community members, responds to growing demand for accessible financial information among Dari-speaking residents in Melbourne’s southeast. The videos explain South East Water’s services, what bills cover, and the different support options available for payment assistance.
General Manager of Strategy and Stakeholder Relations, Karen Lau, said that language and cultural barriers can make it challenging for customers to access help when needed.
“At South East Water, we’re committed to ensuring all our customers can access the support they need for their water bill, no matter their background or language,” Lau said. “We’re proud to work alongside our community partners to help break down language barriers and make bill support more accessible to the growing Dari-speaking community in our service region. We want these communities to know that we’re here to help.”
The videos feature Dari-speaking presenters Batool Hussaini and Wahjia Azimi, who were engaged through SMRC’s Bicultural Service to ensure the content is culturally appropriate and easy to understand. Available in both Dari and English, the videos are now hosted on a dedicated page of South East Water’s website and have been added to Casey North CISS’s online self-help library.
The City of Casey is home to more than 7,200 Dari speakers, with a 10.8 per cent increase recorded in the 2021 Census. The 3977 postcode area is also overrepresented in South East Water’s bill stress data, prompting the creation of additional financial assistance resources for customers in the region.
Casey North CISS Executive Manager Helen Small said the partnership highlights the importance of accessible self-help information as more households seek financial advice.
“It has been wonderful to partner with South East Water to produce much-needed water bill support videos in English and Dari,” Small said. “With demand for our financial counselling services always increasing, self-help information that supports our clients is vital. The videos expand our online library and go hand-in-hand with our Stay on Track financial guides, available in both English and Dari. The link between vulnerability and our multicultural communities is real, and we hope that removing language barriers helps to empower these communities.”
SMRC Chief Executive Officer Jim Mullan said community involvement was central to creating culturally relevant support tools.
“We’re excited that members of SMRC’s Bicultural Workers’ Program are the presenting faces of these new water bill support videos by South East Water and Casey North CISS,” Mullan said. “These videos not only support community through the content shared, but in the way they were made by providing employment opportunities to bicultural workers. They were developed by the community, for the community, and reflect the voices and experiences of the community, which is important for information and engagement efforts.”
The SMRC Bicultural Program trains migrants and refugees to become multilingual community engagement specialists, helping organisations like South East Water reach and communicate effectively with culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
South East Water’s Dari-language videos are available at southeastwater.com.au/dari, with further information and support available in English at southeastwater.com.au/support or by calling 131 851.