Anti-Racism Workshops in Ballarat

The workshops brought together council staff from across roles and functions to explore how racism operates structurally, culturally and interpersonally; including within institutions that are well-intentioned and values-driven.

Rather than relying solely on abstract concepts, we grounded discussions in everyday council practice: service delivery, enforcement, engagement, decision-making and internal culture. Staff were invited to reflect on moments of discomfort, uncertainty or silence, and to name the pressures they face when trying to “do the right thing” in complex environments.

Many participants spoke about carrying concerns quietly, unsure how to raise issues of race without being seen as difficult, political or naïve.

We also learned, again, that training is never one-directional. The questions staff asked, the examples they shared, and the tensions they named shaped the learning in real time.

Perhaps most importantly, the work reaffirmed that anti-racism training must be honest about limits. Councils operate within legislation, resourcing constraints and political realities. Creating space to acknowledge those constraints, rather than pretending they don’t exist, builds trust and makes change more possible.