ABSTRACT This article reports a 2019–2021 audit of the framework of the NSW government's decisions about their public communications in languages other than English (NSW is an Australian state). It found a dearth of legislation or policy about the language of public government communications, but we present a typology of ways in which NSW law seeks to regulate choice of language in other communications between individuals, non-government entities, and government staff. We then discuss the shortfalls of this decision-making framework, interrogating NSW's statutory Multicultural Principle about linguistic diversity and the haphazard ways that NSW legislation requires language of communication to be considered in relation to the likelihood that an intended audience will understand certain communications. We raise concerns about whether the lack of accountability for non-compliance and leaving the majority of public government communications reliant on informal/reactionary policy is suited to equitably fulfilling the needs of the NSW public. The article closes by arguing that consistent and clear policy to guide the NSW government's public communications would enable the government to more readily meet communicative needs. We thus propose paths for law and policy reform as well as directions for further research aimed at improving government decision-making and communicative efficiency.

中文翻译：

---

对新南威尔士州有关政府以英语以外的语言进行公共交流的立法和政策的审计

摘要 本文报告了 2019-2021 年对新南威尔士州政府关于以英语以外的其他语言进行公共交流的决策框架的审计（新南威尔士州是澳大利亚的一个州）。它发现缺乏关于公共政府沟通语言的立法或政策，但我们提出了新南威尔士州法律寻求规范个人、非政府实体和政府工作人员之间其他沟通语言选择的一种方式。然后，我们讨论了这个决策框架的不足之处，询问了新南威尔士州关于语言多样性的法定多元文化原则，以及新南威尔士州立法要求考虑与目标受众理解某些交流的可能性相关的交流语言的随意方式。我们担心缺乏对违规行为的问责以及让大多数公共政府沟通依赖于非正式/反动政策是否适合公平满足新南威尔士州公众的需求。文章最后认为，指导新南威尔士州政府公共传播的一致和明确的政策将使政府更容易满足传播需求。因此，我们提出了法律和政策改革的路径以及进一步研究的方向，旨在提高政府决策和沟通效率。文章最后认为，指导新南威尔士州政府公共传播的一致和明确的政策将使政府更容易满足传播需求。因此，我们提出了法律和政策改革的路径以及进一步研究的方向，旨在提高政府决策和沟通效率。文章最后指出，指导新南威尔士州政府公共传播的一致和明确的政策将使政府更容易满足传播需求。因此，我们提出了法律和政策改革的路径以及进一步研究的方向，旨在提高政府决策和沟通效率。