More than 20% of Australian families do not speak English at home (see Understand your audience). Translation of government information ensures that all Australians have access to the information they need. This is particularly important in areas such as public health and safety.

To ensure that translations are as accurate as possible, it is good practice to:

• use a professional translator
• choose a translator who provides an editing round to check the translation against the original text
• engage the translator to recheck the text after it has been put on a website or designed (eg as a brochure)
• consider using specialist translators for specialist content (eg use expert health translators for medical information).