On the eve of the anniversary of the Cronulla riots, Greens MP Lee Rhiannon and the Greens candidate for Cronulla, Naomi Waizer, are calling on the major parties to show bipartisan support for multiculturalism.

"Premier Morris Iemma and Opposition Leader Peter Debnam should take their lead from the majority of locals who have put the riots behind them. Many locals are working with communities in southwest Sydney to build on our common values," Ms Waizer said.

"The Sutherland Greens ask that this anniversary day be nothing more than a reminder to political leaders of their responsibility to support those working for the good of the whole community.

"Governments have for too long ignored the needs of our community, creating instability. If sufficient resources had been provided for young people then the riots could have been avoided.

"A great example are programmes instigated by local life saving clubs that embrace people from the Bankstown region.

"It is this air of cooperation that will help Australia maintain its 'friendly' reputation.

"Fearmongers would have us believe that the level of civil disorder seen during the Cronulla riots is inevitable in a multicultural society, but with good support diverse communities can and do thrive.

"The problems highlighted by last year's events will not be solved by granting the police extra powers or equipment. When politicians show respect for and foster multiculturalism there is less chance of members of the public and the police ending up in dangerous situations," Ms Waizer said.

Greens candidate for Cronulla, Naomi Waizer, congratulated her local community and council for community building initiatives taken this year, and committed to supporting this work throughout the election campaign.

"Cultural diversity will no doubt be a key election issue over summer, and the Greens ask that the major parties foster community harmony not create division," Ms Rhiannon said.

"The Greens are campaigning for an end to the use of racial descriptions by police. This only happens in NSW. Police services in other states use physical descriptions for more accurate information and less ambiguous descriptions of persons of interest.

"The Cronulla community have achieved a lot in the last year we can all be proud of. That is what we should be focusing on not revisiting December 2005."