Positive Ageing Strategy adopted
Published on 17 August 2022
At last night’s meeting, Council adopted the ‘No Barrier’ Positive Ageing Strategy 2022 – 2030.
Mayor, Cr Tim Drylie, said that the strategy sets the direction for Council in its response to the Shire’s ageing population and has clear links to other Council strategies.
“This strategy places the Hepburn Shire in a strong leadership position in relation to positive ageing in regional Victoria,” said Cr Drylie.
2021 Census data indicates that the median age of residents in Hepburn Shire is 52 years, with population percentages of older people well above the state average. Forty six percent (46%) of Hepburn Shire residents are over the age of 55 as compared to twenty eight percent (28%) being the state average.
The development of the strategy falls into the Council Plan Key Focus Area of “A healthy, supported and empowered community” (Health & Wellbeing Priority Area 3 - Improving mental wellbeing).
“This strategy will support community members living in Hepburn who are over 55 years of age. It aims to present a way forward for Council to take action to improve outcomes and address the barriers faced by older people in the community,” said Cr Drylie.
The strategy has 8 Focus Areas:
- Communication and information
- Community support and health services
- Housing
- Outdoor spaces and buildings
- Transportation
- Social participation
- Civic participation and employment
- Respect and social inclusion.
The Focus Areas align with the globally accepted approach of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Age-friendly Cities Framework and the State-wide approach of the Commissioner for Senior Victorians’ report Ageing Well in a Changing World, along with the new Victorian Government’s Action Plan Ageing Well in Victoria 2022-2026.
Some of the deliverables under the new strategy include creation of a Positive Ageing Network, Council to sign the Age-Friendly Victoria Declaration and promotion of local services that are relevant and available to older people.
The Commissioner for Senior Victorians, Gerard Mansour, is scheduled to launch the ‘No Barrier’ Positive Ageing Strategy on 22 August at a special event organised to celebrate the adoption of the strategy with stakeholders involved in its development.
Click here to view the strategy(PDF, 2MB).