Victoria’s Central Goldfields Shire Council has voted to adopt a Positive Ageing Strategy aimed at improving conditions in the municipality for its ageing population.
In June, Council underwent community feedback and engaged with 650 residents during the drafting phase of the strategy document.
“The Draft Strategy then received comments from a further 180 people which is a fantastic result,” Council said in a statement today.
Community members could provide feedback via an online forum, surveys, interviews and community meetings.
A summary of feedback received by Council included:
- Better advocacy needed on behalf of the community across a range of areas, including positive ageing;
- Greater investment and focus on assisting community to adjust to technology;
- The need for added investment for services to support people to age well;
Central Goldfields Shire Mayor, Chris Meddows-Taylor thanked all community members who contributed their thoughts to the Positive Ageing Strategy.
“As a Council we are keen to lead the way in innovative and impactful programs that meet the needs of our entire community,” he said.
“Earlier, we addressed the special needs of the early years through Go Goldfields which became a leading-edge place-based initiative.
“As we have a substantial ageing population, we also needed to understand their needs, expectations and ambitions considering the ongoing reforms to the aged services. This created a need for Council to develop a clear strategic framework for decision making and priority setting over the coming years.
“Overall, everyone who participated in the drafting process was positive about growing older in our Shire, with key areas of strength being relationships and support of neighbours, services and support provided by Council and other service providers, opportunities to participate in civic and social activities, engagement and quality of community information and parks and gardens,” he said.
Maryborough U3A Secretary, Wendy Madden said the Positive Ageing Strategy links directly with her organisation, which is vital for positive ageing.
“U3A sees connectivity and social inclusion as important factors in healthy ageing, just like the Positive Ageing Strategy,” she said.
“Joining in activities and listening to talks on a variety of subjects helps keep us connected and essential to positive ageing.”
Key areas for improvement included footpath quality and maintenance; road safety and parking; Shire planning; transport; connectivity; and volunteer support models to improve the experience of volunteering
The Positive Ageing Strategy is available to be viewed at www.centralgoldfields.vic.gov.au/strategies
