Melbourne 2030

Melbourne 2030 – Planning for sustainable growth

Policies and initiatives > Direction 6. A fairer city > Policy 6.2

Policy 6.2 – Plan for a more equitable distribution of social infrastructure

Access to social, cultural and creative infrastructure varies across the region. Some people have excellent access to a wide range of facilities, but others – often those on lower incomes – do not enjoy the same convenience. Inadequate access affects people’s sense of wellbeing, quality of life, and can exclude them from full participation in society.

People with disabilities, the frail and the aged are vulnerable because they face particular problems in finding, reaching and using appropriate services and facilities. As the population ages, these problems will affect more and more people and areas unless appropriate action is taken.

The Government is developing and implementing measures to improve the situation (see ‘Improving wellbeing for all Victorians’). In so doing, it recognises that local communities are in the best position to know what services and facilities are priorities and what needs to be done to enable all members of the community to benefit from such facilities (like neighbourhood houses). A place management approach (see Policy 9.5) is a tool for ensuring community input.

In allocating spending for new social infrastructure, the Government will give priority to areas of greatest need and the priorities identified by local communities, in order to overcome past inequalities.

Action will be needed to identify and progressively improve the distribution of social and cultural infrastructure in under-endowed areas, thus improving access. Locations for such infrastructure will be sought in activity centres, particularly the Principal Activity Centres.

Initiatives

6.2.1	Work with local communities to identify gaps or deficiencies in social infrastructure and develop action plans to remedy these gaps
6.2.2	Give particular priority to social disadvantage in the outer suburbs, particularly with those metropolitan councils that administer both urban and rural areas, identifying social infrastructure that is in short supply
6.2.3	Work with local government and other organisations to improve the provision of community transport services within an overall policy framework that aims to give greater mobility to people unable to use public transport
6.2.4	Support neighbourhood houses so that they remain viable as places where people can meet and learn in a welcoming, user-friendly environment
6.2.5	Continue to support local government in the provision of well-planned, quality and accessible community sport and recreation facilities and environments

Improving wellbeing for all Victorians

Government initiatives to improve the wellbeing of all members of the community include:

Growing Victoria Together
Growing Victoria Together is a broad framework to balance social, environmental and economic goals and actions. It links the issues important to Victorians with the priority actions to be taken next and the measures we will use to show progress. It is a basis for building a fair, sustainable and prosperous future

Building Great Communities
This key initiative will improve social, economic and environmental wellbeing, while reducing inequities and the impact of rapid social change across the State. Local communities are best able to identify the issues that need addressing, but they should not have to work alone. The Government will work in partnership with them to tackle issues of concern and ensure that its services are more responsive to community needs

State Disability Plan
A 10-year disability plan is being developed with extensive community input. It reflects the aspirations of people who live with a disability and it aims to make Victoria a more inclusive, welcoming and equal place by 2011. This will involve community education, capacity-building, working with local councils and making public services more accessible

Victorian Rural Human Services Strategy
This strategy, now being developed, recognises the need for comprehensive health and human services in regional and rural Victoria. It will provide a framework to guide and support planning, investment and service delivery from 2002–07

Metropolitan Health Strategy
The Metropolitan Health Strategy is being developed to guide the future level, mix, distribution and quality of health services across metropolitan Melbourne. The strategy will identify and promote emerging models of care for managing demand and improving health outcomes and will provide the framework in which local health planning and implementation can occur

Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy
Neighbourhood renewal, an important part of the Community Building Program, is a place-based response to disadvantage that involves government working with local communities to address relative disadvantage and inequality to create successful, thriving places where people want to live. It aims to increase community pride and build local capacity so that communities are self-reliant. It depends on local involvement and initiative and on more effective partnerships across govern-ment and between government and non-government sectors

Safer Streets and Homes
The Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy for Victoria 2002–2005 integrates the Government’s approach to crime and violence prevention into the wider spectrum of community safety programs that aim to make Victorians safe and ensure they are confident about their safety

Physical Activity Framework
This recognises that physical activity plays an essential role in contributing to the health and wellbeing of all Victorians. It includes as a key objective a focus on improving the places in which physical activity occurs, recognising that a key factor underpinning the ability of people to build physical activity into their daily lives is the availability and accessibility of supportive physical environments. The Government is committed to working in partnership with non-government and private sector stakeholders to capture the social, environmental, economic and health benefits of increased physical activity.


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