The City of Casey has taken another step towards its goal of becoming an age-friendly city, signing the Victorian Government and Municipal Association of Victoria's Age-Friendly Victoria Declaration.
The Victorian approach to age-friendly communities, informed by the World Health Organisation's Age-Friendly Cities framework, encourages Councils to consider senior people's needs and their voices in planning, policies and actions.
By signing the declaration, Council is cementing its commitment to ensuring the needs of aged residents, and people living with a disability, are considered across all areas of Council planning which might include things like improved access to transport, facility planning and social participation.
Modelling shows that by 2036, the City of Casey will have the second highest number of residents aged over 60 in the state - that's more than 90,000 residents who will likely need some level of aged or disability support to live and age well. Casey already has the largest number of residents living with a disability in Victoria.
City of Casey Chair of Administrators, Noelene Duff PSM, said re-orienting the way Council approached future planning across the city would ensure the greatest benefit could be achieved for the greatest number of Casey residents.
"In a rapidly growing city like Casey, it is important that we think beyond the traditional ways of service delivery and consider how Council's resources can be used to bring value to the greatest number of residents,' Ms Duff said.
"At the Council Meeting on 14 December 2021, Council endorsed a recommendation to invest in and sign up to Victoria's Age-Friendly Victoria Declaration and do more to create an age and disability friendly city where people of all ages, abilities and means can live a good quality of life.
"This aligns with our strategic focus of enhancing access to services that support healthy and active living, planning and developing neighbourhoods to support people to be physically active in their daily lives, and supporting an inclusive, healthy and connected community.
"We also know that these things are important to our residents through the community consultation we have undertaken, the most recent being the Living and Ageing Well in Casey survey conducted last year and completed by more than 1,000 residents.
"The results showed that most respondents were concerned with access to transport and the ability to move around the community, community safety, the accessibility of public parks and spaces and support to navigate the aged and disability system and find information easily.
"Signing the declaration is the next step in establishing an environment where all departments across Council will work in partnership to ensure that residents of all ages and abilities are considered in future planning across the city."
