The City of Melbourne municipality is home to about 14,000 people aged 60 and over. These residents are an important part of our community, making up 10 per cent of the population.
Over the next 20 years, the number of people aged 60 and over living in our municipality will more than triple to 53,000.
As our city grows, it is vital we ensure people continue to feel included and supported, and valued members of our diverse community.
The City of Melbourne has developed its Melbourne: A Great Place to Age strategic plan 2020-24 to guide our work to challenge negative stereotypes towards ageing and change the discourse to one of pride, strength and resilience.
This plan outlines the way the City of Melbourne will work over the next four years to be one of the great cities in the world in which to grow older.
Community engagement
Find out more about the community engagement processOpens in new tab and what we heard.
Download the strategic plan
Key projects to date
The Years of Our Lives
As part of the 2020 Victorian Seniors Festival Reimagined, City of Melbourne set out to deliver a community arts initiative to celebrate the lives and diversity of older Melbournians. The Years of Our Lives community timeline project was thus created.
Our pledge to end ageism – EveryAGE Counts
City of Melbourne has signed up as a member of EveryAGE Counts, an advocacy campaign aimed at tackling ageism against older Australians. Other signatories in the coalition include community organisations, other local governments and bodies like the Australian Human Rights Commission.
For more information, visit EveryAGE CountsOpens in new tab and watch the campaign videoOpens in new tab.
Val’s Coffee Lounge Revisited
In October 2022 as part of the Victorian Seniors Festival, we hosted the event, Val’s Coffee Lounge Revisited, in partnership with Val’s LGBTI Ageing and Aged Care. The event included a performance from the Rainbow Voices Community Choir and a celebration of LGBTI older people.
Sensory Garden – Kensington Neighbourhood Centre
A Sensory Garden has been created for all visitors to the centre to enjoy. A weekly Sensory Garden program is facilitated by Cultivating Community, suitable for people with dementia and their carers, and allows participants to socialise while enjoying light gardening activities.
Community engagement for heatwave and emergency preparedness
City of Melbourne has engaged with older people in the municipality, including community group leaders, to provide further education and increase awareness of the need to be prepared for heatwaves and other emergencies. We have delivered heat health seminars and distributed heat health kits to older people, including community leaders and community groups in the City of Melbourne. For more information, please get in touch via email: healthyageing@melbourne.vic.gov.au.
MPavillion’s Making Home Series
Women over the age of 55 are now the fastest growing cohort of people experiencing homelessness in Australia. City of Melbourne and Homes Melbourne drew together a panel of experts to present existing and alternative pathways for those impacted by housing insecurity, as part of MPavilion’s Making Home series.
Digital newsletter launched
We launched a monthly digital newsletter to provide more ways to keep our community up to date with the latest in healthy ageing news and opportunities. SubscribeOpens in new tab today.
Venues dedicated to supporting older people
We have entered into new venue hire agreements with 12 community groups in our dedicated neighbourhood centres, which facilitate and prioritise the needs of older people in our community. The hire agreements support approximately 788 community members across all groups.
Outreach to isolated community members
In March 2020 to March 2021, when COVID-19 restrictions required everyone to stay home, our team made 5000 calls to more than 700 people to check on their wellbeing and ask if they needed anything.
Community education session in partnership with Dementia Australia
During Dementia Action Week (September 2022), we facilitated a Brain Fit community education session at South Yarra Senior Citizens Centre, delivered by Dementia Australia. The Brain Fit program provides information on risk factors, practical steps to improve brain health and create a personal action plan.
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