Project overview
Moorabool Shire Council created an age-friendly community through planning and community engagement.
The project involved the development of an Age Well, Live Well and Access and Inclusion plan 2019-2022 an integrated action plan for the provision of services, programs and infrastructure to meet the needs of a diverse and changing population, and to create an age friendly municipality. The plan incorporates the World Health Organisation’s eight domains for an Age Friendly Community.
The project involved the development of an age-friendly plan to identify the challenges and opportunities associated with an ageing population.
Project description
The Age Well, Live Well: Access and Inclusion plan 2019–2022 outlines how the council will work towards an age-friendly community.
It is also a resource agencies and groups in Moorabool can use to shape their own responses and embrace the concept of an age-friendly community.
The development and implementation of the plan allows all stakeholders to share a vision, agree on the priorities for action, and plan and resource how the community will tackle these challenges.
Project model
- A project reference group was established.
- An Age Friendly project worker was employed
- Six Age Friendly Ambassadors were recruited to assist with the community consultation
- The project worker undertook extensive community consultation to identify issues
- Think Tanks were subsequently undertaken to prioritise issues to inform a draft of the Age Well, Live Well: Access and Inclusion plan.
- The plan was based on the World Health Organisation’s eight age-friendly domains.
- The draft plan was endorsed by the council for public exhibition and later endorsed by council.
More information on the project model items is available on the Moorabool Shire .
Budget
| Community consultation to identify Think Tanks to inform the plan | $20,000 |
| Plan development | $5,000 |
| Publication development | $5,000 |
| Total project cost | $30,000 |
Project challenges
Moving from a small town focus to a whole of Shire focus impacted on timelines to implement and evaluate the project.
To maintain the fidelity of the project, it was important to re-consult the community given the whole of Shire focus.
The Age Friendly project worker was employed for two days a week from January 2018 to December 2018 and having council knowledge and experience and excellent community engagement skills were key in progressing the work and project achievements.
Using an external consultant to assist with the evaluation was beneficial as it was evaluated through independent lens.
Project outcomes
- An environmental scan of demographics, community profiling and local emerging issues formed the foundation for understanding potential barriers and designing solutions for a Moorabool age friendly strategy.
- Community and staff forums were held to further inform the Age Well, Live Well: Access and Inclusion plan 2019-2022
- A draft age-friendly action plan was developed, then prioritised by Age Friendly Ambassador led Think Tanks held in Bacchus Marsh, Ballan and Bungaree
- A program logic evaluation framework was developed.
- An external consultant was engaged to assist with the evaluation process.
- A whole of council, integrated age friendly plan (using the World Health Organisation’s eight domains as a framework) was unanimously endorsed.
- One outcome of the extensive community consultation was the establishment of a positive ageing advisory committee.
Project sustainability
The positive ageing advisory committee, comprising of older community members and local health organisations, will oversee the implementation and evaluation of the age friendly plan. Monitoring of the plan has been included in the advisory committee’s terms of reference. It will include regular reports to the executive and council to ensure accountability and sustainability.
The committee provides opportunity for informed discussion on issues impacting upon older members of the Shire, and to increase community awareness of their needs and aspirations through collaboration and consultation. The committee will assist in shaping and creating inclusive communities for older people in the Moorabool Shire by using the experience and expertise of seniors, bringing new perspectives to existing and emerging issues. This process will reinforce the regard of Council for the contribution of older members of the community and will raise awareness of the valued role that older people play.
Downloadable project resources
Reviewed 08 April 2024