The City developed a draft two-year Positive Ageing Action Plan outlining the City's commitment to older adults and guides the City's work with older people in the community.

Community feedback on the actions was open from February 17, to March 24, 2023 to review and comment on the actions. All feedback was reviewed and updated were appropriate, ready for adoption by Council.

Council has now approved the Positive Ageing Action Plan.

On adopting the action plan, there were some changes based on community feedback, and at the request of Council. To see what these changes are please click the button below.

View and download the Positive Ageing Action Plan (turn into a button)

Hardcopies of the Positive Ageing Action Plan are available from the City of Greater Bendigo head office: Galkangu – Bendigo GovHub, 195-229 Lyttleton Terrace, Bendigo, or call 1300 002 642 to request a copy be posted to you.

There are 31 actions to be included in the Draft Positive Ageing Action plan.

These actions align to the Healthy Greater Bendigo Plan 2021 - 2025 and are specific to older adults. They are grouped into five priority areas; healthy and well; safe and secure; able to participate; connected to culture and community and liveable.

Read through the actions below, and give us your feedback in the survey on what we are missing, and how we can be more inclusive.

Our public spaces encourage community connection and provides the opportunity for everyone to enjoy the benefits of physical and mental wellbeing

Action: Partner with Goldfields Library to offer place-based exercise programs for older adults such as Get Moving at Kangaroo Flat library

Action: Partner with Bendigo Community Health Service to promote 5 Ways to Wellbeing to older adults

Services and support enables people to feel respected and supported as they age

Action: Continue to work with Murray PHN to deliver a Social Prescribing program in the Bendigo region that connects socially isolated people to non-medical supports and services, planned community activities and volunteering opportunities that can benefit physical and mental wellbeing

Action: Support the transition of home care services from Council to a service provider funded by the Commonwealth and State Government

Action: Service Navigators support people entering and making changes to their services in the aged care and disability sectors.

Action: Advocate on behalf of the clients and hold accountable Commonwealth and State Governments for the delivery of quality services to the Greater Bendigo community

Action: Continue to deliver the Regional Assessment Service, connecting older people to Commonwealth Home Support Programs in Greater Bendigo

Older adults feel welcome and safe and have equitable access to our city’s places, spaces, and buildings

Action: Establish, support and promote awareness campaigns that address elder abuse and ageist stereotyping, such as the Warm Safe Home project

Action: Explore opportunity for City of Greater Bendigo to become a signatory of Every Ages Counts

Action: Partner with Resilient Communities to provide information to older adults about emergency preparedness and heat health

Provide opportunities for older adults to provide advice to Councillors and City units on issues impacting older residents

Action: Facilitate the Positive Ageing Advisory Committee (PAAC), ensuring the voices of older adults are considered in the development of key strategies, plans and issues

Support a safe, welcoming, and fair community. A community that values and engages with people of all ages and abilities

Action: Coordinate the annual Victorian Seniors Week event for Greater Bendigo

Action: Provide support to groups that support the needs of older adults, including U3A, Probus, Country Women’s Association, Senior Citizens and Neighbourhood Houses, Men's and Women's sheds

Action: Deliver a bi-annual Positive Ageing and Disability Expo to allow groups and organisations to share information about services and supports, as well as network with other organisations

Action: Participate in networks, partnerships, and communities of practice that support and advocate for older adults in our community

Encourage and support our ageing community to use a range of transport options

Action: Advocate for improved transport networks, including walking and cycling paths across Greater Bendigo

Action: Partner with Safe and Healthy Environments team to deliver parking information sessions and provide accessible parking information to older adults

Promote opportunities for lifelong learning and skill development

Action: Partner with Goldfields Library to deliver programs and resources to improve digital literacy, health literacy and information sharing

Celebrate and acknowledge the contribution that older adults make to our community

Action: Showcase the significant achievements and contributions to community older adults make through City e-newsletters, social media and publications

Action: Recognise contribution of older adults to local community through a nomination to the Victorian Senior Citizen of the Year awards

Celebrate the diverse experiences and views of older adults in our community

Action: Seek opportunities to celebrate the culture and contributions of senior multicultural community members

Action: Support participation of men, women and gender diverse people in all community events and activities

Action: Increase understanding, value and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, knowledge and rights through cultural learning

Create, support and promote opportunities for intergenerational connection and learnings

Action: Seek opportunities for older adults to share skills and knowledge at Early Years programs and events

Provide timely, trusted and relevant information that is easy to access and understand

Action: Publish a quarterly newsletter that shares information to older adults aged 50 plus in Greater Bendigo

Action: Work with Communication team to ensure older people are depicted positively and without stereotyping in communications and media

Action: Promote CONNECT as a local community directory and encourage community groups to review and update their information

A climate resilient and healthy landscape

Action: At community events support investment in a circular economy approach for food, energy, water and waste

Action: Advocate for the needs of older adults to be considered as part of the Affordable Housing Action Plan

Action: Work with City units to ensure community infrastructure and facilities are welcoming, accessible and relevant to the needs of all community members now and into the future

Action: Work with City units to ensure that our built and natural environments are safe and designed to maximise opportunities for social connection

The City has developed a draft two-year Positive Ageing Action Plan.

The draft action plan outlines the City's commitment to older adults and guides the City's work with older people in the community.

Community was provided an opportunity from February 17, to March 24, 2023 to review and comment on the actions in the draft Positive Ageing Action Plan. Older people’s input was very important to the development of this plan, especially people aged over 60.

All feedback has been reviewed and analysed for common themes to help finalise plan, ready for adoption by Council later in 2023.

You will be updated on the outcome of your feedback and the plan.