Local government support for the vulnerability of ageing at pivotal moments through life has been endorsed in a newly released strategy at the most recent Yarra Ranges Council meeting.
The Key Life Stages Strategy was unanimously passed by the Yarra Ranges Council on Tuesday 28 October, representing a support strategy which aims to identify themes and actions for key age cohorts across the shire.
The strategy is a support for the recently released Council Plan and the Health and Wellbeing Strategy, and the council is moving from five standalone age-focused strategies to the key life strategy plan, formed with aspirations from engagement with the community and local data, primarily from the 2021 Census.
Streeton Ward Councillor Jeff Marriott said it will better integrate and align the council’s early years, middle years, youth and healthy ageing plans.
“There are three key aspects we’re looking at overall, holistically within the community,” he said.
The strategy aims to recognise and address the opportunities and challenges that appear during some of the more vulnerable ages experienced over a person’s lifetime.
Classed as a third-tier strategic plan, the strategy is more operationally based, focusing on communicating service intent, clarifying specific advocacy topics and supporting integrated planning in the support service network across the municipality.
It replaces previous strategies that focused on ages across the lifespan, the Early Years Strategic Action Plan, the Middle Years Strategic Action Plan 2017-2021, the Healthy and Active Ageing Plan 2019-2023, the Youth Plan 2021-2023 and the Child and Youth Strategic Plan 2014-2024.
The Key Life Strategy Plan will focus on three themes: connection, places and inclusion. Particularly, the vulnerability and importance of the youth cohort were brought to the forefront at the meeting by two councillors speaking to the motion.
“The vision is that everyone is healthy and well at every stage of life,” said Ryrie Ward Councillor Fiona McAllister, who encouraged people to read the plan as it tells a ‘compelling’ story of the numbers and the community across the Yarra Ranges.
With both positive and negative aspects laid out in the plan, Cr McAllister spoke with concern about some of the data around the profile in the youth section.
“Youth mental and behavioural conditions are the second highest reason young people in the Yarra Ranges present to hospital,” she said.
“13 per cent of 15 – 24 year olds have a diagnosed mental condition compared to 10 per cent across greater Melbourne…that’s a lot of young people in our community.”
Melba Ward Councillor Mitch Mazzarella also spoke to the motion, pointing to the recent loss of a youth space hub in Lilydale and said the statistics do speak for themselves, and added that young people need involvement in the discussions and issues influencing them.
The Lilydale youth hub was a not-for-profit that received three years of funding from the previous federal government in 2019, but was closed when the current government confirmed that the grant provided was a ‘once-off’
The Key Life Stages plan focuses on childhood, youth and older age, with support but not a focus for middle-aged residents and is available for residents to view online on the Yarra Ranges Council website.
The motion was carried unanimously.
