Council
17 September, 2025
New plan adopted to support seniors
CORANGAMITE Shire Council has recently adopted a new plan to assist in addressing the needs of older residents and residents with disabilities.
The Positive Ageing, Accessibility and Inclusion Plan 2025-2029 was unanimously adopted at the last month’s Ordinary Meeting of Council.
The plan contains a total of 23 actions for council to undertake, with many of them ongoing activities which will receive annual updates on progress.
These actions fall under four focus areas of information and communication, transport and accessibility, community connection and strengthening and health and wellbeing.
Councillor Jo Beard said the plan captured much of the shire’s population, with around half of Corangamite residents aged over 55 and seven per cent with a disability.
“We’re talking all ages, but particularly those over 55 – that’s a significant number of people who we still really need to be mindful of what we can do best for them,” she said.
“I’d like to also acknowledge that older people do have a high degree of independence and a lot of resilience, so it’s really important that we’re not just telling them what needs to happen or what we think should be done, rather actually listening to them and doing it with them.
“I would like to say thank you to Katie Hearn, Belinda Rowbottom, Lisa Best, Patrick Caruana and Kerry James for the leading of this plan to get it from the thought bubble when it first came through as an action in the council plan to where it’s got to today.
“We heard lots of feedback through our conversations with the community over our various engagement formats and workshops that we had, but you guys have got so many touch points and connections with the community that you actually made it your business to go out into the community to get the correct feedback.
“To Belinda and Lisa, particularly with the navigation support project where we went from home care support to where we are now, we’re only ever continuing to hear positive things.”
The plan is co-designed by the community following a number of community engagement sessions and includes guiding principles of respect and empowerment, building on local strengths and actions being pragmatic and achievable.
Councillor Geraldine Conheady said the community services team had been committed and invested in the creation of the Positive Ageing, Accessibility and Inclusion Plan 2025-2029.
“They are doing their very best for the residents the plan is written for and that genuineness comes through when they come up for the briefings and talk to us about what they’re doing,” she said.
“It’s such a proud thing, and I think our residents are very lucky to have a team like them working in their best interests.
“I don’t say this lightly, because it really is true – the rest of the councillors see it as well, and I know the community sees it too.
“I love how the plan has been written with a holistic perspective – it understands involvement and improvement are things that need to be taken account of in writing the plan and carrying out the directions as well.
“The team’s work is so supportive for the community – I love the programs they have been designing and how wonderfully they support and improve the lifestyle and enjoyment of the community.”