Indigo Shire Council (ISC) is dedicated to embedding strategic best practice for healthy ageing in partnership with older people across the Shire. Our ageing well vision is that “Indigo Shire residents are connected and engaged with the community as they grow older; age is no barrier to inclusive, respectful and accessible participation.”

A key step to becoming age-friendly included becoming a dementia-friendly Shire in partnership with Dementia Australia. In 2015 the village of Beechworth and ISC became dementia friends, with the aim to continue planning and developing dementia-friendly communities across the entire shire. On 1 September 2016 Council signed the Victorian Government and the Municipal Association of Victoria Age-Friendly Declaration. With our declaration to being an age-friendly community, we continue to work towards supporting and developing the roles and contributions of older people. We continue to act to promote quality of life and well-being, value the contributions of older people, remove barriers to participation, enable people to age in place, and maintain community belonging and inclusivity.

The Indigo Ageing Well Strategy and action plan was developed in consultation with older residents and in partnership with key services. The Strategy was adopted by Council on 26 March 2019 and is our road-map to creating an age-friendly Indigo. A full-time, ongoing position was created for an Ageing Well Officer to deliver the Strategy in conjunction with the community on 20 March 2019.

Indigo Shire Council supports a variety of groups and services that aim to improve the well-being, health and connectedness of older people. We have also developed a range of projects in conjunction with older people to improve communication and information sharing, reduce social isolation, provide affordable, safe transport options and increased opportunities for civic participation and skill-sharing. These projects are now predominately community led with ongoing input from Council.