In 2013 Monash became and Age Friendly City and joined the World Health Organisations Global Network of Age Friendly Cities. In 2018 the Age Friendly Monash Plan was incorporated into the newly adopted ‘A Healthy and Resilient Monash; Intergraded Plan’. The action below is from the original Age Friendly Plan 2013 – 2017, however is still current.

1.3.2 Improve and increase the number of ‘places to rest’ in public places Audit of ‘places to rest’ undertaken and appraised for their suitability, location and number
Dependant on outcomes of the audit, develop a plan to increase provision of rest places in identified public places Urban Design Within existing resources or may require additional resources dependant on outcome

In 2017 the Age Friendly Plan was incorporated into A Healthy and Resilient Monash Integrated Plan 2017-2021. This project responds to the increasing places action in Councils original Age Friendly Plan and also the Healthy and Resilient Monash integrated Plan 2017-2021. The outcomes will increase opportunities for social and physical activity.
The ‘Places to Rest’ Age Friendly project to date has identified existing seating, seating that may require an upgrade or where the Age Friendly Ambassadors and Age Friendly Volunteers aspire to have additional seating that will encourage and increase the communities’ capacity to use walking as a means of active transport to connect with their community and therefore also obtain the associated health benefit the physical component of walking. The overall intention as identified in the original Age Friendly Monash Plan 2013-2017 is: ‘Improve and increase the number of ‘places to rest’ in public places.
Current progress for this action is that a business case has been put to Council seeking funding to progress to upgrade and install some additional seating in 2 of the mapped areas. There has been a specific focus on the feedback gathered concerning to Map 10 and 11. Covering the local areas from Springvale Rd up to High Street Rd and south to Waverley Rd through to the Glen Waverley Public Golf Course. If successful there is future scope to implement this process over the other mapped area focusing on community need and aspirations.