East Gippsland is one of Victoria’s highest per capita populations of ageing people, with almost 40 per cent of the population being over 60 years by 2020. East Gippsland is one of 19 municipalities within Victoria already super aged. For this reason, we have adopted the age-friendly approach as a basis for this new strategy for older East Gippsland residents. Our strategy is called “Ageing Well in East Gippsland: Age Friendly Communities Strategy 2017 – 2013”

In November 2016, East Gippsland Shire Council signed the Victorian Government and Municipal Association of Victoria Age- Friendly Victoria Declaration. The vision of the Declaration is for better state and local planning for the creation of age-friendly communities. East Gippsland Shire Council is supporting its Age-friendly Declaration by:
• Leading a state government funded project for developing East Gippsland as an Age-friendly community, through visionary planning and community engagement;
• Investing in infrastructure upgrades that support the economic and social benefits of East Gippsland towns adopting an age-friendly approach to future growth;
• Developing an East Gippsland Age-friendly Network that supports, promotes and celebrates ageing as a positive outcome of our wellbeing and as a catalyst for intergenerational engagement and respect; and
• Developing a sound housing guide to support age friendly housing to establish; and

• Establishing an East Gippsland Age Friendly Ambassador group to facilitate connections between community, government and business with the express priority to promote confident ageing within East Gippsland; advocate for change by sharing the needs of ageing people while building and generating opportunities for older people to participate in community; and encourage Council to develop age friendly policies.