Moonee Valley City Council became a member of the WHO Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities in June 2019. Spearheaded by the Community Strengthening department, Moonee Valley City Council has a long history of working towards a community that truly values and includes people of all ages, and particularly our older residents. We are committed to engaging and collaborating with our seniors, supporting them to remain living in their communities by providing a wide range of services and programs, and being the link that enables them to stay healthy and connected. We put particular focus on developing an urban environment that promotes mental, social and physical wellbeing for our diverse cohort of older residents.
Our commitment to healthy ageing is reflected in our long-term strategy (MV2040) as well as in our current work. Our programs, projects and initiatives involve the following:
• Active Ageing Reference Group: the reference group, comprising 6-8 seniors, formally represents our older residents and informs the strategic direction of the Healthy Ageing unit at Council. The group meets quarterly.
• Healthy Ageing Ambassadors project: our volunteer ambassadors are seniors themselves and assist other seniors with information about services and programs and how to access them.
• Dementia-Friendly Communities project: We are proactively working on making Moonee Valley a positive and safe place for people living with dementia. This includes dementia-specific programs, such as our “Arts and Dementia” program, support for carers, “dementia champions”, and making a dementia pathway tool available on the website, amongst others.
• Intergenerational programs, such as “Generation Wiser”, that bring seniors and children together in a meaningful and fun way.
• Age-well mobile office: our colourful “mobile office”, staffed with knowledgeable Council staff and volunteers, is out in the community to assist older residents and their carers with information about age-care services and programs that foster health and wellbeing.
• Ongoing consultation and engagement activities with our seniors to ensure Council meets the needs of our older residents.
• Participation in networks and advocacy groups that aim at increasing safety and liveability for our seniors, such as the Elder Abuse Prevention Network, Family Violence Prevention Alliance, and Homelessness Taskforce.
• Year-round special events and activities, such as the annual Seniors’ Festival in October, Christmas Luncheons, Milestone lunches, Carers thank-you events, and celebrations of significant days.
• A wide range of government- and Council-funded services and supports, such as transport, domestic and personal assistance, exercise programs, respite, shopping, meals, home maintenance and others.
The Community Strengthening department endeavours to keep abreast of age-friendly city initiatives and to continually improve the liveability of Moonee Valley for people of all ages.

Moonee Valley Aged & Disability Website: https://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/for-residents/disability-and-older-adults.aspx