The conversation
The Inclusive Melbourne Action Plan 2022–24 was developed to deliver on our Inclusive Melbourne Strategy 2022–2032. The plan aims to address persistent barriers and enhance inclusion in our city.
It focuses on four priority groups:
- people with disability
- women
- LGBTIQA+ communities
- multicultural communities.
The plan is split into two sections.
Part one contains actions that will create meaningful impact across all four priority groups. Consultation for part one occurred in February 2024.
Part two contains actions specifically targeted at each of the four priority groups. Two rounds of consultation were held for part two – the first in February 2024, and the second in July 2024.
Gathering insights
The last phase of engagement ran from 27 June to 21 July 2024 to test the targeted actions in part two of the plan.
We spoke to people with lived experience through focus groups and individual conversations. There was also an option to provide a written submission.
Focus groups concentrated on the targeted actions, including:
- What was most important?
- What was missing?
- What could make them more meaningful or impactful?
The engagement was promoted through:
- social media (organic and paid)
- email to 2354 Participate Melbourne subscribers
- direct email to existing networks, including individuals and 116 organisations.
Who we heard from
Feedback was received from 83 people across focus groups, individual conversations and written submissions via the Participate Melbourne webpage or by email. These methods were targeted at engaging people from the four priority groups - people with disability, women, LGBTIQA+ communities and multicultural communities.
The Participate Melbourne page was sent to individuals and organisations who are from, represent or work with the priority groups. The focus groups were promoted as being for people who identified with one or more of the priority groups.
A list of organisations that attended focus groups or provided written submissions can be found in the appendix of the consultation report.
What we heard
There were several rich and helpful ideas regarding how we can implement the plan, such as engaging with community organisations who have expertise and strong connections to our priority groups. These ideas will be further explored as the plan is implemented.
Common themes:
- Keep the community up to date with progress on the actions.
- Monitor and report on implementation of the plan.
- An intersectional approach is crucial.
- We need to engage with people who face additional discrimination or exclusion.
Themes specific to each priority group:
Although there have been improvements in access across the city, many people with disability continue to face significant barriers to participation for a range of reasons.
Stronger language is needed to reinforce human rights and legislative obligations and the importance of ongoing collaboration and co-design.
Women with disability are almost twice as likely as women without disability to have experienced physical or sexual violence by a co-habiting partner.
Police and law enforcement, affordable housing, and safe and affordable public transport are crucial elements to effectively tackling gender-based violence.
Many women feel unsafe using and waiting for public transport. State Government needs to increase the frequency of services and staff presence on trams for added safety, especially at night. State Government also needs to make tram lines pram and wheelchair-friendly to address significant challenges for parents with young children and those with mobility issues.
Many walking routes through the city don’t feel safe. Better lighting is needed along walking routes such as from Rod Laver Arena to Flinders Street Station after an event.
Existing paper-based tour maps and Melbourne Town Hall drop-in service are great ways to help visitors feel safe and confident travelling around the city.
We need to make women more visible and welcome in public spaces to enhance their sense of belonging and value. This could be achieved through increasing and promoting places that welcome breastfeeding, introducing more wayfinding signage of the locations of public amenities, more parklets and play spaces within the CBD, and erecting statues of women.
Generally, LGBTIQA+ communities feel vulnerable due to the rise globally of anti-LGBTIQA+ politicians, rhetoric and policies.
Visible leadership from the Lord Mayor and CEO would be helpful when implementing and promoting the actions.
Continue to celebrate LGBTIQA+ stories across our communication channels.
Include diverse voices and those who are more marginalised in the work to implement the actions.
Develop ongoing relationships with LGBTIQA+ organisations to help improve City of Melbourne’s outreach, services, education, reach responsiveness to issues and community events.
Install visible symbols to demonstrate City of Melbourne’s support of LGBTIQA+ communities in public spaces.
Help build community awareness and capacity and reduce discrimination, including for people who are trans and gender diverse, through campaigns, training and promotion, and funding to organisations who deliver work or school-based training.
Provide ongoing training for City of Melbourne staff in LGBTIQA+ and disability awareness.
Make all gender accessible bathrooms available in every council facility so everyone feels safe.
Trans and gender diverse people suffer disproportionate levels of violence, as do LGBTIQA+ community members with disabilities and we should acknowledge this in our thinking, planning and execution.
Sport is a fundamental human right and LGBTIQA+ community members are often excluded, both from facilities and sports clubs. Both the physical space and the club mindsets need to change.
We need to recognise intergenerational differences and opportunities to build connection in delivering the actions.
We need less formal ways to connect with Council during the plan's delivery – methods that are varied and accessible.
There were increasing concerns of caste discrimination and we need to ensure our public spaces are culturally safe.
Employment and pathways to employment are crucial for all multicultural communities.
Impact
The feedback resulted in:
- material changes to two actions
- minor changes to 11 actions
- no change to four actions
- development of three new actions.
Next steps
The plan was revised as per the consultation report and was approved by the Future Melbourne Committee on 3 September 2024.
The actions within the plan will be implemented between September 2024 and June 2026.
