In 2023, a review was undertaken to determine the future of three inclusion–focused action plans that support the Inclusive Melbourne Strategy:

• Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2020–24
• Women’s Safety and Empowerment Action Plan 2021–24
• Inclusive Melbourne Strategy Implementation Plan 2022–24.

The review included extensive consultation with 149 community members with lived experience of exclusion or disadvantage, six community organisations whose work focused on inclusion, and 46 City of Melbourne staff. It identified that having multiple inclusion plans for different communities was confusing, and that having multiple strategies and plans doesn’t necessarily translate to having more impact. In addition, community members would prefer fewer, more focused actions that get done, rather than committing to too many things.

The review also identified that some communities experiencing exclusion or disadvantage were not adequately represented in the current inclusion plans. While City of Melbourne delivers a broad range of services, programs and initiatives for multicultural communities and LGBTIQA+ communities, we do not have standalone inclusion plans for these groups. It was recommended that City of Melbourne’s future inclusion planning place a greater focus on these communities.

We recognise that some groups of people within the community experience persistent barriers to equal participation.

The Inclusive Melbourne Action Plan focuses on progressing inclusion, participation and empowerment for four of these groups:

• people with disability
• women, with a focus on gender equality
• LGBTIQA+ communities and;
• multicultural communities.

While focusing on these four priority groups, the plan also recognises the importance of ‘intersectionality’, that different parts of a person’s identity or circumstances – for example, their age, culture, disability, Aboriginality, sexuality and gender – combine and cross over to shape their life experiences, including their experience of inclusion or discrimination. Intersectionality is a way of seeing the whole person. The plan recognises that everyone’s experience and aspirations will be different and that no one person can represent the views of an entire community.

We also have dedicated plans and services to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, older people, young people and children.

The draft Inclusive Melbourne Action Plan has been developed in consultation with community through:

• Community feedback collected during the Inclusion Plans Review, including face to face and online engagement activities with 149 community members with diverse lived experience.
• Seven focus groups with 42 community members, including people from the priority groups with lived experience of exclusion and representatives from community organisations.
  
• A focus group with City of Melbourne’s Disability Advisory Committee.

Participants were able to select a session that best suited their lived experience. Community members were compensated for their time.

City of Melbourne has existing plans and services in place that are specific to these groups and elevate and promote inclusive actions.

Part One of the draft Inclusive Melbourne Action Plan has 24 actions that aim to progress inclusion and create meaningful impact across all priority groups. These actions continue the work of the current Inclusive Melbourne Strategy Implementation Plan 2022-24, which is why we are not consulting on them. We are, however, asking for your feedback on the new actions that are targeted to each of the priority groups. You can submit an expression of interest to attend a focus group.