The City of Yarra has adopted an Ageing Well Policy, framing population ageing as a long-term shift that requires changes to everyday services and the public realm — from how information is shared to how footpaths, buildings and housing are designed.
The policy is aimed at older people living, visiting or working in Yarra and applies across council service delivery as well as the "design, provision and management" of facilities, infrastructure and open spaces.
Yarra's population is ageing quickly. Twelve per cent of residents — about 10,660 people — are aged 65 or over, with the cohort having grown 46 per cent between 2011 and 2021. The council forecasts growth of about 30 per cent by 2031 (to 13,900 people) and 80 per cent by 2046 (to 19,400).
The policy wants older residents' invaluable contribution to be acknowledged and celebrated, while also prioritising and addressing the evolving needs of an ageing community through a set of priority actions.
A key feature of the policy is an explicit "intersectional" approach. It notes that older residents' experiences are shaped by factors such as culture, race, language, gender, socioeconomic status and disability — and that overlapping identities can increase marginalisation and reduce visibility.
Local data included in the policy highlights that diversity: 44 per cent of Yarra residents aged 65 and over were born overseas, and 16 per cent "don't speak English well or at all."
The same data shows 62 per cent have at least one long-term health condition, and 12 per cent report needing assistance with core activities.
The policy also includes a dedicated section on equity for First Peoples, acknowledging the impacts of colonisation and the Stolen Generations and noting health inequalities and lower life expectancy. It says First Peoples are often defined as "older" from 50 (rather than 65), and commits the council to partnering with aged care services in an approach "grounded in self-determination."
While the policy describes ageing as a demographic shift to be welcomed, it argues the core issue is not ageing itself but the barriers that can limit participation.
Council positions the document as a long-term framework that can be updated in response to policy changes and broader social and economic shifts.
Priority areas
Yarra's Ageing Well Policy is structured around four priority areas.
The first priority — advocacy and stewardship — commits council to championing accessible home-based aged care, seeking improvements to the local transport network, and promoting age-friendly housing in public, social and affordable developments.
It also flags elder abuse awareness, integrating older people's needs into family-violence prevention initiatives, and prioritising responses for older women facing heightened risks of poverty, housing insecurity and homelessness.
A second priority focuses on "opportunities for healthy ageing", including reviewing leisure and aquatic facilities for age-friendly access and affordability, expanding physical activity programs, and sustaining partnerships to strengthen social connection — with targeted support for older people with disability or health conditions who cannot easily leave their homes.
It also commits to making information easier to understand and accessible, including exploring alternative formats and major community languages "where required".
The third priority area is the public realm: creating an "age-friendly city" with accessible open spaces, buildings, pavements and walkways. Proposed actions include increasing seating and shade in open spaces, improving accessibility of council buildings with inclusive signage and accessible bathrooms, and progressively enhancing footpaths and intersections for safety and comfort.
The policy also points to improved wayfinding to accessible public transport and key destinations, and investigating walking maps with accessibility descriptions.
On housing, it proposes applying recognised accessibility standards — including AS 4299 adaptable housing and liveable housing design guidelines — across planning to support ageing in place and local downsizing.
The fourth priority focuses on community services: working with partners on access and coordination across aged care and disability services, supporting locally run programs to reduce loneliness, building staff capability to better support older people (including those with cognitive and/or sensory impairments), and strengthening cultural competence.
It also flags practical supports such as community lunches, improving thermal comfort for older households, and linking people in unsafe housing with multidisciplinary services.
Council says it will develop an operational plan and produce annual reporting, with the policy's priority areas reviewed and evaluated each year.
Proposed measures include library members' sense of connection, neighbourhood house satisfaction, the number of pedestrian improvement projects delivered, and community satisfaction with parks, transport projects and public arts access.
