Conversations Merri-bek
Merri-bek Council has been supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer and Questioning and Asexual and Aromantic (LGBTIQA+) communities for many years. We’re proud of the diversity of sexualities, genders and bodies that live, work and visit our community. As a Council we want to make sure that the work we do to support LGBTIQA+ communities is genuine, productive and ambitious. This is why we have been working with our LGBTIQA+ reference group to develop Council’s very first LGBTIQA+ action plan.
An action plan is a way to develop, monitor and evaluate activities that Council undertakes. It’s a framework we can use to make sure we’re doing the best we can to support our community. The LGBTIQA+ action plan is made up of activities that different council teams will undertake over its 3 year lifespan.
Throughout the plan we can measure our progress allowing us to work towards our goals and ultimately improving our services and community for everyone.
We have been working with members of our community LGBTIQA+ reference group to make sure our action plan reflects the needs of our LGBTIQA+ communities.
Members of the LGBTIQA+ reference group have been involved in workshops, that included discussions around research, data and our own lived experiences. From these workshops we came up with a vison for where we’d like to see Merri-bek be in the future and activities we think will help to get us there. We have also been speaking with different teams across Council to explore ideas and projects that they’d be interested in undertaking.
The action plan will run from 2023 to 2026 over a three-year period. It is informed by our Human Rights Policy and the life cycle of the action plan coincides with the review of the Human Rights Policy in 2026.
Our impact statement is our community aspiration. It underpins the work we do within the LGBTIQA+ space and is central all outcomes, outputs and activities contained in the plan.
Activities outlined in the plan are ongoing or project based. However, all will work towards fulfilling the Impact statement and outcomes.
The LGBTIQA+ action plan is divided into 3 priority areas. Visit the pages below to see the outcomes we are aiming towards for each area and the kinds of activities we are proposing to help us achieve those outcomes.
Advance inclusion and social cohesion in the community
Working with our communities, Merri-bek City Council will celebrate the strength and diversity of all LGBTIQA+ people, to ensure inclusion and safety for everyone across our city.
Deliver inclusive and accessible services
Council will work towards creating safe, accessible and inclusive services, that are informed by evidence and the voices of LGBTIQA+ communities.
Council is an inclusive organisation
Council will be a leader in advocating for LGBTIQA+ communities, demonstrated through our employment, practises and workplace culture.
You can contribute to the action plan by telling us where our priorities should be in the work we’re doing to support LGBTIQA+ communities. Are there gaps in our activities that you think we should explore?
We want to hear your ambitions for the community and where you’d like to see Merri-bek be in the future. What services, programs and support should we offer to our LGBTIQA+ residents, visitors and workforce?
All of this information will help us create the best action plan for our community. Allowing us to celebrate the diversity of our city.
Merri-bek City Council acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional custodians of the lands and waterways in the area now known as Merri-bek, and pays respect to their Elders past and present, as well as to all First Nations’ communities who significantly contribute to the life of the area.
Phone
+61 3 9240 1111
Email
engagement@merri-bek.vic.gov.au
National relay service
133 677
(ask for 03 9240 1111)
