Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians
Banyule City Council is proud to acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people as Traditional Custodians of the land and we pay respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, past, present and emerging, who have resided in the area and have been an integral part of the region’s history.
Diversity Statement
Our community is made up of diverse cultures, beliefs, abilities, bodies, sexualities, ages and genders. Council is committed to access, equity, participation and rights for everyone; principles which empower, foster harmony and increase the wellbeing of an inclusive community.
Message from the Mayor
Five years ago, we released our Inclusion, Access and Equity Framework 2017-2021.
Like many places around the world, the Banyule community has experienced significant challenges faced due to increased, environmental, economic and health risks.
In recognising this as well as the need to uplift inclusion, equity, participation and rights for our community, we relaunched the framework as Inclusive Banyule 2022-2026. Inclusive Banyule uses four simple levers to drive an inclusive and connected local community.
We will do this by tackling barriers to access, by driving equity for groups vulnerable to structural disadvantage, such as First Nations people, people living with disability, older people, and multicultural and LGBTIQA+ communities living in Banyule.
In addition to fostering change through our community action plans, Council recognises that every one of us has a right to social justice and community inclusion.
People survive and thrive more when they are connected not only by place, but by shared values and a sense of belonging to a community.
For example, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen incredible achievements at the community level, with important initiatives, such as food banks to support residents experiencing disadvantage, and a proliferation of informal online and in person networks of connection, support and neighbourliness.
Council has also continued to provide local jobs and services, including our award-winning Inclusive Employment Program, to support those who are vulnerable or experiencing disadvantage.
Under Victorian, federal and international laws, Council must ensure that the services we provide, the culture of our organisation and the culture we support locally, is one of fairness, equality and inclusion.
Core to our role as a leading local stakeholder is to ensure we embed and enact principles of good access, equity, participation and basic human rights for everyone in our community.
Understanding this, we hope to drive participation in the civic, cultural and economic life of our municipality.
This is done with a focus on meeting everyone’s basic human right to social justice and to individual and community wellbeing - aspirations echoed in our Community Vision 2041 developed by you:
“We in Banyule are a thriving, sustainable, inclusive and connected community. We are engaged, we belong, and we value and protect our environment”.
Our Commitment
An inclusive society is defined as a society for all, in which every individual has an active role to play.
Such as society is based on fundamental values of equity, equality, social justice, human rights and freedoms, as well as on the principles of tolerance and embracing diversity” UNESCO 2012
We are committed to steps to uplift social inclusion to support all people to experience - access, equity, participations, and rights. As one of the first Melbourne councils to development and implement an Inclusion,
Access and Equity framework, we have considered the environmental, economic, political, social, cultural, and behavioural factors that add to the richness of our diverse community.
We are committed to working in partnerships and collaboration with communities
Representation is the next step in maturing Council’s approach to inclusion
Inclusive Banyule involves target actions that respond to the diverse needs. We are committed to improve the liveability of Banyule.
It is important to value and recognise First Nations heritage and the broader cultural and environmental legacy
Hallmarks our approach
Inclusive Banyule guides the ways that Council works
Uplifting inclusion requires ongoing effort and specific initiatives
The approach is underpinned by these hallmarks:
Learn and adapt - embed, engage, apply, elevate, address, and adapt in everyday living through work, community, public places through reduce discrimination/and social exclusion
Partnerships and collaboration - focus on efforts, new ways to work together, work with organisations, create connections with people and between organisations, advocate together, and support community and their groups.
Focus - address issues such as accessible housing, employment, health support services, environment, sustainability, and safety.
Policy Context
Inclusive Banyule aims to support the community achieving the Banyule Community Vision 2041.
The Banyule Community Vision reflects community values, aspirations, and priorities for the next 20 years.
One of the key themes from this Vision is ‘Our Inclusive and Connected Community’.
This theme is working toward a safe, healthy, vibrant and connected community where people of all ages and life stages love to live, work and stay; diversity and inclusion are valued and encouraged.
Inclusive Banyule works and complements Council’s planning framework.
For example, uplifting inclusion across communities and neighbourhood is a Council priority, which is embedded in the Council Plan 2021-2025 and is a key feature for the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing priorities.
We share a commitment to the elevation of human rights and social inclusion for everyone and acknowledge the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which Council and Inclusive Banyule works in alignment with to on a local level.
Australian Human Rights Commission has statutory responsibilities to address discrimination
It is unlawful to discriminate based on a range of protected attributes such as ages, disability, race, sex, intersex status, gender identity and sexual orientation.
All councils are governed by state legislation - generally overlap with Commonwealth laws
Legislation which is relevant to the work we do includes but is not limited to:
Local Government Act 2020,
Disability Act 2006,
Gender Equality Act 2020
Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008
Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005
Climate Change Act 2017
Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006
Multicultural Victoria Act 2011
Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001
The Equal Opportunity Act 2010
Family Violence Protection Act 2008
Planning and Environment Act 1987
The framework reminds us people’s experiences with inclusion are different and there are groups within Banyule that continue to experience long-term and structural disadvantage
Inclusion benefits everyone
Inclusion considers everyone’s needs, to benefit everyone, with an additional focus to communities who experience greater levels of disadvantage and social inequities
Deloitte Access Economics (2019) modelling and analysis indicates that a more inclusive society increases the Australian economic dividend by 12.7 billion annually.
Vic Health states that inclusion has a ‘powerful and protective effect on public health’.
Inclusion can influence significant measurable impacts as represented in Table 1
Uplift in - health behaviours, self-esteem, improved mental and physical health, employment outcomes, increased productivity, boost to inclusive economic, improved quality of life, stronger sense of social identify and safety.
Decrease in - costs of delivering social services, levels of poverty, dependencies on social welfare, and rates of loneliness, depressive symptoms, crime and engagement.
Pathway to inclusion
A range of important steps towards inclusion are:
Inclusion starts with addressing inequities - recognises and seeks to support a range of identified groups such as First Nations people, multicultural communities, people with disability, and womens and girls etc.
Recognising intersectionality - aspects of a person’s identity can expose them to overlapping forms or discrimination and marginalisation.
Council recognises that identifying intersectionality is considered a fundamental approach and embedded in Council’s approach to inclusion
Knowledge and curiosity – we share the responsibility to reflect, learn and adapt in response to societal events and challenges.
Especially when applying a social justice lens to the policies, strategies, and service program practices to prevent unintended consequences.
Intentional inclusive practice - take steps to uplift inclusion to support people’s experience of social justice-based outcomes.
This practice requires planned, adaptive and incremental actions towards key elements that lead to change.
Through next four years, the actions will focus on addressing perceptions and attitudes, elevating visibility & awareness of diversity, identifying & address systemic barriers to inclusion, and understanding the lived experiences of people.
Diversity in Banyule
Banyule residents identify with incredibly diverse range of identities and intersectionalities such as age, religion, culture, gender, LGBITQA+, disabilities, and socio-economic disadvantage.
Banyule community has 137,000 people as of 2022 from 140 different cultural backgrounds.
Banyule supports our First Nations community and work in partnership with First Nations people to improve inclusion outcomes through our Reconcilation Action Plan.
Age and households:
As of 2022, people aged 35-49 years old representing one in five residents.
popular home for families with dependent children (34%)
Single parent families (10%) 81% single parents identify are female
10% over 65 years old with older adult females more likely than males to live alone
Forecasts each service group will grow in number over time In 2041 - Significant growth is expected in the under 18 age group will increase to one in five
In 2041 - almost one in four residents will be aged over 60 years old
Gender
Banyule community identify as heterosexual
Estimates that 5.7% of the population are identify within the LGBTIQA+
Majority of 5.7 are lesbian/gay (1.8%) or bisexual (2.8%) the rest (1.1% combined such as transgender, queer, pansexual, asexual, or intersex).
Estimate just under 7,000 identify with the LGBITQA+ community
Estimate 221 Banyule couple are lying in a same-sex relationship
Population will continue to grow and our inclusive strategies aim to support more people to feel psychological safety to identify.
Traditional societal roles may continue to influence perceptions of inclusion such as females are more likely to provide unpaid childcare
(32.5%), unpaid care (15.2%), unpaid domestic work (77.4%) and to volunteer (22.2%).
Cultural diversity
Home to people from 140 different countries
23% born overseas
UK, China, Italy and India being main countries of birth
From 2014-2020, there was a 25% increase number of people who settled in Banyule with Bridging E Visa
Banyule community has approximately 120 different spoken language including
Mandarin, Italian, Greek, Cantonese and Arabic by 22% of the residents.
A range of religious beliefs - 51% being Christianity however 35% do not practice religion
Due to multicultural backgrounds - a range of barriers to inclusion experienced - such as an access to employment and service.
Disability
17% of residents in Banyule live with disability. 5% of these need assistance with daily living activities.
Strong evidence they experienced significant barriers to inclusion such as only 34% of 20+ years old
with disabilities completed year 12.
Only 53% have employment. 38% of households are low-income households.
13% of disability people provide unpaid assistance to a person with a disability, long term illness or older adult
Socio-economic status
For Banyule - SEIFa index of disadvantage is 1055 which place Banyule 11th most affluent municipality in Victoria
Most adults are employed - female are more likely to work part-time than males (51%)
Main local employment industries are Health Care and Social Assistance
15% of Banyule people are low-income households
Females are more likely to be low-income earners than males
Banyule’s unemployment rate is low however 27% of Banyule are low-income households
14% does not have a car
34% lives in social housing
13% are reported to be disengaged from school
Banyule identified as experiencing state and nationally significant levels of disadvantage
Other diversity indicators
14% of Banyule adults have low-level literacy proficiency, struggling with tasks such as reading, writing, and understanding text.
People have acute levels of disadvantage in Banyule including 320 people experiencing homelessness
In 12 months - 1185 family violence incidents were reported in Banyule which equals to 3 out of 4 family members affected were female and 81% were under 18 years old.
Banyule has a positive duty to focus on the inclusion needs of all people.
Strong case to support for identified groups who experience inequities.
Councils plan to progress specific actions to measure up the Inclusive Banyule commitment over next four years with three objectives such as
- Being an equitable and inclusive workplace and increasingly diverse workforce
- Delivering equitable and inclusive services, places and spaces
- Recognising and strengthening diverse communities and neighbourhoods
Council is committed to improving quality of their work.
Some ways that this can be measured is through community satisfaction surveys, household surveys, self- assessment tools, and workforce diversity and inclusion survey.
Long term impact
The positive impact will benefit many years to reflect in the community
The impact will monitor and report on trends over time.
Oversight
The Inclusive Banyule Advisory Committee will oversee the delivery of the plan.
An annual action plan will be developed with consultation from the Committee, and through community consultation.
Council’s Community Impact Team will lead a coordinated and integrated response by in the partnership with the People and Culture.
Council funding will cover the implementation of Inclusive Banyule, while seeking grants and partnerships to further drive an investment in inclusion for the community.
For more information, please contact the Community Impact team on 03 9490 4222 or their website.