Wyndham
Wyndham is a wonderfully diverse city and community that shares a vision of a vibrant future where all residents and visitors feel welcomed, connected and engaged.
As metropolitan Melbourne grows, Wyndham is at the forefront of this growth, and in order to respond to this in the most effective and sustainable manner, we must all embrace the inevitable change and carefully balance the benefits of growth with the needs and desires of residents, businesses, organisations and partners. Since 1966, I have been immensely proud to call Wyndham home. As Mayor, I am equally proud to lead the city’s Council and work together with the elected members, staff and volunteers to achieve the goals, deliver the initiatives and build the projects that are important to our community. Divided into themes, the Wyndham City Plan sets out the priorities which will guide the work done by Council over the next four years. These themes, strategies and initiatives provide a road-map for Council’s Annual Integrated Plan and Budget, and it’s against these that we measure how well we’re achieving our targets. The City Plan 2017-2021 is Wyndham’s first to be founded on the Wyndham 2040 Community Vision, as well as the District Plans and the work of the District Advisory Committees. Community members’ vision for the municipality are central to the entire planning process and set the expectation for what Council will seek to achieve.
This will also be the first time that the Community Health, Wellbeing and Safety Plan will be integrated into the City Plan. The amalgamation of these two plans represents a whole‐of‐Council commitment, across every service area and function at Council, to improve the health, wellbeing and safety outcomes of the community.
View video messageEvery day, the world we live in is becoming more and more connected. It is a global community shaped by shifting economies and centres of industry, advances in technology and changes in our environment. These are big picture issues with local implications.
Our vision for a healthy, liveable city is a place that:
Through these goals we strive to guarantee the health, wellbeing and safety of our community. Ensuring that all individual efforts support one another is central to this, and those combined efforts serve a shared vision of our community first.
We must also recognise that we are in a period of accelerated change occurring globally and locally simultaneously. This accelerated change indeed raises many challenges, however, instead of seeing these as barriers to success we should see them as important reminders of the one core truth of our work as a local government: that our work can never be ‘done’. We must recognise that sticking to current practices will not transform Wyndham in to a liveable, sustainable city for the future. So we must be dynamic and continually change, plan responsively and foster a culture of flexibility and adaptability. Ultimately, we must put the community at the heart of everything we do so that we can understand what is required of us. This is central to our Wyndham 2040 Vision.
As a first for Wyndham, this digital format of our City Plan gives the community the opportunity to engage and interact with our City Plan in a new, user-friendly way.
View video messageWyndham covers an area of 542km and features 27.4 km of coastline bordering Port Phillip to the east. As a meeting place for people of the Kulin nations, Wyndham City has a rich and diverse Aboriginal cultural heritage.
The City of Wyndham has an estimated population of 222,656 for 2016. As the largest growing municipality Victoria wide (5.7% and 12,106 persons)1, Wyndham is characterised by its strategically placed location with excellent logistic connections to air and sea ports. The City also offers intensive agriculture at Werribee South, major retail precincts and the Werribee Park tourism precinct ‐ one of the largest and most frequently visited tourism destinations in metropolitan Melbourne.
Sustained population growth places significant pressure on Wyndham’s liveability. Important elements of liveability include strong communities, good planning and urban design, community infrastructure, accessible and efficient transport and a healthy environment. Council is vigilant in striving to match its actions to meet the changing needs of the community and to maintain that liveability.
Wyndham is experiencing growth across all age groups. Children and young people form the largest population group in Wyndham with 50,638 people under the age of 15 years2. In 2016 4,518 babies3 were born to Wyndham parents, which is around 86 babies born every week. Although currently over 65 years form a relatively modest part of the Wyndham population, it is forecast to be the fastest growing age group in Wyndham between 2016 and 20364.
The Demographics & Population, and Communicty Profiles webpages provide information about selected groups as well as social and health themes in Wyndham.
The four overarching themes covering the priority areas in the 2040 Vision are People and Community, Places and Spaces, Earning and Learning, and Leadership and Participation.
These themes are now adopted as the principal themes of the City Plan, aligning Council’s strategic planning with the community’s vision. Through the Wyndham 2040 Community Vision, the District Advisory Committees, and a range of other engagement mechanisms, community members and leaders have been involved in a progressive process of engagement with Council over the past two years.
In preparation for the integration of the Wyndham City Health, Wellbeing and Safety Plan into the City Plan for 2017‐21, key stakeholder workshops were also held for organisational and departmental representatives of health and social services in Wyndham. The strategic priorities identified through these processes were presented to Councillors to inform their priorities and planning for this City Plan.
These priorities were further validated with the community through an early pre‐exhibition engagement process in March 2017, which attracted over 430 local residents and business people. The key community priorities identified through these engagements include:
These community driven priorities are embedded in the strategic objectives, goals and strategies of this City Plan and will set the direction for Council’s focus and work of Council over its four year term.
Council delivers ongoing engagement structures and opportunities, including District Advisory and Portfolio Committees, Listening Posts, community events and targeted engagements each year. We also conduct a Community Satisfaction Survey, designed to listen to the diverse voices of Wyndham, and measure community attitudes to, and satisfaction with Council’s services and facilities, governance and leadership, customer service, and planning. The survey identifies issues of community importance, tracks the perception of key social issues and inform the activities and planning of Council.
The Wyndham 2040 Community Vision is the foundation of this City Plan 2017-2021, and acts as the framework which guides the vision, objectives and strategies of the City Plan. The Wyndham Planning Scheme comprises state and local planning policies, Council's Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS), zoning maps and planning controls, which specify how land in the municipality may be used and developed. The City Plan is consistent with the Municipal Strategic Statement, which is an important influence on health and wellbeing, and meets the requirements of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.
Drawing on, and inspired by the 2,040 stories collected by Wyndham City staff and volunteers in 2015, and additional information collected in forums, we’ve been able to paint a picture of how this wonderful city will look in the future.
In Wyndham, these over-arching plans include individual organisational ‘road-maps’ including: a Strategic Resource Plan to outline the funding of new initiatives; this City Plan, which highlights the strategic direction goals of council over a four-year period, and a Community Health and Wellbeing Plan (which is part of the City Plan).
Under Section 223 of the Local Government Act 1989, Council must, before adopting its City Plan, give public notice of its intention to adopt the plan and invite public submissions. Members of the public may make written submissions within 28 days of the notice and, if they so desire, request to be heard in support of their submission.
Progress on the implementation of the City Plan and Annual Plans will be reported to Council on a six-monthly basis, with an annual performance summary published in the Annual Report. These reports are published on Council’s website.
We will also assess our progress against the wider Local Government Performance Framework, to ensure we remain at the forefront of responsive, sustainable, relevant and cost-effective progress, state-wide.
The Local Government Act requires Council to identify and monitor ‘Strategic Indicators’ against the City Plan. Wyndham City has developed a comprehensive Indicators Framework to inform our planning and improve our services, amenity and infrastructure for the community.
The Indicators Framework includes key findings from our Community Satisfaction Survey, the Local Government Reporting Framework, and our Liveability and Wellbeing Indicators, and is informed by the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing outcomes framework.
The Strategic Indicators of the City Plan have been selected from this broader framework and are the indicators most relevant to the City Plan priorities and strategies. They tell us about how the community is faring and where we should focus our resourcing, as well as the impact and satisfaction with our work for the people and places of Wyndham.
Recognising the critical influence local governments can have on health at different life-stages, through supporting the development of healthy places, environments, education and services, the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 mandates that each Council to develop a Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan that is consistent with the Municipal Strategic Statement.
Wyndham City applied to the Department of Health and Human Services to integrate our Health, Wellbeing and Safety Plan into the City Plan 2017-21. Health, wellbeing and safety goals now overarch Council’s strategies across the four themes of the City Plan and articulate how our work under each theme will seek to positively impact the community. The City Plan is strongly linked and consistent with the Municipal Strategic Statement in the Wyndham Planning Scheme, which guides the land-use planning of Wyndham City and is an important influence on health and wellbeing during this period of consistent growth.
The amalgamation of these two plans systemically embeds community wellbeing priorities across the whole-of-Council, for greater visibility and sustainability. Strategic initiatives address the four environments for health – economic, built, natural and social.
The 2016 Report of the Royal Commission into Family Violence includes a recommendation that Councils take measures to reduce family violence and respond to the needs of victims. Wyndham City’s commitment to addressing family violence in our local communities, through our role in service delivery, in developing facilities and creating safe public spaces, as an employer and community leader in promoting cultures of non-violence, respect, and gender equity is highlighted in this City Plan.
Strengthening Council’s understanding of the local risks posed by climate change and intentional planning of Wyndham’s ecology and built environment to support the long-term wellbeing of the community, are vital investments that will pay dividends to future generations. Adaption and mitigation strategies have also been considered in the city planning process.
In the development of the health, wellbeing and safety goals, significant analysis of quantitative data and qualitative information has been undertaken to better understand both the ‘lived experience’ of Wyndham’s diverse community, as well as population health trends. Contextual analysis entailed a comprehensive review of international, national, state and regional policy. This broader environmental scan has been complemented by a local focus on Wyndham’s 2040 Community Vision, place-based district planning, and demographic research.
An outcome has been the development of 10 Place Snapshots and 11 Health and Wellbeing Profiles for Wyndham.
A set of ‘liveability and wellbeing indicators’ have also been introduced to monitor how the community is faring physically, mentally, socially and economically across the social and environmental determinants of health. Engaged communities are key to building cohesion, resilience and social networks which are known to improve health and wellbeing and Council has an important role in monitoring this to inform our planning.
This regional and local information was complemented with further research into the wider Victorian context, including a review of the Victorian Health and Wellbeing Plan and Framework 2015-19 and related guides and research documents. VicHealth papers on critical issues including alcohol, healthy eating, mental health and wellbeing, physical activity, prevention of violence against women and children, and tobacco were also reviewed.
Our evidence-based process identified the following health, wellbeing and safety concerns for the Wyndham community:
These concerns are understood in the context of determinants of health in the society and environment, which are also of strategic importance to the health, wellbeing and safety of Wyndham. These strategic issues include:
Wyndham’s community has a younger age profile than Greater Melbourne, and a larger proportion of couple households with children (41% and 34% respectively)6,7
The number of children aged 0-11 years is forecast to increase by over 38,000 people between 2016 and 2036. Large growth is also expected for Wyndham’s retirement age population, which is forecast to increase by 143% 8
With a much higher percentage of three and four bedroom homes (84%) compared to Greater Melbourne (66%), and significantly fewer two bedroom homes (7% compared to 19%), there is significantly less housing diversity within Wyndham 9
Wyndham has the third largest Indigenous community in the Greater Melbourne area1 10
The crime rate in Wyndham is lower than the Victorian rate, but the rate of reported family incidents is higher (1,348 per 100,000)11
Wyndham’s community is becoming more diverse; 40% of the population are born overseas (34% in 2011) and 35% of residents do not speak English at home (30% in 2011)12
Wyndham will be a welcoming, family-friendly city that acknowledges the Aboriginal heritage of the area, encourages connection within the community, promotes health and wellbeing, and actively celebrates diversity, culture and art. We will be a Council that listens to and learns from the diversity, knowledge and opinions of all residents and, as we embrace growth, we will also remember the country beginnings of our towns and shire.
Council will work with the community to ensure Wyndham is an inclusive, safe and welcoming city, which celebrates our diverse heritage and cultures and helps residents to stay healthy, active, and connected.
People in Wyndham are well across the life stages, safe and socially connected regardless of where they live or their social, economic or cultural background.
Council will celebrate a strong arts and culture sector, by actively promoting and attracting creative and cinematic industries; examining the feasibility of new arts initiatives; and providing a platform for visual and performing arts drawing from and celebrating a diversity of backgrounds. Partners: The Australia Council (Arts), Creative Victoria, Multicultural Arts Victoria, Arts Access Victoria.
Council will endeavour to increase health and wellbeing outcomes of our community by engaging with the State and Federal Governments on gambling reform and reducing harmful alcohol and drug use, particularly among young people and other at risk community cohorts. Partners: Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice and Regulation, Victoria Police, Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, IPC Health, Gambler’s Help - Western, Odyssey House Victoria.
Council will enhance community health and wellbeing by making it easier for residents to participate in physical activities by building mainstream and accessible sporting infrastructure at the local level and providing a diversity of sporting opportunities through assisting minor and ‘hard-to-locate’ sports, as well as recreation and informal opportunities for physical activity. Partners: Sport and Recreation Victoria, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education and Training, State Sporting Associations, VicSport
Council will help to create a safer, more cohesive community by: effective planning, design and regulation of public spaces which encourage active transport and social inclusion opportunities; actively engaging with the community to improve perceptions of safety; and encouraging shared responsibility to prevent and address issues which impact on residents’ sense of safety and wellbeing. Partners: Victoria Police, Westgate Roadsafe, WEstjustice, Odyssey House Victoria, Western Integrated Family Violence Committee, Department of Health and Human Services, Werribee Support and Housing, Women’s Health West, and Department of Justice & Regulation.
Council will celebrate the cultural diversity of our City, actively support social inclusion and tackle inequalities by ensuring all residents have access to services and building social connections in our local communities. Partners: Wyndham Community and Education Centre, H3 Wyndham Alliance, Wyndham Humanitarian Network, Community service organisations seeking to establish a physical presence for service delivery in Wyndham, Wyndham Interfaith Network and places of worship.
Council will acknowledge and engage with the diverse local Aboriginal community of Wyndham, including Traditional Owners of the Kulin Nation, through implementing our Reconciliation Action Plan, to conserve and protect our Aboriginal heritage and improve access and inclusion for Aboriginal people in Council services, programs and facilities. Partners: Traditional Owners Organisations, Statewide and local Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations such as; VACCA (Victorian Aboriginal Childcare Agency) and VALS (Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service).
Wyndham’s population is forecast to increase to around 424,000 by 203613
Around 16% people who arrived in Wyndham between 2006 and 2011 came from another municipality in Victoria14
64% of households own two or more motor vehicles and 54% of households own at least one bicycle15
12.9% of households which are ranked in the lowest 40% of incomes are paying more than 30% of their weekly income in housing costs16
Annual rainfall in Wyndham has fluctuated between 336mm and 767mm in the last 10 years17
Our transport system will be efficient, responsive and easy to navigate, with greater connectivity to Melbourne, while infrastructure, built spaces, and the diversity of housing options contribute to the quality of life of residents at all ages. We will carefully balance the preservation, protection, and respect for the natural environment with the need to ensure that parks and open spaces invite citizens to positively interact with the outdoors and each other.
Council will work with our partners to build a city that is easy to move around, offers a diverse range of housing, protects our natural environment, and promotes active and passive recreation.
We will strive to improve neighbourhood ambience, civic services and our standing as an attractive, relaxing, responsive and infrastructure-progressive coastal municipality.
People in Wyndham are healthy and well across the life stages, safe and socially connected regardless of where they live or their social, economic or cultural background.
Council will seek to enhance the health and wellbeing of residents and visitors who experience the negative effects of commuter-stress by advocating for higher levels of accessible, affordable, low emission public transport; increase car parking and opportunities for active transport in and around public transport hubs including train stations; and ensure new developments include infrastructure that will address our City’s growth needs. Partners: Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Public Transport Victoria, Vic Roads, Sustainability Victoria, Bus Association of Victoria, Transport for Victoria, Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), Cycling Victoria and Bicycle Network Victoria, Victorian Transport Association, Public Transport Users Association, Metropolitan Transport Forum, Victorian Planning Authority and Private Developers.
Council will build civic pride and social connection amongst residents and businesses through measured activation and regulations to create more appealing streetscapes, including improvements to signage, building fronts, and the natural environment, in order to improve and add to the special physical character of Wyndham. Partners: Wyndham Business and Tourism Association, Werribee City Centre Landowners Group, Vic Roads, Melbourne Water, Powercor and Parks Victoria.
Council will be a leader in environmental sustainability and adapt to climate change by increasing the energy efficiency of Council, encouraging energy efficient development, fostering bio-diversity, and supporting local agriculture by working with the state government to ensure water security throughout our area. Partners: Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Environmental Protection Authority, Sustainability Victoria, Southern Rural Water, Parks Victoria.
Council will balance social sustainability with urban development by identifying and encouraging vital community infrastructure and services prior to land development; seeking opportunities to include health impact assessments for new developments; and continuing to create open and active outdoor /public spaces in both new and existing communities. Partners: Victorian Planning Authority, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Urban Development Institute of Australia – Victoria.
Health care, social assistance and retail trade are the largest employment industries for Wyndham residents, making up approximately 22% of the workforce18
Around 60% of employed residents work outside Wyndham19
Wyndham’s unemployment rate was recorded at 6.89% at December 201620
Around 27% of the population over 15 years of age have obtained a degree qualification or higher21
Our city will offer varied and plentiful local employment options. It will be a place of choice for businesses of all sizes and have a thriving network of small business operators. Wyndham will be known for great schools and universities. There will be lots of ways for people to learn and gain employment. Wyndham libraries will support learning for everyone. Residents will be able to share skills and build knowledge at community centres. Wyndham will have a good mix of shops and shopping destinations. Local events and attractions will build Wyndham’s reputation as a place to visit and be a source of community pride.
Council will work innovatively with our partners and community to ensure Wyndham is a place of opportunity for learning, working, investing and succeeding, which builds a vibrant and sustainable city where all residents have access to opportunities. We will seek innovative ways to build an attractive business and investment environment – both locally and internationally.
People in Wyndham enjoy financial security, have access to a diverse range of learning, education and work opportunities and have safe and healthy work and learning environments
Council will grow a diverse economy by tapping into the diverse international knowledge and connections of our community, and look to develop strategic and collaborative national and international relationships for commerce, education, and investment. Partners: Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Western Melbourne Regional Development Australia.
Through embracing new technologies and promoting the development of a local knowledge economy, Wyndham will be transformed into a Smart City, thereby enabling new and established business to create employment opportunities and build a financially secure community. Partners: State Government and Utility Providers, Higher Education Providers – TAFE and University Sectors, industry partners and investors in new technologies, transport and urban development.
Council will invigorate local commerce and visitation by activating retail precincts, to increase local economic development and support local business. Partners: Wyndham Business and Tourism Association, Western Melbourne Tourism.
Council will commit to developing a diverse range of quality education opportunities, thereby improving career prospects and, in turn, the emotional health and social wellbeing of residents. We will work to establish partnerships with, and attract, higher education providers; advocate for increased and improved schools’ infrastructure from other levels of government; work in partnership to attract private schools into Wyndham; and ensure access to sustainable kindergarten services. Partners: Department of Education and Training, Higher Education Providers – TAFE and University Sectors, WynBay Local Learning and Employment Network.
Council will support sound growth and cohesiveness as a sustainable city by modernising our physical, environmental and cultural infrastructure, and fostering knowledge through integrated learning spaces
18% of the population aged 15 and over have volunteered in the last 12 months22
14% of Wyndham residents aged over 15 years were a member of a committee23
27% of Wyndham residents aged over 15 signed a petition 24
Over 80% of Wyndham’s population are Australian citizens 25
Wyndham will be home to passionate residents who are encouraged to share their ideas, skills, knowledge and passion to build a thriving city. We will offer a variety of ways for community members to support others through volunteering, social interaction, and engagement.
Council will continually build and shape a community of passionate, engaged and inspired residents and organisations who are proud to call Wyndham City their home. We will streamline our internal systems, our collaboration, and communication across all levels of government, while establishing the foundations for a long-term financial sustainability and strengthening our values, partnerships, and community engagement.
Wyndham City works with local residents, organisations, partners, and other tiers of government to deliver sustainable and financially responsible improvements to health, wellbeing, and safety for the community.
Council will strive to offer value to residents, businesses, and visitors through focusing on operational efficiency in response to changes in government legislation, while ensuring the community continues to enjoy access to high-quality services, amenities and infrastructure.
Council will foster confidence and positive community outcomes by working with the State Government to improve crime prevention; increase awareness and access to services that tackle family violence, gender equity; and help prevent other social violence and injury in order to improve the health, wellbeing, and overall lives of Wyndham’s vulnerable citizens. Partners: Victoria Police, Department of Health and Human Services, Health and community support organisations, Women’s Health West, VicHealth
Council will strengthen its operational efficiency and sustainability by identifying and embracing new, more efficient ways to work with partners from the public and private sector, and by regularly applying rigorous evaluation of our systems, investments, expenditure, infrastructure needs, service delivery, technology use, resource application, and staff development, empowerment and flexibility. Partners: Municipal Association of Victoria, Australian Local Government Association, National Growth Areas Alliance, Victorian Local Governance Association, Interface Group of Councils, LeadWest (including Western Region Councils), Committee for Wyndham, Wyndham Business and Tourism Association, Werribee City Centre Landowners Group
Council will lead Wyndham’s evolution in becoming a ‘Smart City’ by embracing new and emerging technology; working with expert partners; applying innovative ways of problem-solving; and adopting advances in technology to find more effective and efficient solutions. Partners: Australian Smart Communities Association, Private Investors/Entrepreneurs, Victorian and Australian Government bodies
Council will actively engage the community in decision-making for how we will use resources and assets to implement the community vision of “Wyndham 2040” and support residents to understand and participate in Council decision making.
