Community Pride & Participation

Neighbourhood Renewal is empowering local communities to shape their own futures by engaging residents in Neighbourhood Renewal decision-making structures and neighbourhood planning processes.

Key actions and partners

Residents are participating in Neighbourhood Renewal in a number of different ways. Some are actively involved in Neighbourhood Renewal governance structures, helping to develop action plans for their communities. Others are participating in local action by running Neighbourhood Renewal meetings, organising community events and developing various local projects.

Key achievements against key actions

In order to increase resident involvement, Neighbourhood Renewal is:


Establishing governance structures made up at least 50% by residents

Residents now make up at least 50% of the governance structures in each of the 19 Neighbourhood Renewal areas.

Supporting community-run events

Neighbourhood Renewal residents are bringing people together to participate in fantastic community events.

In Werribee, a group of committed local residents and volunteers from the Heathdale Neighbourhood Association organise the annual Heathdale Barbeque Festival. The Festival is a symbol of pride for the residents of Heathdale and is one of only a handful of BBQ festivals Australia-wide. It attracts hundreds of locals who join together for a BBQ competition, music performances, stalls, rides and a variety of kids' events.

         local residents gather around BBQ

Employing residents to conduct community survey interviews

Community surveys are run every two years in each of the Neighbourhood Renewal areas. The surveys are conducted by residents and they are designed to work out whether local projects are meeting their objectives.

The surveys conducted to date have shown that Neighbourhood Renewal is making a real difference for the people and places that have missed out on Victoria's growing prosperity.
woman conducting survery with male resident

Employing Partnerships and Participation Project Officers

Partnerships and Participation Project Officers have been employed in all 19 Neighbourhood Renewal sites. Their role is to help develop innovative ways for government and communities to work together. They engage community members and support residents to work collaboratively with government and agencies in planning, decision-making and action-oriented processes.

Developing arts and culture projects

Neighbourhood Renewal's arts and culture projects bring people together, they create richness and beauty, they empower and build pride and they give people who might not otherwise have a voice, the chance to tell their story.
Neighbourhood Renewal is currently reinvigorating its Arts and Culture Portfolio. We are looking to develop innovative community cultural development projects to enhance efforts within our six established action areas.

The Voices of Atherton Gardens Choir is an example of a project that continues to enhance both individual and collective wellbeing.
The Voices, which began on the Fitzroy housing estate in 2002, is a chorus of people who speak as well as sing. The group formed when residents with limited English language skills came together with an artist who was seeking performers for a play that would explore life on the Estate. A mutually beneficial relationship has formed where the performers develop their language skills and tell moving stories of estate life.
 
 
The Voices of Atherton Gardens Choir

Contacts

For more information on Neighbourhood Renewal's Pride and Participation strategies, please contact:

Marie McLeod
Manager Program Coordination & Quality Assurance
p. 03 9096-9916
e. Marie.McLeod@dhs.vic.gov.au

Mark O'Driscoll
Project Manager
p. 03 9096-8969
e. Mark.ODriscoll@dhs.vic.gov.au

Guidelines

Participation and Partnership Framework
The Neighbourhood Renewal Participation and Partnership Framework clarifies the principles, objectives and role of community development and community governance in Neighbourhood Renewal.

 Participation and Partnership Framework 2009 (Word Size 111KB, Pages 8)


Participation and Partnership Funding Guidelines
The Participation and Partnership Funding Guidelines clarifies the principles, objectives and role of community development and community governance in Neighbourhood Renewal. The document should be used as a resource for developing funding specifications and service agreements for the community development component of Neighbourhood Renewal.

 Participation and Partnership Funding Guidelines 2009 (Word Size 164KB, Pages 11)