Greater Melbourne City Portrait Social Foundation Dataset

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O
1	GREATER MELBOURNE CITY PORTRAIT SOCIAL FOUNDATION DATASET
2	Dimension	Outcome theme	Outcome description	Indicator	2030 target	Current value	Data source	Recency of current value	Geographic scale	Relevance to outcome	Source robustness / reliability	Collection frequency	Overall data quality rating	Why did we choose this indicator?	Why did we choose this target?

3	Access to Information	Access	Everyone can reliably acquire free, transparent and trustworthy information and communication channels	Proportion of people living in local government areas with digital inclusion levels considered 'Excluded' or 'Highly excluded'	0%	0%	2022 Australian Digital Inclusion Index, 2023	2022	Greater Melbourne (32 LGAs)	High	High	Annual	High	The Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII) measures how effectively Australians can use digital technologies, which are increasingly becoming the primary mode of accessing the information we require to make decisions about our lives. The ADII is a composite, relative measure that incorporates access, affordability and digital ability.	In Greater Melbourne, we have the technological infrastructure, financial resources and know-how to facilitate high levels of digital inclusion. We therefore would not expect any local government area to be, on average, 'Excluded' or 'Highly excluded' on the ADII index.
4	Access to Information	Relevance	Everyone has empowering and culturally appropriate information and communication channels to make informed decisions about their lives	Proportion of people with no or limited options to translate their local council's website into diverse languages other than English	100%	36.2%	Individual Greater Melbourne council websites, accessed October 2023	2023	Greater Melbourne (32 LGAs)	High	High	N/A (manually collected)	High	This indicator was calculated by reviewing council websites and identifying how many have visible, easily accessible translation functions. We then weighted this using the population of each LGA to estimate the total population with good accessibility. Councils with website translation that was either not very visible or had limited languages to which to translate were given a 0.5 weighting to suggest that only half of the population requiring the service would be likely to find it or be able to make use of it. Local councils provide core services to meet residents' daily needs, and important information about these services, or how to contact councils about them, is most readily available on council websites. Being able to access this information in one's own language can empower non-English-speaking residents to make decisions and manage key aspects of their day-to-day lives more fully.	Local governments have a duty to serve all residents, including through providing accessible information. Web-based translation technologies are increasingly available without being highly resource intensive, making it reasonable to expect that all councils will have such capabilities visibly integrated into their websites by 2030.
5	Access to Information	Reciprocity	Communication channels facilitate a meaningful flow of information between communities and influential decision-makers to inform decisions at all levels	Proportion of people rating local government performance on decision-making in the interest of the community as 'Poor' or 'Very poor'	Under 10%	15%	2022 Victorian Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey, Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions and JWS Research, 2022	2022	Greater Melbourne (16 participating councils)	Medium	High	Annual	Medium	The 'community decisions' indicator from the Victorian Community Satisfaction Survey asks how well councils performed on ‘Decisions made in the interest of the community’ over a 12-month period. To some extent, this speaks to how well residents believe information is flowing from communities to decision-makers within local governments.	In this survey, possible responses are 'Very good', 'Good', 'Average', 'Poor' and 'Very poor.' We assume that anyone rating their council as 'Poor' and 'Very poor' on this point has strong feelings that their needs are not being met. These feelings may arise for many different reasons, and it is unreasonable to expect universal satisfaction with local government decision-making. As a result, we have set a 10% 'dissatisfaction' target. This acknowledges such a dynamic but still suggests some opportunity for greater local government responsiveness to community needs.
6	Arts & Culture	Inclusion	Arts & Culture in Melbourne represent and are accessible to all	Proportion of people age 15+ who have attended cultural venues or events in the last year	Over 80%	61.3%	Electorate Profiles, Creative Australia, 2023	2021	Greater Melbourne (electorates)	Medium	High	Annual	Medium	Creative Australia captures consistent data on the number of adults attending at least one cultural event per year, which includes visiting libraries or archives, art galleries, museums, cinemas or drive-ins, live music concerts or performances, operas or musicals, theatre, dance, other performing arts. Participation rates suggest how inclusive these events and venues are, in relation to both their accessibility and their broad appeal. We note that the types of venues and events included in this measure are somewhat incomplete in that they focus on 'formal' cultural sector participation and do not include sport or informal engagement with arts and culture.	An ambitious shift in participation in cultural activities is proposed based on an objective to make these activities more inclusive and broadly appealing. While non-participants may engage in other types of cultural activities not captured in this dataset, there still exists a need for the cultural sector to broaden and diversify its reach across Greater Melbourne.
7	Arts & Culture	Recognition	The Arts & Culture ecosystem is celebrated and valued socially and economically	Creative sector share of the economy by value	Over 7.5%	7.7%	Economic contribution data, Creative Victoria, 2022	2021-22	Victoria	High	High	Annual	Medium	Creative Victoria tracks the share of the state-wide economy that the creative sector represents; it is assumed that much of this activity occurs in Greater Melbourne. This provides an indication of economic (and consumer) recognition of creative businesses and professionals relative to other sectors of the economy.	The creative sector increased its share of economic activity from 6.8% in 2016-17 to 7.7% in 2020-21 and held steady at 7.7% in 2021-22. The proposed target aims to roughly retain this higher share of economic value in the coming years to recognise the importance of the sector to the city.
8	Arts & Culture	Contribution	Arts & Culture in Melbourne are a driver of change and connection to community and place	Proportion of people who feel that creativity and the arts have a big or very big impact on their understanding of other people and cultures	Over 80%	61%	National Arts Participation Survey 2022 – Victoria, Lonergan Research for Creative Victoria, September 2023	2022	Greater Melbourne (defined as inner, middle, outer and growth metro)	High	High	Periodic (conducted five times since 2009)	High	This national survey captures extensive data on arts participation and perceptions about the value of the arts and creativity. This question reflects on the role of the sector in contributing to greater cultural awareness and tolerance, an important role for the sector to support.	Creativity plays an important role in exploring different cultures and expanding people's world views. There is an opportunity to increase the role of the arts and creativity in building an understanding and greater acceptance of diversity within society.
9	Arts & Culture	Contribution	Arts & Culture in Melbourne are a driver of change and connection to community and place	Proportion of people who feel that creativity and the arts have a big or very big impact on their wellbeing and happiness	Over 80%	57%	National Arts Participation Survey 2022 – Victoria, Lonergan Research for Creative Victoria, September 2023	2022	Greater Melbourne (defined as inner, middle, outer and growth metro)	High	High	Periodic (conducted five times since 2009)	High	This national survey captures extensive data on arts participation and perceptions about the value of the arts and creativity. This question reflects on the role of the arts and creativity in contributing to wellbeing, an important role for engagement in artistic, creative and cultural activities of all types to play.	Creativity and engagement in arts and culture are not a panacea for wellbeing and mental health challenges. It is important for a greater connection to be established between participating in creative and cultural activities and wellbeing outcomes, however, either through a shift in perception of the role of these activities or the ways in which they are designed for people to engage with them.
10	Arts & Culture	Contribution	Arts & Culture in Melbourne are a driver of change and connection to community and place	Proportion of people who feel that creativity and the arts have a big or very big impact on building creative skills that will be necessary for the future workforce	Over 80%	47%	National Arts Participation Survey 2022 – Victoria, Lonergan Research for Creative Victoria, September 2023	2022	Greater Melbourne (defined as inner, middle, outer and growth metro)	High	High	Periodic (conducted five times since 2009)	High	This national survey captures extensive data on arts participation and perceptions about the value of the arts and creativity. This question reflects on the role of the arts and creativity in contributing to skills required for the future economy. Given the need for imagination, entrepreneurship and experimentation to be part of our rapid shift to a safe and just future for our city and the planet, this type of impact from engagement in creative and cultural activities is critical.	We live in uncertain and rapidly changing times that require new ways to understand and engage with each other and the world around us. Arts and culture, including engagement with creative activities, play an important role in preparing us to respond to future challenges and open new opportunities for human and environmental thriving. As a result, this type of impact is important to make more self-evident to participants in artistic and creative activities.
11	Education	Learning	Everyone has equitable access to lifelong learning that nurtures them to reach their potential	Proportion of children developmentally vulnerable on two or more domains (physical, social, emotional, language / cognitive and communication)	Under 5%	9.8%	Public table by Local Government Area (LGA) 2009-2021, Australian Early Development Census, April 2022 release	2021	Greater Melbourne (32 LGAs)	High	High	Every 3 years	Medium	The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) monitors childhood wellbeing factors that speak to longer-term development outcomes. Children who are identified as developmentally vulnerable on one or more domains are more likely to score in the bottom 20% of NAPLAN assessments; those identified as vulnerable on two or more domains (as measured here) are considered especially high-risk.	We are measuring the most severe level of early childhood developmental vulnerability monitored by the AEDC, which is a predictor of ongoing learning and development challenges. Greater Melbourne is equipped to minimise this level of vulnerability through the roll-out of universal three- and four-year-old kindergarten and ongoing investment in aligned support programs. We do not assume, however, that elimination of this level of vulnerability is likely to be achieved by 2030.
12	Education	Learning	Everyone has equitable access to lifelong learning that nurtures them to reach their potential	Proportion of people who left school before year 10 or did not go to school	Under 15%	18.9%	Social Health Atlases of Australia: Victorian LGA Workbook, Public Health Information Development Unit (PHIDU) at Torrens University, September 2023 release	2021	Greater Melbourne (ABS 2021 boundary)	Medium	High	Every 5 years	Medium	The census tracks early school leavers (leaving before year 10), and this indicator is age-standardised to reflect different opportunities for educational attainment by age group (i.e., opportunities to access education have increased over time / for younger age groups). While a high school diploma is not necessarily a requirement to thrive in life, formal schooling can provide a number of key academic and social skills that support people to achieve their potential.	The National School Reform Agreement set a target for the Year 12 (or equivalent) or Certificate III attainment rate at 90% by 2020. In major cities, this is exceeded for people age 20-24. It will take time for this completion rate to flow through to the adult population, however, even when access to educational opportunities are accounted for in the age-standardised indicator.
13	Education	Teaching	Melbourne’s education systems support teachers to thrive and prepare students to engage effectively in our diverse society and evolving economy	Rate of teaching vacancies in government primary and secondary schools	Under 5%	35.3%	Victorian Teacher Supply and Demand Report 2021, Victorian Department of Education, 2023	2021	Greater Melbourne (inclusive of Brimbank-Melton, North Eastern, Hume-Moreland, Outer Eastern, Inner Eastern, Bayside Peninsula, Southern and Western Melbourne regions)	High	High	Annual (starting 2017)	Medium	The Victorian Department of Education tracks teaching vacancies on an annual basis, which include fixed-term backfilling, fixed term roles of varying length and ongoing roles; advertised vacancies not filled in the first round and re-advertised are counted as additional vacancies. While vacancies can occur for a range of reasons, this rate as a proportion of total primary and secondary government school positions provides an indication of teacher retention and the ability to attract teachers to the public school system. This, in turn, speaks to the extent to which teachers feel supported within the system and likewise has an impact on student experiences.	The Victorian Department of Education is forecasting an excess supply of teachers by 2027. Recruitment timelines and related factors mean that a zero-vacancy target is logistically difficult to achieve on a consistent basis, but a significant reduction in vacancies is both desirable and consistent with policy ambitions.
14	Energy	Supply	Melbourne's energy system is nature-positive and contributes to climate justice	No suitable indicator identified yet	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A		N/A	N/A	No data identified	This outcome speaks to the ability of our energy system to serve communities and transition to a regenerative future in a way that benefits all people. Energy sources (which also relate to the Ecological Ceiling) are part of this equation, but this outcome extends beyond that point to also include how energy is distributed. No suitable indicators or datasets have yet been identified that speak to this meaningfully. Options for indicators that we considered include penetration of rooftop solar on eligible buildings or the proportion of the energy market controlled by communities, but these indicators neither address the nature of this outcome fully enough nor do they have readily available data sources associated with them. We will continue to explore options for securing suitable data or pursuring new data to be collected to address this outcome.	N/A
15	Energy	Demand	Everyone has reliable, affordable access to enough energy to meet their needs	Proportion of residential electricity customers on tailored financial assistance	0%	2.4%	Victorian Energy Market Report, Essential Services Commission, March 2023	2022	Victoria	High	High	Annual	Medium	Households facing significant cost pressures can apply to their providers for financial hardship; such support is tracked regularly by the Essential Services Commission. In Greater Melbourne, our physical energy infrastructure is well-established, so access to energy is more suitable to represent in financial terms. Measuring the proportion of households that have formally requested electricity hardship assistance does not represent all people facing energy cost pressures. It does, however, capture those households facing serious enough challenges to make the effort to contact their providers and seek support. This is one way of representing limited access to energy.	We assume that anyone seeking financial support from their retailer is already taking action to reduce energy use, and therefore is likely to be at risk of being unable to afford sufficient electricity to meet basic needs. No one should experience a level of energy cost pressure that requires support for this basic service.
16	Equality in Diversity	Representation	Melbourne’s diversity is represented in its institutions, enabling people in Melbourne to have equal opportunity to fulfil their potential without fear of harm	Gender pay gap	Under 5%	12.9%	Gender pay gap data, Australian Workplace Gender Equality Agency, 2023	2023	Victoria	High	High	Annual	Medium	This indicator reflects data from the ABS Survey of Average Weekly Earnings, which enables calculation of the gender pay gap based on base salaries. More detailed employer reporting will be required starting in 2024, which will allow the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) to more accurately calculate the total gender pay gap by location, inclusive of total remuneration (e.g., leave, benefits). This is expected to be larger than the gap in base salary alone. Workplace gender equality is a key component of achieving diverse representation in our society, including among decision-makers within key institutions.	WGEA research from 2021 suggests that gender parity in the workforce is not likely to be achieved for over 25 years, but we propose that a visible shift towards base salary parity, as we are currently measuring, is possible by 2030.
17	Equality in Diversity	Representation	Melbourne’s diversity is represented in its institutions, enabling people in Melbourne to have equal opportunity to fulfil their potential without fear of harm	Proportion of the overall public sector workforce in Victoria identifying as Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander	Over 2%	0.8%	2022 People Matters Survey: Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander employees, Victorian State Government, April 2023	2022	Victoria-wide (inclusive of state and local governments)	High	High	Annual	High	The annual People Matters survey administered across the public service in Victoria captures demographic data on state and local-level employees. The large sample size provides a meaningful representation of the make-up of the public service and the extent to which it is reflective of the broader population. Respondents are not required to provide demographic information; those who do choose to disclose this information are assumed to be comfortable enough in their workplace to share these details. As such, any under-reporting on representation of specific demographic groups is part of an understanding of workplace inclusion. While this data does not represent all workforce representation, understanding the diversity through this lens is important because decision-making (policy, investment) that occurs in the public sector inherently impacts the entire population across the city.	The target for Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander public service employment aligns with the Victorian public sector's five-year Aboriginal Employment Strategy, Barring Djinang (2017-22). This target was not met by 2022 but an opportunity exists to refresh the strategy and ambition by 2030. The target is double the estimated 1% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in Victoria.
18	Equality in Diversity	Representation	Melbourne’s diversity is represented in its institutions, enabling people in Melbourne to have equal opportunity to fulfil their potential without fear of harm	Proportion of the overall public sector workforce in Victoria identifying as having a cultural background from non-main English-speaking countries	Over 30%	16.9%	2022 People Matters Survey: Cultural diversity, Victorian State Government, April 2023	2022	Victoria-wide (inclusive of state and local governments)	High	High	Annual	High	The annual People Matters survey administered across the public service in Victoria captures demographic data on state and local-level employees. The large sample size provides a meaningful representation of the make-up of the public service and the extent to which it is reflective of the broader population. Respondents are not required to provide demographic information; those who do choose to disclose this information are assumed to be comfortable enough in their workplace to share these details. As such, any under-reporting on representation of specific demographic groups is part of an understanding of workplace inclusion. While this data does not represent all workforce representation, understanding the diversity through this lens is important because decision-making (policy, investment) that occurs in the public sector inherently impacts the entire population across the city. The definition of multiculturalism as people who identify as having a cultural background from non-main English-speaking countries (NMESC) within the People Matters Survey and and the Victorian population align with the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) Diversity and Inclusion Framework 2022-27.	The target for public service employment of people identifying with NMESC backgrounds moves towards the population rate of 39.6% but does not anticipate reaching this rate of representation by 2030. This approach to target-setting is consistent with public-sector strategies such as the DFFH Diversity and Inclusion Framework 2022-27 (which identifies a 29% target by 2027).
19	Equality in Diversity	Representation	Melbourne’s diversity is represented in its institutions, enabling people in Melbourne to have equal opportunity to fulfil their potential without fear of harm	Proportion of the overall public sector workforce in Victoria identifying as a person with a disability	Over 17%	5.1%	2022 People Matters Survey: Age, disability and education, Victorian State Government, April 2023	2022	Victoria-wide (inclusive of state and local governments)	High	High	Annual	High	The annual People Matters survey administered across the public service in Victoria captures demographic data on state and local-level employees. The large sample size provides a meaningful representation of the make-up of the public service and the extent to which it is reflective of the broader population. Respondents are not required to provide demographic information; those who do choose to disclose this information are assumed to be comfortable enough in their workplace to share these details. As such, any under-reporting on representation of specific demographic groups is part of an understanding of workplace inclusion. While this data does not represent all workforce representation, understanding the diversity through this lens is important because decision-making (policy, investment) that occurs in the public sector inherently impacts the entire population across the city. The definition of disability within the People Matters Survey and and the Victorian population align with the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) Diversity and Inclusion Framework 2022-27.	The target for public service employment of people identifying with a disability aligns with the estimated proportion of the Victorian population with a disability. This approach to target-setting is consistent with public-sector strategies such as the DFFH Diversity and Inclusion Framework 2022-27.
20	Equality in Diversity	Representation	Melbourne’s diversity is represented in its institutions, enabling people in Melbourne to have equal opportunity to fulfil their potential without fear of harm	Proportion of the overall public sector workforce in Victoria identifying as LGBTIQ+	Over 9%	8.9%	2022 People Matters Survey: Gender and sexuality, Victorian State Government, April 2023	2022	Victoria-wide (inclusive of state and local governments)	High	High	Annual	High	The annual People Matters survey administered across the public service in Victoria captures demographic data on state and local-level employees. The large sample size provides a meaningful representation of the make-up of the public service and the extent to which it is reflective of the broader population. Respondents are not required to provide demographic information; those who do choose to disclose this information are assumed to be comfortable enough in their workplace to share these details. As such, any under-reporting on representation of specific demographic groups is part of an understanding of workplace inclusion. While this data does not represent all workforce representation, understanding the diversity through this lens is important because decision-making (policy, investment) that occurs in the public sector inherently impacts the entire population across the city. The definition of LGBTIQ+ within the People Matters Survey and and the Victorian population align with the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) Diversity and Inclusion Framework 2022-27.	The target for public service employment of people identifying as LGBTIQ+ aims to maintain current levels, which currently exceed the estimated proportion of the Victorian population identifying as LGBTIQ+. This approach to target-setting is consistent with public-sector strategies such as the DFFH Diversity and Inclusion Framework 2022-27.
21	Equality in Diversity	Representation	Melbourne’s diversity is represented in its institutions, enabling people in Melbourne to have equal opportunity to fulfil their potential without fear of harm	Proportion of the overall public sector workforce in Victoria age 15-24 and 65+	Over 17.9%	10.1%	2022 People Matters Survey: Age, disability and education, Victorian State Government, April 2023	2022	Victoria-wide (inclusive of state and local governments)	High	High	Annual	High	The annual People Matters survey administered across the public service in Victoria captures demographic data on state and local-level employees. The large sample size provides a meaningful representation of the make-up of the public service and the extent to which it is reflective of the broader population. Respondents are not required to provide demographic information; those who do choose to disclose this information are assumed to be comfortable enough in their workplace to share these details. As such, any under-reporting on representation of specific demographic groups is part of an understanding of workplace inclusion. While this data does not represent all workforce representation, understanding the diversity through this lens is important because decision-making (policy, investment) that occurs in the public sector inherently impacts the entire population across the city. Young people (15-24) and older people (65+ but before retirement) are considered to be under-represented age groups and have been grouped for measurement purposes.	The target for public service employment of younger and older people aligns with the proportion of the Victorian population in these age groups. This approach to target-setting is consistent with public-sector strategies such as the DFFH Diversity and Inclusion Framework 2022-27.
22	Equality in Diversity	Celebration	Celebration of Melbourne’s diversity is embedded in public life in the city	Proportion of people who report that multiculturalism makes life better in their area	Over 90%	88.2%	2020 Victorian Population Health Survey, Victorian Agency for Health Information, February 2022	2020	Greater Melbourne (VPHS-defined areas)	High	High	Annual	Medium	The Victorian Population Health Survey asks participants whether they believe that multiculturalism makes life better in their area. Possible responses to this survey question include, 'Never, or not often,' 'Sometimes' or 'Yes, definitely.' This subjective metric helps to gauge tolerance, acceptance and support for multiculturalism in Greater Melbourne.	Ideally, no one in our city would present negative feelings about the value of diverse contributions to our society. We acknowledge, though, that we are unlikely to achieve full societal agreement on this topic by 2030.
23	Equality in Diversity	Celebration	Celebration of Melbourne’s diversity is embedded in public life in the city	Proportion of central city events sponsored by the City of Melbourne that celebrate Melbourne's diverse population	Over 50%	57.8%	Event Partnership Program 2024 Recipients, City of Melbourne, 2023	2024	City of Melbourne	High	High	Annual	Medium	The City of Melbourne publicly reports sponsorship recipients from its annual Event Partnership Program. While this dataset focuses on one LGA, as the 'capital city' in Greater Melbourne, the City of Melbourne plays a symbolic and practical role as the host of large events and cultural gatherings. Measuring the council's support for large events that showcase Greater Melbourne's diversity provides a sense of how visible and celebrated our diverse population is in our city.	Our diverse population is a defining part of Melbourne's identity. As a result, we expect that at least half of large public events receiving sponsorship from the City of Melbourne would celebrate this.
24	Equality in Diversity	Celebration	Celebration of Melbourne’s diversity is embedded in public life in the city	Proportion of people living in local government areas that have adopted or are developing Reconciliation Action Plans or reconciliation strategies or commitments	100%	99.0%	Individual Greater Melbourne council websites, accessed October 2023	2023	Greater Melbourne (32 LGAs)	Medium (some RAPs past their active date)	High	N/A (manually collected)	Medium	Council development of Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) or similar strategies or commitment statements speak to local governments' engagement with the Traditional Owners and Elders in their areas. While most councils have developed RAPs following Reconciliation Australia's framework, we are also including councils that have developed strategies or commitment statements outside of this structure to reflect their shared intent. The indicator includes all councils that have previously developed a RAP (including some that are now past their active date) or currently have their first RAP in progress. We have not differentiated among levels of RAPs (e.g., Reflect or Innovate levels). At this point in time, we consider all forms of RAP and related strategy or statement to speak to councils' commitment to beginning or progressing a reconciliation journey.	Nearly all councils have current or previous RAPs or related strategies or statements committing to reconciliation and partnership with Traditional Owners. In line with our need to heal and reconnect with Country and each other, it is important for all councils to establish a formal RAP. Any alternatives to this should be agreed with local Elders and Traditional Owner groups.
25	Food	Production	Food made and consumed in Melbourne is sustainably produced and protects the rights of all those contributing to what we eat	No suitable indicator identified yet	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A		N/A	N/A	No data identified	This outcome speaks to the extent to which the food production system in and serving Greater Melbourne supports the wellbeing of all beings. This relates to elements of the Ecological Ceiling, but extends beyond impacts on land and nature to include working conditions and the ways in which the food produced impacts on human health. No suitable indicators or datasets have yet been identified that speak to this meaningfully. Options for indicators that we considered include food miles for a basket of groceries, the share of the food market held by organic products, the proportion of food consumed in Greater Melbourne that can be produced locally and the proportion of agriculture that can be considered regenerative. None of these indicators were selected, in part because of limitations to available data and in part because they are not fully resolved or agreed across the sector (e.g., prioritisation of local vs. organic). We will continue to explore options for securing suitable data or pursuring new data to be collected to address this outcome.	N/A
26	Food	Consumption	Everyone has secure access to sufficient, affordable, nutritious and culturally-appropriate food	Proportion of households experiencing severe food insecurity	0%	21%	Foodbank Hunger Report 2023, Foodbank, 2023	2023	Victoria	High	High	Annual	Medium	The annual Foodbank Hunger Report tracks levels of food security experienced by households, including 'Highly food secure,' 'Marginally food secure,' 'Moderately food insecure' and 'Severely food insecure.' Severe food insecurity means that households have experienced reduced or compromised quality, quantity and adequacy of food for financial reasons. This contributes to both poor physical health and mental stress. This acute challenge is the most critical food consumption issue to address.	No one should go hungry in Greater Melbourne. We have the financial resources, food supplies, knowledge and systems to ensure that no one experiences severe food insecurity.
27	Food	Circularity	Production and consumption of food products contribute to a circular economy and minimised waste	Volume of food waste produced per capita per year	Under 156 kg	312 kg	National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study: Can we halve Australia's food waste by 2030?, Food Innovation Australia Limited and Stop Food Waste Australia, 2021	2021	Australia	High	High	This number is baseline, but assume regular (~annual) collection will occur between now and 2030 to assess progress	Medium	Food waste is tracked along the entire value chain, from farms to household fridges. Food waste, 70% of which is edible, generates negative environmental, economic and social impacts, making tackling this issue central to creating a circular food system.	The Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre (FIAL)’s National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study has identified that it is possible to halve Australia’s food waste by 2030.
28	Health	Wellness	Melbourne’s built, natural and social environments support residents to live physically and mentally healthy lives	Proportion of people reporting that they have two or more chronic diseases	Under 15%	19.3%	2020 Victorian Population Health Survey, Victorian Agency for Health Information, February 2022	2020	Greater Melbourne (VPHS-defined areas)	High	High	Annual	Medium	The Victorian Population Health Survey (VPHS) reports on the prevalence of multimorbidity, which refers to an individual having two or more chronic diseases. Chronic disease is often a function of social and physical environmental determinants and impacts on individuals day-to-day experiences and ability to function effectively within society. Multimorbidity refers to more acute challenges resulting from chronic disease because it increases the likelihood that individuals will have complex health challenges, experience a lower quality of life and place a higher burden on the health system.	In an ideal society, multimorbidity would be eliminated by addressing key health determinants in Greater Melbourne and increasing emphasis on preventative health and wellbeing practices. Given the structural complexity of the issue, however, we do not assume that multimorbidity will be eliminated by 2030. We do expect that levels can decline through systemic policy and investment measures that meaningfully prioritise public health and wellbeing, such as through investment in infrastructure that facilitates physical activity.
29	Health	Wellness	Melbourne’s built, natural and social environments support residents to live physically and mentally healthy lives	Proportion of people reporting very high levels of psychological distress	Under 5%	8.4%	2020 Victorian Population Health Survey, Victorian Agency for Health Information, February 2022	2020	Greater Melbourne (VPHS-defined areas)	High	High	Annual	Medium	The Victorian Population Health Survey (VPHS) captures mental health data using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), which is often used as a screening tool to help determine if a person requires mental health support or treatment. A score above 30 ('Very high' in the VPHS data) indicates the likelihood of a severe mental disorder. Mental health is a function of social and physical environmental determinants and impacts on individuals day-to-day experiences and ability to function effectively within society.	We are measuring the highest level of psychological distress, which would, in an ideal society, be eliminated by addressing key health determinants in Greater Melbourne and ensuring that individuals can access support and care before their mental health declines to such a significant extent. Given the structural complexity of the issue, however, we do not assume that severe mental disorders will be eliminated by 2030. We do expect that levels of very high psychological distress can decline by then. This is due in part to mental health impacts of COVID-19 lockdowns in Melbourne diminishing over time, but it also requires sustained attention on mental health and its drivers.
30	Health	Wellness	Melbourne’s built, natural and social environments support residents to live physically and mentally healthy lives	Proportion of people self-reporting that their health is poor	Under 1%	5.4%	2020 Victorian Population Health Survey, Victorian Agency for Health Information, February 2022	2020	Greater Melbourne (VPHS-defined areas)	High	High	Annual	Medium	The Victorian Population Health Survey (VPHS) asks participants to report on how they feel overall. Possible responses include 'Excellent,' 'Very good,' 'Good,' 'Fair' and 'Poor;' the results from this question are age-standardised. How we feel about our overall health provides a valuable complement to more objective quantitative data and may also in turn influence day-to-day decision-making about preventative and responsive self-care. This measure is similar to, but more specific than, the Federal Measuring What Matters 'Overall life satisfaction' indicator.	With the exception of people facing serious illness due to uncontrollable factors, no one in Greater Melbourne should reach a point of reporting poor health. We have the financial resources, knowledge and capabilities to create physical and social environments that facilitate good health and wellbeing.
31	Health	Care	Everyone in Melbourne can access high-quality integrated health services throughout their lives	Proportion of people who at least once delayed or did not see a GP when needed due to cost	0%	3.1%	Patient Experiences in Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics, November 2022 release	2021-22	Major cities of Australia	High	High	Annual	Medium	The ABS tracks patient experiences in the health system, including a subjective measure of people who delayed or declined a visit to a General Practitioner when it was needed due to cost. In Greater Melbourne, we have a strong public healthcare system with provisions to provide care to people of all income levels, but patient costs for basic care have risen over time and therefore represent a barrier to access. Patients failing to receive care in a timely manner may end up with worsening conditions that, over time, present greater challenges to themselves and a greater burden on the health system. This indicator is tracked in the Federal Measuring What Matters dashboard under the Healthy theme.	No one should avoid seeking basic health care because of cost. In Greater Melbourne, we have the resources to ensure that everyone can receive the care that they require.
32	Health	Care	Everyone in Melbourne can access high-quality integrated health services throughout their lives	Proportion of people waiting longer than they felt acceptable for a GP appointment	Under 10%	21.6%	Patient Experiences in Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics, November 2022 release	2021-22	Major cities of Australia	High	High	Annual	Medium	The ABS tracks patient experiences in the health system, including a subjective measure of whether people have experienced longer-than-acceptable wait times to see a General Practitioner. In Greater Melbourne, we have a strong public healthcare system, but timely access to basic healthcare can be challenged when demand on GPs exceeds their capacity. Individuals unable to secure GP appointments may resort to more cost-intensive care, such as visiting a hospital emergency department, suggesting that greater access to GPs can minimise pressure on the system as a whole. This indicator is tracked in the Federal Measuring What Matters dashboard under the Healthy theme.	Reducing GP wait times to acceptable levels is important to achieving truly universal healthcare access in Greater Melbourne and ensuring that health needs are met in a timely manner. Building capacity of the health system takes time, however, which means that this barrier to access is unlikely to be fully resolved by 2030. Likewise, full satisfaction on this indicator may never be possible given its subjective nature.
33	Housing	Security	Everyone in Melbourne has access to affordable and safe housing with secure tenure	Proportion of people who are homeless or living in severely overcrowded or insufficient accommodation	0%	0.5%	Homelessness - profile of homeless persons, based on 2021 Census of Population and Housing, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021	2021	Greater Melbourne (32 LGAs)	High	High	Every 5 years	Medium	The Census reports the number of people with insufficient housing, inclusive of: improvised dwellings, tents or sleeping out; supported accommodation for the homeless; staying temporarily with other households; boarding houses and other temporary lodgings; severely overcrowded dwellings; marginal housing in caravan parks; and other improvised dwellings. These are the most precarious and visible forms of housing insecurity that require the most urgent action.	No one should be without stable accommodation in Greater Melbourne. We have the financial resources, built infrastructure, knowledge and systems to ensure that no one experiences the most severe forms of housing insecurity.
34	Housing	Security	Everyone in Melbourne has access to affordable and safe housing with secure tenure	Proportion of households that are both low-income (lowest 40% of income) and facing rental or mortgage stress	Under 2%	12.5%	Social Health Atlases of Australia: Victorian LGA Workbook, Public Health Information Development Unit (PHIDU) at Torrens University, September 2023 release	2021	Greater Melbourne (32 LGAs)	High	High	Every 5 years	Medium	The ABS combines income and housing cost data from the Census to measure the proportion of low-income households (in the bottom 40% of the income distribution) that are experiencing housing stress (paying more than 30% of income on mortgage payments or rent). This common measurement assumes that households in higher income brackets have choice in the housing market, have that they have selected to pay a higher proportion of their income on rent or ownership and that in absolute terms they have enough income remaining after housing costs to pay for other living expenses. We have adjusted this measure to reflect rates of housing stress relative to the whole population. This provides an indicator of the extent to which housing cost pressures are creating instability across Greater Melbourne and putting households at risk of losing secure housing. It is likely that the current value has increased since 2021 based on interest rate increases in 2022-23.	Housing affordability is a significant and complex challenge, but it is one that can be solved with the collective knowledge and resources available in Greater Melbourne. While we expect that it is possible to eliminate housing stress over the long term and that meaningful progress can be made in the coming years, we do not anticipate that this will be fully resolved by 2030.
35	Housing	Design	Melbourne’s housing stock is designed to be healthy and resilient for residents and the environment	Proportion of existing Class 1 dwellings below 2 NatHERS stars	Under 50%	65.2%	Energy Ratings Dashboards, CSIRO, September 2023	2016-2023	Victoria	High	Low quality due to limited sample of existing homes	Continuous	Low	CSIRO tracks the star ratings of new and existing homes that have secured NatHERS ratings since 2016. We are measuring the star ratings of existing Class 1 dwellings (freestanding or semi-detached homes) because the majority of homes in Greater Melbourne were built prior to the establishment of more stringent (or any) energy efficiency standards. While data is available at the LGA and postcode level, the current indicator is tracking Victorian-level data due to the fragmentation of the data at these localised scales that would be required to generate a Greater Melbourne view. The accuracy of this dataset is also constrained by the voluntary nature of home assessments that establish NatHERS scores. Nonetheless, this data provides an indicator of the quality of our housing stock, including its environmental performance and ability to support resident health and comfort.	Safe, healthy and energy efficient homes are necessary to support human and environmental wellbeing and resilience to the effects of climate change. Retrofitting homes to improve their performance is increasingly a policy priority for state and federal governments, with an emphasis on vulnerable households. This target aligns with RACE for 2030's ambition to retrofit one million homes across Australia by 2030, apportioning approximately 20% of that total to Greater Melbourne in line with the proportion of Class 1 dwellings that exist in the city relative to the national total.
36	Housing	Amenity & Connection	Melbourne’s housing, and the neighbourhoods in which it exists, enable residents to meet daily needs and contribute to building social connection	Proportion of people living in suburbs with a Social Infrastructure Index score of 12 out of 16	Over 50%	5.9%	Australian Urban Observatory, 2021	2018	Greater Melbourne (32 LGAs)	Medium	High	Every 5 years (at a minimum)	Medium	The Australian Urban Observatory (AUO) has developed a Social Infrastructure Index that measures appropriate proximity to up to 16 types of social infrastructure across Greater Melbourne. The indicator included here captures how many people live within a generally accepted distance to all types of destinations including in the Index. The AUO has identified that this full mix of social infrastructure types is important to achieve. Social infrastructure includes places that enable residents to meet their daily needs and contribute to social cohesion, making this a relevant measure of amenity and connection associated with Greater Melbourne's housing and neighbourhoods.	Access to social infrastructure is important for people to be able to meet daily needs and participate socially where they live. Greater Melbourne's spatial patterns have locked in limited access to social infrastructure in some parts of the city. This means that significant investment is required to substantially lift the city's performance on this indicator. Planning policy and development should facilitate increased access to social infrastructure at a rapid pace, but a complete shift from current spatial outcomes will take time.
37	Income & Work	Sufficiency	Everyone has sufficient income to live a good life in Melbourne	Poverty rate (VCOSS from census data)	0%	13.3%	Mapping poverty in Victoria: 2023 VCOSS Insights Report, Victorian Council of Social Service, August 2023	2021	Greater Melbourne (ABS 2021 boundary)	High	High	Every 5 years	Medium	The Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) works with the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) every five years to develop a localised breakdown of poverty drawing on census data. The poverty threshold is based on 50% of median income in each locality; this is then adjusted for housing costs to identify a post-tax disposable income level for different household types and sizes. Poverty rates provide a valuable measure for understanding the proportion of households facing disproportionate and significant cost of living pressures. The rate noted here is likely to have increased since the underlying data was collected in 2021 due to an increase in housing costs from mortgage interest rate increases.	We are targeting zero poverty by 2030 based on localised alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 1 (No Poverty) and VCOSS's position that poverty is a policy decision, as was demonstrated through COVID-19 supports that significantly reduced poverty across a range of demographic groups.
38	Income & Work	Sufficiency	Everyone has sufficient income to live a good life in Melbourne	Poverty rate (HILDA survey data)	0%	9.8%	Wave 21, Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, accessed October 2023	2021-22	Greater Melbourne (ABS 2021 boundary)	High	High	Annual	High	The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey is undertaken each year across Australia and provides a range of measures on household and individual financial wellbeing and engagement in the economy. Recent waves of the survey have included analysis of poverty rates before and after housing costs; we have shown here a poverty rate before housing costs, which applies a similar methodology otherwise to the NATSEM analysis. Poverty rates provide a valuable measure for understanding the proportion of households facing disproportionate and significant cost of living pressures. Two poverty rate calculations are shown to illustrate that multiple methodologies are commonly applied and can result in differing outcomes.	We are targeting zero poverty by 2030 based on localised alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 1 (No Poverty) and VCOSS's position that poverty is a policy decision, as was demonstrated through COVID-19 supports that significantly reduced poverty across a range of demographic groups.
39	Income & Work	Sufficiency	Everyone has sufficient income to live a good life in Melbourne	Proportion of households unable to raise $2,000 in a week for something important	0%	16.7%	Survey of Income and Housing, Australian Bureau of Statistics, April 2022 release	2019-20	Victoria	High	High	Every 2 years	Medium	The ABS tracks financial wellbeing indicators through a biannual household survey, which asks participants about their ability to secure $2,000 on short notice in the case of a financial emergency. This metric is a useful complement to the income-based poverty rate. It is a way to capture financial wellbeing related to wealth and social connectivity, as households may be able to source these funds from savings or from relatives or friends. This indicator is tracked in the Federal Measuring What Matters dashboard under the Secure theme.	The structural factors that create income and wealth disparities in Greater Melbourne can be addressed through policy. Alongside these, opportunities exist to strengthen social ties as an alternative pathway to accessing emergency funds when required. These changes are within reach, if the will exists, by 2030.
40	Income & Work	Purpose	Everyone has access to work that matters, values their capabilities and is safe for themselves and the environment	Proportion of working-age people unemployed or underemployed	Under 4%	8.3%	Wave 21, Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, accessed October 2023	2021-22	Greater Melbourne (ABS 2021 boundary)	High	High	Annual	High	The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey is undertaken each year across Australia and provides a range of measures on household and individual financial wellbeing and engagement in the economy. Unemployment and underemployment represent the proportion of respondents who are unemployed and looking for full-time or part-time work, or not in the labour force but marginally attached. This metric is a stronger representation of insufficient access to purposeful employment than unemployment alone.	The definition of 'full employment' for a stable economy is often - and currently - debated. Ahead of the Federal Treasury's anticipated establishment of a targeted full employment rate, the Economic Society of Australia polled 51 leading, peer-selected economists to propose a suitable goal. This group converged on a rate of 3.75%. The target of 4% here is higher than this to account for underemployment.
41	Income & Work	Purpose	Everyone has access to work that matters, values their capabilities and is safe for themselves and the environment	Proportion of people reporting overall job satisfaction of at least 7 on a 10-point scale	Over 90%	79.1%	Wave 21, Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, accessed October 2023	2021-22	Greater Melbourne (ABS 2021 boundary)	Medium (does not include all purpose-related elements)	High	Annual	Medium	The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey is undertaken each year across Australia and provides a range of measures on household and individual financial wellbeing and engagement in the economy. This includes data on job satisfaction, with an overall rating on a 10-point scale that covers pay, job security, hours and flexibility to balance work and non-work priorities. This is complemented by a set of job quality measures that provide additional purpose-related points but are less able to be aggregated. This rating nonetheless provides an indicator of the nature of work beyond just its ability to provide income.	Job satisfaction is generally high, but opportunities to further improve on the set of factors that contribute to overall satisfaction exist. We would never anticipate that everyone is satisfied with their work all of the time, which is why a 100% target has not been proposed.
42	Mobility	Functionality	Everyone has safe, reliable and frequent active, public and shared transport options close to their homes to meet daily needs	Proportion of residences within 400m of regular public transport	Over 70%	48%%	Liveability Report for Melbourne, Australian Urban Observatory, 2020	2018	Greater Melbourne (ABS 2016 boundary)	High	High	Updated every 5 years at a minimum	Medium	The Australian Urban Observatory (AUO) maps residential proximity to regular public transport, defined as bus, train and tram stops within 400m via walking paths at an average service interval of no more than 30 minutes between the weekday hours of 7am and 7pm. This level of service is generally considered by policy standards to make public transport a practical, functional option for individuals to reasonably rely on for day-to-day use.	A significant shift in public transport service provision is desirable to increase the network's functionality across Greater Melbourne. Current policy frameworks suggest greater investment in public transport in the coming years (both in new and established parts of the city), and the Climate Council has recently advocated for a significant increase in funding to strengthen public transport provision. While the expense of rail-based infrastructure (trains, trams) is substantial, more effetcive and strategic alginment of bus routes offers a more flexible, lower-cost option for improving the network's functionality by 2030. The proposed target would put Melbourne ahead of Greater Sydney currently, where 61% of residences are within 400m of regular PT.
43	Mobility	Equity	Transport systems and networks are affordable and accessible, catering to all ages and abilities	Proportion of tram services inaccessible to people with mobility restrictions	Under 10%	85%	Accessibility of Tram Services, Victorian Auditor General's Office, October 2020	2018-19	Greater Melbourne (tram network)	Medium (does not include all travel modes or forms of accessibility)	Medium	Periodic enough to track compliance	Medium	The Victorian Auditor General's Office gathers periodic data on accessibility of tram services, defined as low-floor trams departing from level-access stops, to monitor compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act and Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport. While physical accessibility of trams is not the only design factor to consider in relation to universal access of transport, it is key to facilitating equitable transport options in Melbourne.	Compliance with relevant policies requires 100% accessibility of tram infrastructure by 2022 (already not met) and 100% conversion to low-floor trams by 2032. Significant progress towards these targets by 2030 is important for meeting the needs of all residents across the city.
44	Mobility	Sustainability	Melbourne’s transport system is economically viable and supports human and environmental health	Proportion of total trips per year using public, active or other non-private-vehicle transport modes	Over 50%	26.0%	Victorian Integrated Survey of Travel and Activity, Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, February 2023	2020	Greater Melbourne (31 LGAs)	High	High	Every 2 years (2022 results to be published in 2024)	Medium	The Victorian Integrated Survey of Travel and Activity (VISTA) tracks trips by mode in Greater Melbourne based on their point (LGA) of origin. This information provides valuable insight into the travel modes chosen by or available to households across the city. We are tracking the share of trips taken by active, public or other modes (i.e., trips not taken in private motor vehicles) to represent the prevalence of options that are healthier and more sustainable economically and environmentally.	Transport is a significant contributor to emissions in Greater Melbourne, and households incur considerable expenses related to car ownership. Increasing non-private-motorised trips is not only critical to achieving emissions reduction targets, but also to improving health and reducing households' cost of living. The Victorian Government has pledged to increase active transport to a 25% mode share by 2030 (over a current rate of ~18%). More boldly, the Climate Council has recently called for re-balancing of investment in transport to enable a mode shift to at least 57% public and active transport (effectively halving the share of car-based trips nationally). We have adopted a 50% target for public and active transport to move towards the Climate Council's ambition but temper it slightly. We suggest that our target is not as ambitious as it ultimately needs to be for climate, health and economic reasons, but is still a stretch in the current context given behavioural preferences and existing infrastructure patterns.
45	Peace & Justice	Safety	Everyone in Melbourne feels safe at all times, both in the physical world and online	Rate of criminal incidents involving crime against a person	Under 700 per 100,000 people	954.7 per 100,000 people	Latest crime data by area, Crime Statistics Agency, June 2023	2022-23	Greater Melbourne (32 LGAs)	High	High	Quarterly	High	The Victorian Government's Crime Statistics Agency captures detailed data on various types of crimes. This indicator focuses on criminal incidents for crimes against the person (homocide; assault; sexual offences; abduction; robbery; blackmail and extortion; stalking, harrassmentat and threatening behaviour; dangerous and negligent acts endangering people; and offenses related to each of these), as we consider these to be the most serious forms of crime. While not all incidents are reported, the extent and mix of crimes against people that are captured as incidents are important to understand in relation to safety in Greater Melbourne.	This target has been set based on a review of pre-COVID-19 rates of crime against the person and the objectives of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032. In the five years before COVID-19 (years ending 2014-2019), the crime rate was approximately 930 crimes against the person per 100,000 population; the rate has increased slightly since then. Consistently over time, just over 50% of these types of criminal incidents relate to family violence or gender-based violence. We have proposed a 50% reduction in family and gender-based violence through 2030, a conservative goal relative to the National Plan. This translates to a 25% reduction in the overall rate of crimes against the person, bringing the pre-COVID-19 rate from 930 to approximately 700 criminal offences per 100,000 people.
46	Peace & Justice	Safety	Everyone in Melbourne feels safe at all times, both in the physical world and online	Proportion of people who report feeling unsafe walking alone in their local area at night	Under 10%	42.8%	VicHealth Indicator surveys and individual LGA surveys	Variable (2015-23)	Greater Melbourne (32 LGAs)	High	High	Future timelines / regularity of data collection unclear	Medium	Individual councils and VicHealth have previously conducted LGA-level surveys of residents on a range of wellbeing measures, including feelings of safety walking alone at night. This indicator provides a good sense of how safe people feel in their local neighbourhoods, which may be different from actual crime rates but is also important to understand and address.	It is important to take action to reduce actual and perceived safety risk in local neighbourhoods, but we cannot expect that all people will always feel comfortable walking alone at night by 2030 given the multiple factors that contribute to this consideration.
47	Peace & Justice	Accountability	Melbourne’s institutions, including the justice system, are trustworthy and meet the needs of those who rely on them	Proportion of people who do not trust the police	Under 10%	24.3%	Do we trust our criminal justice system? What Australia Thinks poll, Australian National University Centre for Social Research and Methods, September 2022	2022	Australia	Medium	Medium	One-off study	Low	The Australian National University conducts periodic polls on key social issues and have featured public opinion on trust in the criminal justice system. While this data draws on a one-off study, the subjective nature of it is useful for considering the extent to which people believe in the police as a public institution whose purpose is designed to promote a sense of safety.	Ideally, the approach to policing focuses predominantly on care support for community, but it also has an inbuilt adversarial nature to it. We acknowledge, therefore, that we are unlikely to achieve full societal agreement on this topic by 2030.
48	Peace & Justice	Accountability	Melbourne’s institutions, including the justice system, are trustworthy and meet the needs of those who rely on them	Proportion of people rating local government overall performance as 'Poor' or 'Very poor'	Under 10%	9%	2022 Victorian Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey, Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions and JWS Research, 2022	2022	Greater Melbourne (16 participating councils)	Medium	High	Annual	Medium	The 'overall performance' indicator from the Victorian Community Satisfaction Survey asks how well councils performed on ‘All responsibility areas’ over a 12-month period. To some extent, this speaks to how well residents believe local councils are meeting community needs and remaining accountable to their duties.	In this survey, possible responses are 'Very good', 'Good', 'Average', 'Poor' and 'Very poor.' We assume that anyone rating their council as 'Poor' and 'Very poor' on this point has strong feelings that councils are not adhering to their responsibilities. These feelings may arise for many different reasons, and it is unreasonable to expect universal satisfaction with local government performance. As a result, we have set a 10% 'dissatisfaction' target.
49	Political Voice	Agency	Everyone, including nature, has equitable influence over decisions that affect their lives	Proportion of people rating local government performance on community consultation and engagement as 'Poor' or 'Very poor'	Under 10%	17%	2022 Victorian Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey, Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions and JWS Research, 2022	2022	Greater Melbourne (16 participating councils)	Medium	High	Annual	Medium	The 'community consultation and engagement' indicator from the Victorian Community Satisfaction Survey asks how well councils performed on this area over a 12-month period. To some extent, this speaks to how well residents believe they have agency in the local-level decisions that impact their lives.	In this survey, possible responses are 'Very good', 'Good', 'Average', 'Poor' and 'Very poor.' We assume that anyone rating their council as 'Poor' and 'Very poor' on this point has strong feelings that they are not able to effectively inform decisions impacting their lives. These feelings may arise for many different reasons, and it is unreasonable to expect universal satisfaction with local government on this front. As a result, we have set a 10% 'dissatisfaction' target.
50	Political Voice	Participation	Public engagement and decision-making are relevant, participatory and accessible for all	Voter turnout in local government elections	Over 85%	78.9%	2020 council election results, Victorian Electoral Commission, 2020	2020	Greater Melbourne (32 LGAs)	Medium	High	Every 4 years (election cycle)	Medium	The Victorian Electoral Commission reports on voter turnout in local government elections (voting is only mandatory in the City of Melbourne). We consider participation of residents in engagement and decision-making processes to extend well beyond elections (e.g., public consultations, council meetings, etc.), and multiple forms of participation should be seen as relevant and accessible to residents. Measuring the extent, accessibility and relevance of broader participation is currently challenging, however. As a proxy, we have chosen council election voter turnout as a measure of participation since it suggests the extent to which voters feel that selecting their councillors is a valuable means of public participation.	Because voting in local government elections is not mandatory, we can never expect to achieve 100% turnout. A target of 85% turnout has been identified to bring participation closer to current rates for state government elections (in the 2022 Victorian Government election, 87% of enroled voters participated).
51	Political Voice	Trust	Residents have a high level of trust in the city’s democratic structures	Edelman Trust Barometer index score	Over 60 (100-point scale)	48	2023 Edelman Trust Barometer Global Report, Edelman, 2023	2022	Australia	High	High	Annual	Medium	The Edelman Trust Barometer is an annual index that assesses trust in public and private institutions across nations globally. It is structured on a 100-point scale: Distrust (1-49), Neutral (50-59) and Trust (60-100). This indicator is topically relevant, though it only looks at Australia as a whole. Nuanced measures of trust at a localised level are not readily available.	A minimum score of 60 would move Australia into the 'Trust' range of the index, above its current position close to the top of the 'Distrust' range.
52	Social Equity	Distribution	Everyone is able to access and benefit from the city’s assets and strengths	Proportion of people living in local government areas with a Gini coefficient greater than 0.5	0%	25.4%	Personal Income in Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics, November 2022 release	2019-2020	Greater Melbourne (32 LGAs)	High	High	Annual	Medium	The Gini coefficient measures inequality of incomes in a particular population, with a value of 0 indicating perfect equality among all income earners and a value of 1 indicating high levels of inequality. A lower Gini coefficient is a common indicator of social equity, since income level is a determinant of the opportunities available to individuals or households. In addition, while income equality does not infer population homogeneity, it can contribute to greater levels of social cohesion. At a local government level, it may also help to create a more unified, cohesive backdrop for policies and local investment that are to meet the needs of a greater proportion of residents.	A Gini coefficient greater than 0.5 indicates that a place is more unequal than it is equal. At a local government level, we are targeting lower Gini coefficients and therefore higher levels of income equality.
53	Water	Availability	Everyone in Melbourne has enough safe, fit-for-purpose water to meet personal and household needs	Complaints to water businesses per year	Under 1 per 100 customers	0.73 per 100 customers	Water Performance Report 2021-22, Essential Services Commission, February 2023	2021-22	Greater Melbourne (service areas of Greater Western Water, Yarra Valley Water, South East Water)	High	High	Annual	High	The Essential Services Commission reports on complaints made to water retailers as part of overall sector performance; these complaints cover issues related to water quality, water supply reliability, sewerage service quality / reliability, payment, flow rate / water pressure, sewage odour and other matters. In Greater Melbourne, our physical water and sanitation infrastructure is well-established, so access to water is more suitable to represent in part in terms of service quality and consistency. Complaints are assumed to generally refer to instances where service is compromised to an extent that attention is required from retailers. This offers a context-appropriate indicator that is one way of representing availability of water.	While we expect water and sanitation service provision to be very strong in Melbourne, we do not anticipate a scenario without any complaints to retailers and are therefore targeting a low level of complaints.
54	Water	Availability	Everyone in Melbourne has enough safe, fit-for-purpose water to meet personal and household needs	Proportion of residential customers receiving hardship grants from water retailers	0%	0.5%	Water Performance Report 2021-22, Essential Services Commission, February 2023	2021-22	Greater Melbourne (service areas of Greater Western Water, Yarra Valley Water, South East Water)	High	High	Annual	High	Households facing significant cost pressures can apply to their water retailers for financial hardship grants; such support is tracked regularly by the Essential Services Commission. In Greater Melbourne, our physical water and sanitation infrastructure is well-established, so access to water is more suitable to represent in part in financial terms. Measuring the proportion of households that have formally received water hardship assistance does not represent all people facing water utility cost pressures. It does, however, capture those households facing serious enough challenges to make the effort to contact their providers and seek support. This is one way of representing limited access to water.	We assume that anyone seeking financial support from their retailer is already taking action to reduce water use, and therefore is likely to be at risk of being unable to afford sufficient water to meet basic needs. No one should experience a level of water cost pressure that requires support for this basic service.
55	Water	Value	Melbourne’s waterways are respected and celebrated for the cultural, ecological and social value they provide	No suitable indicator identified yet	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A		N/A	N/A	No data identified	This outcome speaks to the extent to which the people of Greater Melbourne value and respect our local waterways for the multiple social and ecologial benefits they provide. This extends beyond the extractive value related to water consumption and relates to the cultural values and wellbeing tied to feeling connected to water. Options for indicators that we considered include self-reported data on feelings of connection with local waterways, but datasets providing this information at a reasonable scale or level of quality were not identified. We will continue to explore options for securing suitable data or pursuring new data to be collected to address this outcome.	N/A
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57			Note: Where indicators have been manually calculated as a proportion of total population of Greater Melbourne, LGA population data was sourced from the PHIDU Social Health Atlas of Australia: Victorian LGA Workbook, Estimated Resident Population (ERP) August 2023 release				Social Health Atlases of Australia: Victorian LGA Workbook, Public Health Information Development Unit (PHIDU) at Torrens University, September 2023 release
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