Western Metropolitan Partnership

This project sought to address shortages in the maternal and child health (MCH) workforce and the distinctive service challenges including workforce ageing, high population growth and cultural and linguistic diversity. The project delivered place-based recommendations to strengthen the sustainability and responsiveness of MCH services to meet diverse community needs.

Delivery of this project was led by HealthConsult.

Read the final report: Maternal Child Health Workforce Project.

Moonee Valley City Council delivered a Trees Education Campaign, informed by the Greening the West objectives. The Campaign had both an educational and behaviour-change objective. 10 social media posts were developed to inform residents of the western suburbs on suitable trees to plant in their yards and the benefit of trees for their community.

Read the final report here.

This project engaged Cohealth to support new and emerging communities in Melbourne’s West to improve their mental health and wellbeing through the delivery of co-designed interventions that responded to their priorities and needs.

The project had a direct reach of 2462 people from 3 different refugee communities; the Somali, Chin and Eritrean communities. A bi-cultural worker from each of these communities was employed and upskilled to lead the work. This co-design model ensured the interventions were culturally safe and accessible for these communities and responded directly to their priorities such as mental health literacy, rights education and activities for social connection.

Between July 2021 and June 2022, 21 interventions were delivered through a mix of in-person and online engagement activities. The project also engaged 30 volunteers, 12 local businesses and 8 community organisations to support the bi-cultural workers to deliver their activities.

Read the Bi-cultural Workers Leading Change Final Report.

Since 2017, the Partnership has consistently heard that public transport is a priority for communities in the region. This project provides more equitable access to jobs, health and education, and improves the liveability of the west for locals living with disability.

This project delivered small scale DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) compliance upgrades that were proposed in Stage 2 of the Western Metropolitan Region Integrated Transport Framework (WMRITF). The works included installing tactile ground surface indicators across four local government areas in the region and was completed in partnership with the Department of Transport and local governments.

Read the Western Metropolitan Region Integrated Transport Framework here.

Responding to what the Partnership has consistently heard on the priority of local youth employment, the Partnership endorsed this project to create a placed-based collaborative model that strengthens jobs and skills for local young people.

Conducted by Victoria University in collaboration with Jobsbank and with advice from YLab, the project researched and developed insights and learnings to inform the wider scaling up of an ‘earn and learn’ model. This model refers to partnerships between tertiary education institutions and employers to provide opportunities for people to study while maintaining their employment.

The project engaged 16 employers from Melbourne’s West to identify and understand barriers and opportunities to hiring graduates. Eight of these employers provided letters of endorsements for the project.

Read the Jobs and Training Pathways for Young People in the Western Region - Final Report here.

Building upon the first stage of the Western Metropolitan Region Integrated Transport Framework (WMRITF) undertaken in 2019, this stage of work investigates practical and tangible transport investments that can be made to deliver upon the key areas of focus within five years.

The three key areas of focus identified in the Framework were:

1. Improve station access along railway lines in the region
2. Enhance public transport connectivity and accessibility
3. Complete Strategic Cycling Corridors

Stage 2 of the Framework identifies 22 projects.

Read the reports here:

Western Metropolitan Region Integrated Transport Framework - Stage 1 Report

Western Metropolitan Region Integrated Transport Framework - Stage 2 Report

Appendix A: Project Long List

Appendix B: Project Short List

Among the projects identified was a program of DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) compliance upgrades at stations which are being delivered with funding by the Partnership with its MPDF program in 2021.

The projects identified will assist in delivering social, health, environmental and economic benefits to the region.

We’ve consistently heard in our engagements that transport, transport infrastructure and the connection of services are top priorities for the region. Knowing this, the partnership endorsed MPDF funding for research to better understand the transport issues and opportunities faced by the region.

This project, called the Western Metropolitan Region Integrated Transport Framework Stage 1 (WMRITF) PDF, 8399.09 KB, delivered a mechanism to identify regional transport problems and tactical approaches to address them. The mechanism was designed recognising that users’ door-to-door journeys span across local government areas and state networks and emphasises the importance of working across local boundaries.

The project has delivered a set of sub-regional transport priority outcomes that the six western Councils have agreed to and will work together on.

Three key actions of focus were identified:

1. Improve station access along railway lines in the region
2. Enhance public transport connectivity and accessibility
3. Complete Strategic Cycling Corridors

The Partnership commissioned the Social Procurement in the West research, with accompanying report and implementation roadmap, to analyse the opportunity and potential benefit from coordinating social procurement from the numerous infrastructure projects underway in Western Melbourne.

Projects considered included the new Footscray and Melton hospitals, Airport rail, Suburban Rail Loop and Geelong Fast Rail, in addition to Social Housing investments.

The Social Procurement in the West project proposes a coordinated place-based approach to social procurement from these significant investments.

View the Headline Report: Social Procurement In The West PDF, 3081.92 KB, and the supporting insights PDF, 699.89 KB and resulting roadmap to implementation PDF, 1966.87 KB.

The Western Region Youth Services Integration Strategy and Action Plan (WRYSIP) picks-up previous work by the six local government areas of the West and the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVic) to produce recommendations to support the further development and delivery of a regional strategy for integration of youth services, youth participation, inclusion and engagement across the Western Metropolitan region of Melbourne.

The creation of a regional approach is anticipated to address increasing demand for services and resources as the population of the region grows. Other anticipated outcomes include creating efficiencies by reducing the risk of duplication, increasing local government capacity, and providing guidance to support community sector providers and agencies in delivering programs.

Read the Western Region Youth Services Integration Strategy and Action Plan Project Final Report PDF, 565.07 KB.