Moonee Valley Community Safety Program 2015-20
Contents
Contents
Moonee Valley Community Safety Program 2015-20................................................. 1
Mayor’s Message.................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ............................................................................................................. 4
Our Model ............................................................................................................... 4
Focus areas ............................................................................................................ 5
1. Safe people ........................................................................................................ 6
Objective: support people to be safe and to feel safe in Moonee Valley ............. 6
Priorities .............................................................................................................. 6
Core actions ........................................................................................................ 6
Outcome ............................................................................................................. 7
Measures ............................................................................................................ 7
2. Safe places ......................................................................................................... 8
Objective ............................................................................................................. 8
Priorities .............................................................................................................. 8
Core actions ........................................................................................................ 8
Outcome ............................................................................................................. 9
Measures ............................................................................................................ 9
3. Resilient communities ......................................................................................... 9
Objective: embed frameworks and positively set determinants of safety to
establish and promote Moonee Valley as a safe community .............................. 9
Priorities .............................................................................................................. 9
Core actions ........................................................................................................ 9
Outcome ............................................................................................................. 9
Measures ............................................................................................................ 9
4. Program development and partnership............................................................. 10
Objective: collaborate with stakeholders and work in partnerships to share
responsibility for safety ...................................................................................... 10
Priorities ............................................................................................................ 10
Core actions ...................................................................................................... 10
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Outcome ........................................................................................................... 10
Measures .......................................................................................................... 11
Action planning approach ..................................................................................... 11
Background and issues ........................................................................................ 12
Policy context .................................................................................................... 12
Safety in Moonee Valley - snapshot of data and issues ....................................... 14
Population ......................................................................................................... 14
Technology ....................................................................................................... 15
Activity ............................................................................................................... 15
Environmental ................................................................................................... 15
Program and partnership development................................................................. 15
Evaluation ............................................................................................................. 16
Evaluation and planning cycle ........................................................................... 16
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Mayor’s Message
Living in a safe and secure community is the aspiration of all. People who feel safe in
their homes and neighbourhoods will be mobile and active in community life.
Importantly, they will also have the knowledge and capacity to be safe from injury
and harm and be able to respond to and will be supported in times of emergency.
Safe communities are characterised by connected and vibrant neighbourhoods and
lively and busy public places - the sorts of places that we want to see across
Moonee Valley. Council believes that everyone has the right to be safe and to enjoy
the benefits of living in a safe community. The first Moonee Valley Community Safety
Program in 2011, set a vision to build a safety program based upon the World Health
Organization Safe Community Framework. That vision was realised in 2014 when
Moonee Valley received international accreditation as a Pacific/Australian Safe
Community. The safe community framework embeds the structures, information and
partnerships to promote and support its aims and acknowledges Council as a leader
in community safety.
Our Community Safety Program 2015-20 articulates the aspirations and challenges
of achieving the vision and objectives committed in our Council Plan and the Moonee
Valley Health and Wellbeing Plan. This provides a framework for longer term
planning and action that supports our community to live confidently in safety. I would
like to thank everyone who contributed to the development of the program,
particularly the members of the community safety stakeholder advisory group who
brought a wide range of expertise in relation to crime prevention, injury prevention
and improving perceptions of community safety to the conversation. I endorse our
Community Safety Program 2015-20 on behalf of our community.
Cr Narelle Sharpe
Moonee Valley Mayor
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Introduction
A safe community is a healthy community – an active and vibrant place where
people go about their lives with confidence, and where public places fill with activity
and community life.
Community safety describes the right of all individuals living working or visiting in
Moonee Valley to go about their daily lives without fear or risk of harm or injury.
The key components of safety: crime and injury, are frequently very local in nature
and dictate local perceptions of safety, which critically underpin community
confidence and levels of community activity. Consequently, Local Government is
best placed to respond, advocate and collaborate with stakeholders in strategically
planning for a safer community. Safety underpins the delivery and outcomes of all of
Council services. A core function of the Community Safety Program is to link those
safety outcomes and to make connection with the objectives and programs of other
(external) stakeholders in safety, with a focus on coordination and program
alignment.
Specifically, the Community Safety Program seeks to provide the following important
benefits to the Moonee Valley community:
• To appreciate and celebrate Moonee Valley as a safe community.
• To offer centralised coordination of and direction for community safety activities.
• To support successful community safety activities.
• To develop innovative local responses to community safety issues.
• To strengthen community partnerships with and between people in Moonee Valley;
businesses, residents, students, community groups, Police, other municipalities, and
State Government agencies.
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Our Model
The International Safe Community Model, developed by the World Health
Organization and mirrored in the Pan Pacific Safe Community process, is held as the
gold standard for community safety. Safety programs that are accredited against this
framework have been independently assessed as meeting best-practise.
In October 2014, Moonee Valley was designated as a Pacific/Australian Safe
Community by the Australian Safe Communities Network. This accreditation
recognises that our safety program is in line with the International Safe Community
Model. Across the life of the Community Safety Program 2015-2020, Council will
report annually using the six key criteria of the International Safe Community model,
which will also support maintaining our International accreditation.
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These criteria are:
1. Collaboration and partnership Strategic planning and leadership by a crosssectoral group focused on promoting and improving community safety
2. Program reach Safety programs covering all ages, environments and situations,
which are based both on evidence and the extent to which they use proven or
promising intervention strategies
3. Priority setting Programs that target and promote safety for high risk/vulnerable
groups and environments
4. Data analysis Programs underpinned by collection and analysis of available
safety data (injury, violence, crime and safety perception) for the community and
region and which identify and align action with established national/state/regional
priorities and action plans
5. Evaluation Programs which specify actions for delivery and the expected project
outcomes, and which include mechanisms to measure and analyse these through
the delivery of the project
6. Networks Comprehensive engagement and interaction with local, regional and
national networks and other International Safe Communities
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Focus areas
The Moonee Valley Community Safety Program 2015-2020 identifies four key areas
in which we can impact safety. Closely aligned and at times overlapping, these areas
identify critical objectives for community safety as well as being opportunities where
Council services can produce meaningful and significant safety outcomes. These
key areas have been identified from community consultation, data analysis and
stakeholder input, including consideration of the re-occurring issues raised in
discussions at the Community Safety Stakeholder Forum, an event that Council
facilitates annually.
These are:
1. Safe people Support people to be safe and to feel safe in Moonee Valley
2. Safe places Design, create and maintain places that provide for safe community
activity
3. Resilient Communities Embed frameworks and positively set determinants of
safety to establish and promote Moonee Valley as a safe community
4. Program development and partnership Collaborate with stakeholders and work
in partnerships to share responsibility for safety
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1. Safe people
Objective: support people to be safe and to feel safe in Moonee Valley
Priorities
• Home-based incidents and injury
• Cyber safety and scams
• Healthy, active and safe sports participation
• Violence, especially family violence and drug fuelled violence
• Mental health promotion and suicide prevention
• Alcohol and other drugs
• Bullying
Core actions
1. Maintain the Moonee Valley Household Safety Plan and ensure it is promoted and
widely available
2. Promote awareness of services and approaches that support people experiencing
mental health issues
3. Reduce the incidence of bullying and violence through the identification and
uptake of anti-bullying programs in Moonee Valley
4. Expand knowledge and support to reduce home-based injuries through education
and awareness programs to address emerging or key risks – especially falls, burns,
overdose, risks associated with technology and injuries arising from do-it-yourself
activity
5. Promote awareness of escalating or emerging crime and safety risks including
scams, cyber safety and mobile technologies
6. Promote services and support to victims of crime, injury or family violence
including:
• Family Violence Help Cards updated annually
• White Ribbon and 16 Days of Activism
7. Embed messages of community safety through targeted safety information and
existing programs and events including but not limited to:
• community celebrations (i.e. national awareness weeks / days)
• events (Council’s large scale community events and festivals)
• key projects (i.e. Community Centre programs and program launches)
8. Develop and implement a communications strategy to better promote safety in
Moonee Valley with focus on:
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• reach to key audiences such as seniors, CALD (culturally and linguistically
diverse) communities and young people using a range of media
• partnership – bridging messages from other stakeholders to Moonee Valley
audiences and supporting local media agencies
• promoting and activating safety related policy and programs such as Council’s
Heat Wave Policy, the Community Safety Register and Emergency Recovery
services
Outcome
People in Moonee Valley are supported to be safe with programs and services that
address crime and injury prevention.
Measures
• Rates of crime – disaggregated crime data from Victoria Police and Department
of Justice
• Rates of injury – analysis of injury data from VISU (Victorian Injury Surveillance
Unit), MUARCH (Monash University Accident Research Centre) and VicRoads
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2. Safe places
Objective: design, create and maintain places that provide for safe community
activity
Priorities
• Safety in new development locations
• Apartment based communities and public housing estates
• Street lighting and safe streets
• Shopping centres and business districts including ATMs
• Night time economies and events precincts
• Impacts arising from major projects
• Perceptions of safety and CCTV
• Drug use and syringe disposal
• Road safety
• Safe public transport
Core actions
1. Use safer design guidelines to positively influence safety in new developments
2. Work with key partners to build communication channels, provide targeted safety
information and develop strategies that enhance safety in multi-occupancy buildings
3. Work with Victoria Police, businesses and centre management to maintain safe
shopping precincts through the Moonee Valley Liquor Accord and local safety groups
4. Implement Council’s Road Safety Strategy, and develop and deliver
communication and education strategies to address safety issues and vulnerabilities
5. Ensure that streets and public spaces in Moonee Valley are well lit, well
maintained and safe
6. Develop a Council policy position for the use of CCTV in Moonee Valley
7. Support the local implementation of targeted crime prevention activities
8. Monitor community contacts to Council to identify and respond to place-based
safety issues, and initiate targeted responses to safety hotpot issues including graffiti
or syringe reports
9. Support transport providers to promote safe use of public transport to community
with emphasis on ageing residents
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Outcome
Positive perceptions of safety to assist people to live confidently in Moonee Valley in
ways that enhance community life and business vitality.
Measures
• Perceptions of safety in streets, neighbourhoods and public places ascertained
through the Moonee Valley Insight Survey
3. Resilient communities
Objective: embed frameworks and positively set determinants of safety to
establish and promote Moonee Valley as a safe community
Priorities
• Promote equity and inclusion
• Community approaches to crime prevention
• Emergency recovery
Core actions
1. Take a strategic approach to positively set key determinants for family violence
and bullying by promoting equity, inclusion and cultural diversity in Moonee Valley
2. Develop and promote a Moonee Valley Family Violence/Gender Equity statement
addressing pre-determinants for gendered violence
3. Support broader safety program initiatives to benefit Moonee Valley – in areas
such as crime prevention and liquor and gambling regulation
4. Ensure that the community of Moonee Valley will be supported to recover in the
event of emergency
5. Ensure that people are informed about localised safety risks including natural
disasters
Outcome
Moonee Valley has positive determinants in place for community safety and
emergency recovery
Measures
• Levels of satisfaction and community connection ascertained through the
Moonee Valley Insight Survey
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4. Program development and partnership
Objective: collaborate with stakeholders and work in partnerships to share
responsibility for safety
Priorities
• Information sharing and collaborative action
• Working with community leaders
• Youth engagement
• Identify opportunities in the existing programs of other safety stakeholders
• Advocate for the community of
Moonee Valley
• Data analysis and evaluation
• Participation in networks
Core actions
1. Maintain Moonee Valley’s accreditation as a Pacific/ Australian Safe Community
and build upon the opportunities presented from the Pan Pacific Safe Communities
Network
2. Employ a program development process that engages key and influential
stakeholders, cross-council participation and supports the role of community as a
key partner in safety through the Community Safety Stakeholder Advisory Group and
the internal Community Safety Reference Group
3. Identify opportunities to engage young people and reflect youth issues in the
safety program, including through the annual Community Safety Stakeholder Forum
and other Youth related forums
4. Ensure the safety program is informed by current and relevant crime and injury
data, and maintain a knowledge bank process that identifies issues and provides
information relevant to community safety
5. Employ program logic to measure the safety program’s execution and outcomes
6. Maintain active participation in key safety networks including regional, state and
national mechanisms
7. Advocate for the community of Moonee Valley in matters of safety including
submissions and funding applications
Outcome
Moonee Valley benefits from the capacity and operation of an accredited Community
Safety Program
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Measures
• Annual reports to the Australian Safe Communities Foundation (ASCF):
maintains ASCF Moonee Valley accreditation as a Pacific/ Australian Safe
Community
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The Moonee Valley Community Safety Program 2015-20 identifies key objectives,
operational principles, priority areas for attention, and a framework to embed
structure and rigour into the work of the program. This program is delivered through
annual action plans which identify and resource the specific projects, locations and
work areas that will activate the safety program each year.
The program will include:
Annually
• A Community Safety Action Plan generated in each Council business year; and
• A review of each Action Plan, reporting against the criteria of the Pacific
Australian Safe Communities Framework to evaluate the work undertaken. This
report will also be lodged as the annual report to the Pan Pacific Safe
Communities Network
At conclusion
• A final review at the end of the five-year program which will also form Moonee
Valley’s application for re-accreditation as a Pacific/ Australian Safe Community
Action planning approach
Direction and objectives for safety in Moonee Valley as specified by:
• the Moonee Valley Community Safety Program
• strategic directions from Council Plan and Health Plan
• the International Safe Community Framework
• local, regional and other government priorities
• Input from governance groups and annual Community Safety Forum
• Demographic profile for Moonee Valley drawn from ABS and locally gathered
data
• Safety "Report Card" drawn from analysis of Police crime statistics plus health
and injury data for Moonee Valley
• Evaluation of previous action plan
• Learning from other agencies and networks
Detail actions for the safety program in a specific year based upon:
• program objectives and principles
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• input from governance groups and Community Safety Forum
• research and analysis of demographics and crime and injury profileYears
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Community Safety Program 2015-20
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Background and issues
Policy context
Local
The Moonee Valley Safety Program is informed and directed by a number of key
policy documents that articulate Council’s objectives and strategic direction.
Collectively these policies create the strategic context for the operation of the
program - see table at right. Local Government has specific responsibility for safety
outcomes in areas such as emergency recovery, health regulation, road safety and
occupational health and safety. In addition Council policy and planning can
significantly influence the determinants of safety in our municipality.
• Council policy plays a pivotal role to shape and influence our society in ways that
embed human rights, build tolerance, and promote equality and respect
• Council planning applies safer design guidelines and Crime Prevention Through
Environmental Design (CPTED) to build attractive safe environments.
The Community Safety Program informs, promotes, supports and coordinates the
safety outcomes that arise across the spectrum of Council services.
State
• The Community Safety Program will align with and support local delivery of state
wide safety regulation and programs including: The Victorian Public Health and
Wellbeing Act 2008 identifies Council’s responsibilities in relation health
protection and health and wellbeing planning. Under the Act, councils must also
give regard to the State Public Health and Wellbeing Plan, which is produced
every four years.
• The Department of Justice Community Crime Prevention Program – support
for improved community safety through a number of focus areas including
preventing violence against women, promoting safe infrastructure and reducing the
community impacts of graffiti.3
• Victoria’s Road Safety Strategy 2013-2022 – Victoria’s strategy to reduce
death and injury on our roads, particularly in key areas such as speed, drink
driving, and drug driving. It also creates an approach to improve safety for
vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
• Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004 – An act to eliminate risks in
workplaces, to secure the health, safety and welfare of employees and other
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persons at work, and to ensure that the health and safety of members of the public
is not placed at risk by the activity of work.
• The Victorian Crimes Act 1958 –This act detailing the criminal code in Victoria
includes many subsequent amendments such as the anti-bullying amendment
(Brodie’s Law) added in 2011.
While not a criminal law enforcement agency, Council has specific obligations to
support elements of the Crimes Act and an objective to support its application by
agencies such as Police and Courts within Moonee Valley.
• Planning and Environment Legislation which sets out the framework for
planning the use, development and protection of land in Victoria that informs
Council’s own planning responsibility. Application of Safer Design Guidelines and
CPTED principles to new development in Moonee Valley will be important focus
areas for Council within the timeframe of this program.
• VicHealth – individual and household safety is closely correlated to good health.
The world class programs and promotions of Victoria’s Health Promotion
Foundation (VicHealth) deliver pre-emptive health improvement into day-to-day
places with benefit to all. These programs build protective factors for community
safety, particularly in the area of injury prevention, and have a positive effect of
perceptions of safety.
There is a considerable body of other state government legislation and policy
which prescribe the settings for local government activity in areas such as
transport, heritage, liquor licensing, and gaming regulation. Specific state
government programs can link to and support local safety objectives, such as the
implementation of Protective Service Officers to suburban railway stations from
2013-14. Council operations and the safety program will deliver local action to
support state government policy in areas such as health and safety for seniors,
protection for children and young people, preventing violence against women and
supporting equality and human rights.
Victorian Safe Communities Network – is a forum to support government,
business and community to promote safety strategies which aim to minimise the
impact of unintentional injury, crime, violence and emergency situations for all
Victorians. Council will support and participate in the programs led and coordinated
by this key safety network.
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National
The application of national legislation and policy will impact the operation of this
Community Safety program.
The National Crime Prevention Framework developed in 2012 by the Australian
and New Zealand Crime Prevention Senior Officers’ Group provides guidance by
way of information on best practice to assist with the development of appropriate
policies, strategies and programs to address crime problems.
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The Australian Safe Communities Foundation (ASCF) – is the assessing
authority for Safe Community Accreditation. Council will report annually to the ASCF,
be informed and guided by its feedback, and benefit from foundation membership
through access to resources and information sharing. Similarly, research and
programs from national government organisations can inform program development
while developing resources with which Council can leverage local outcomes. The
Commonwealth of Australia enacts laws in many areas, some with overlap to state
legislation. Areas of overlap include employment law, transport, and education.
While no specific commonwealth legislation directs the safety program, some
commonwealth responsibilities will have significant impact within Moonee Valley and
shape the environment in which the safety program is delivered – areas such as
environment, infrastructure and the roll out of the National Broadband Network.
Still others will create direction and opportunity that can inform, guide and resource
the program – drug awareness campaigns, regulation of commerce and trading, fair
work laws and the recent national focus on preventing family violence.
International
The initial Moonee Valley City Council Community Safety Program1 was constructed
with reference to the International Safe Community Framework established by the
World Health Organization (WHO) and recognised as the benchmark for delivery of
Community Safety. International accreditation was achieved in 2014 when Moonee
Valley was designated a Pacific/ Australian Safe Community.
Accreditation enables Council to participate in regional and global networks and to
access information and share ideas with 100 other Pan Pacific Safe Communities
with established accredited programs. Accreditation and the consequent network
participation within the
Pan Pacific Safe CommunitiesNetwork creates the international context for the
Moonee Valley Community Safety Program.
1. Moonee Valley Community Safety Program 2011-14
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Safety in Moonee Valley - snapshot of data and issues
As in all locations, community safety within Moonee Valley is dynamic in nature. The
local safety profile will shift and vary in response to social, environmental,
demographic and technological change. However, a range of prevailing traits within
Moonee Valley have implications for the safety program and thus require continuous
monitoring, proactive policy and partnered action.
These include:
Population
1. An identified cohort of ageing residents whose perceptions of safety are reactive
and for whom unintentional injury is an issue
2. A diverse population representing a broad range of language and cultural origins
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3. A relatively advantaged municipality, however, positive indicators of health and
wellbeing at a municipal level mask pockets of disadvantage who experience poorer
health outcomes
4. Escalating rates of reporting for Family Violence
Technology
1. Promoting technological advances which support and enhance general safety
such as improvements in motor vehicle safety
2. Monitoring emerging threats and dangers from technology and alerting community
to these risks (Examples: risks such as the distractions created by mobile
technologies to drivers and pedestrians and dangers such as the serious choking
and poisoning risks presented to children by the increasing prevalence of button
batteries in household gadgets and appliances)
Activity
1. Geographic proximity to key sporting and event locations which produce
significant crowd management and traffic impacts at specific times
2. Higher than average impacts from gambling when compared to other Local
Government areas
3. Areas of new and proposed higher density residential development, in addition to
transitioning urban housing forms that creates more apartment-based living within
Moonee Valley.
These can lead to change in neighbourhood character that can generate unique
safety issues and changes to local perceptions of safety. Application of CPTED
principles will be an ongoing responsibility along with tailored delivery of program
elements and messaging to suitably reach and address the safety issues pertinent to
these residents and locations.
Environmental
1. Large proposed infrastructure projects which can impact specific neighbourhoods
2. Increasing frequency of climate related impacts such as heatwave and storm
intensity
Program and partnership development
In line with the International Safe Community Model, Moonee Valley’s Community
Safety Program has established a collaborative program development model. This
model is a vital mechanism to gather:
• information about current issues within the field of community safety
• data and information to inform the direction of the program and action plans
• knowledge of the priorities of other agencies, particularly those which can generate
collaborative action
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• knowledge of work of other safety stakeholders which Council might promote or
support in Moonee Valley
• information about programs and actions at regional, state and national level to
which the program can align
• evidence and examples of effective actions which can guide local solutions
• endorsement and commitment to guide work that is aligned, collaborative and
mutually beneficial
Our program partnerships include both an external Community Safety Stakeholder
Advisory Group and an internal Community Safety Reference Group. With both a
governing and executive function, each group provides input and expertise to shape
the program’s action as well as identifying and supporting opportunities and avenues
to activate the program.
These are supported by annual forums, ongoing research and participation in
regional, state, national and international networks.
The Community Safety Program will systematically embed evaluation both to gauge
the outcomes of program activity and to guide future action.
While evaluation provides accountability to the community for the investment of
resources in health and safety, it also offers opportunities to report and celebrate
achievements.
In the life of this program, the annual action plans will be drafted using a Program
Logic and thus identify means for evaluating programs at the time they are devised.
It is intended that this will map out the structure and process for action plan review in
ways that support annual reporting to the Pan Pacific Safe Communities Network.
Further, when combined with information gathered through research, surveys and
environmental scans, the data and findings from program evaluation supports an
evidence base to guide further investment to promote safety.
Council’s evaluation framework for all health and wellbeing planning utilises process,
output, outcome and impact measures. Incorporated into this overarching framework
are strategic indicators that are tracked over the life of strategic plans.
Evaluation
Evaluation and planning cycle
Objective Resources and outputs
Action planning (yearly)
Analysis of research and data to identify issues and vulnerabilities.
Evidence gathering to inform and focus the program.
Information gathering to ascertain the impact and extent of identified issues in
Moonee Valley.
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Resources
• VicPol crime data
• ABS population data
• Accident and injury reports
Outputs
• Moonee Valley demographic analysis
• Moonee Valley Safety Report Card
• Focused action plans outlining projects complete with identified outcomes and
milestones
Program Development and delivery (ongoing)
Using Program Logic to identify:
• the inputs, partners, activities and outputs of the program
• the expected short, medium and long term outcome
Program design to track and measure the deliverable elements of the
Community Safety Program.
Resources
• Inputs from Safety Governance Groups and program partners
• Targeted research and data analysis
• Community consultation
Outputs
• Focused resources or interventions
• Ongoing programs
Program reporting (yearly)
Summative evaluation that identifies and measures the impacts of the program and
assesses these against the objectives.
Resources
• Council research
• Evaluation and activity to follow-up program events
• Program assessment tools and indicators
Outputs
• Annual action plan review/PPSCN Report
• Input to next action plan
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Hearing Assistance 133 677
Moonee Valley City Council
9 Kellaway Avenue | PO Box 126 Moonee Ponds VIC 3039
Telephone 03 9243 8888 | Facsimile 03 9377 2100
Email council@mvcc.vic.gov.au | Website mvcc.vic.gov.au
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