Council is seeking your input to help shape two pieces of very important work supporting our youth and LGBTQIA+ communities.
We endorsed our Rainbow Action Plan for community engagement at our April council meeting and I am proud that this draft will soon be available for your feedback.
The Rainbow Action Plan provides a four-year roadmap for council to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for the LGBTQIA+ community.
It comprises 18 actions over the coming years to support four key principles: understanding, inclusion, visibility and safety.
Community engagement was conducted last year to shape the proposed plan and identify the unique challenges and barriers that are often overlooked by general policy and inclusion efforts.
This engagement highlighted the significant physical safety concerns experienced by the LGBTQIA+ community in Geelong.
It also found that the community experienced a lack of cultural safety in our city, citing a lack of inclusion and acceptance, as well as representation within the wider community.
Celebrating the diverse gender identities, sexual orientations and lived experiences of our entire population benefits everyone and is vital to the progress of our region.
Plans like this save lives. They help people feel like they can be their true, authentic selves and be recognised as a valuable part of our community.
More than 34,000 people in Greater Geelong identify as LGBTQIA+ so we all know somebody who identifies within this community.
I urge you to read the Rainbow Action Plan and have your say when it becomes available on May 17.
We want our community to feel safe wherever they are, and we particularly want to foster inclusion here in Geelong.
With this in mind, we are also seeking public engagement to address the needs of our younger population through the 2025 Geelong Youth Survey.
We would love to hear from young people, as well as those who work closely with youth in the region.
We also welcome the perspectives of parents, carers, those who work at education or tertiary institutions and other interested community members.
The survey asks participants to identify the main issues faced by young people in Greater Geelong today.
It asks participants to list their favourite activities and community events and identify any gaps that we could fill in our region.
This feedback is vital for us when considering programs, advocacy and investment that reflect the needs of our younger population, so I urge you to share your thoughts.
To review the Geelong Youth Survey, visit yoursay.geelongaustralia.com.au
Engagement is now open until 11.59pm on Monday May 12.
The Rainbow Action Plan will also be available for community engagement on the Have Your Say website from May 17 to 31.
