Docklands to take part in age-friendly precinct pilot

Docklands will become a senior-friendly place over the next 12 months through a unique pilot program.

The Age Friendly Precinct Pilot Program aims to make Docklands a place more seniors want to visit.

Docklands Chamber of Commerce was last month accepted into the program, which is being run by the Department of Health, the Seniors Program and the City of Melbourne.

According to chamber president Joh Maxwell, Docklands already has plenty to offer seniors, from restaurants to its walking tracks and flat landscape.

She said the program would focus on developing and implementing ideas that further improve the appeal of Docklands to the seniors market.

This could include providing menus with larger fonts, signage improvements, increasing the availability of taxis at Harbour Town and discounts and offers for seniors.

The chamber is also considering running customer service training for local retailers.

“It’s about having a really friendly atmosphere where they feel comfortable and feel respected,” Mrs Maxwell said.

The program is currently at an early stage but a steering group has been formed and will meet monthly over the next year.

The group includes two chamber representatives, two City of Melbourne representatives, a Places Victoria representative, a Department of Health representative and community representatives Kay Setches and David Wong.

Ms Setches said she had enjoyed the opportunity to be involved in the program and said Docklands had a lot to offer seniors.

“There is a great opportunity to bring seniors here so they can see what’s available, particularly for visiting with their grandchildren too,” Ms Setches said.

Mrs Maxwell agreed the program would target a segment of the market that Docklands hadn’t necessarily focused on before.

“A lot of seniors like to come out mid-week, during the day, so it’s a great way to bolster the amount of people coming in to Docklands,” she said.

“Docklands also had quite a good mix of seniors already living in Docklands.”

“The idea is to get Docklands in the forefront of people’s minds as a place they can visit and enjoy,” Mrs Maxwell said.

Mrs Maxwell said the chamber had begun speaking to local businesses about being involved in the program and had received positive responses so far.