Key messages

  • The Improving Liveability for Older People (ILOP) in small towns program has made a positive difference to the quality of life, social participation, health and connectedness of older people living in rural communities.
  • ILOP was a partnership between the Victorian Government, the Municipal Association of Victoria, participating councils, community organisations and older people.
  • About 11,000 older people participated in 190 projects with many positive results.
  • ILOP good practice guidelines are available to help councils and communities run similar projects.

ILOP in action

The Improving Liveability for Older People (ILOP) in small towns project actively engaged older people in project development and implementation, using a ‘bottom-up’ approach to creating more age-friendly communities. Each project had a consultation and project development phase followed by various community activities.

Engagement, consultation, partnerships and flexibility were the main pillars of the ILOP projects. The projects were also sustainable: councils and local agencies improved their capacity to address the needs of older people and older people felt a stronger sense of worth and belonging in their community.

Watch a video about the ILOP in small towns projects.

ILOP in your community

Any local council or community group can implement ILOP-style initiatives to make their communities more age-friendly. The Good practice guide: improving liveability for older people in small towns is available as a resource.

The good practice guide outlines the learnings of the ILOP in small towns program and offers ideas and processes for councils interested in creating their own projects. Handy tips are dotted throughout the guide.