Indicators of Community Sustainability
The three Councils of Outer Eastern Melbourne (Knox, Maroondah and Yarra Ranges ) have each developed a vision for the future with their communities. Sustainability is a common and important theme for all three. The search for indicators of sustainability came with the realization that the community had no tools to use to track progress towards (or way from) sustainability. The Regional Indicators Project, a collaborative project between three municipalities and Swinburne's Centre for Regional Development began in 2003 and continued until 2008. Indicators were identified to measure progress towards achieving this vision and are seen not as an end in themselves, but a means to inform and focus whole community action. The project has established high levels of collaboration between the Councils and key regional agencies to improve regional sustainability and has been cited as a model in the Department of Victorian Communities publication "Indicators of Community Strength, Victoria". The State Government has a strong interest in community sustainability and this project links into the Victorian Community Indicators Project initiative.