Southern Metropolitan Region

The Southern Metropolitan Region (SMR) comprises 10 local government areas of Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs with a population of approximately 1.2 million people, representing about one-quarter of the state’s total population.

The region’s communities are numerous and diverse, including rapidly changing inner urban communities and outer suburbs with significant growth. Our region’s people include the socially and economically advantaged, together with those with very high and continuing needs who depend on significant support.

The 2010-2012 Business Improvement Plan (BIP) for SMR is focused on cross-program efforts that we expect will achieve better outcomes for our clients than if we work as individual programs or teams.

Our focus in SMR is consistent with the Department’s strategic directions, Better services, better opportunities, which emphasise the importance of us working together as ‘One DHS’ in order to deliver integrated and client focussed services.

Over the last two years we have been guided by our first BIP on a wide-ranging agenda that has focused on seven Priorities.

Review of our progress against the first BIP confirms that we have completed many of those things to which we committed. We have achieved a lot – a number of our achievements are presented later in this BIP – but there is more to do.

We are committed to playing our part in the building of socially inclusive communities where individuals feel valued and have the opportunity to participate fully. We will continue to work on place-based servicing approaches – working with our service partners to ensure services are provided in the communities which need them most to achieve social inclusivity.

We want to offer better services and better opportunities for our clients by being more ‘client-centred’. In other words, we want to better understand what our clients think and feel about the way we work with them. Then we need to use that information to shape our service delivery in ways that achieve better results for our clients. We will continue to focus on the client experience to improve lives and reduce the disadvantage that individuals or communities in the SMR may experience.

Our culture, our values and our behaviours are critical. We will continue to promote a strengths-based approach in SMR, develop a strong client-centred culture, and take a ‘can-do’ approach to support us in our endeavours.

None of what we seek to achieve can happen without a continued focus on individuals, communities, our workforce and our service partners.

We have a range of challenges ahead of us but we have the dedication, skills and passion to support us as we continue to deliver core business priorities and develop strong, forward-looking services able to meet the needs of our client and communities.

Programs in Southern Metropolitan Region
Summary information relating to the services managed and operated within the Southern Metropolitan Region.
Local government shires and regional information in Southern Metropolitan Region
Information about local governments in the Southern Metropolitan Region.
Community organisations in Southern Metropolitan Region
Web links to various organisations within the Southern Metropolitan Region which provide communtiy assistance.