North and West Region
A message from the Regional Director
North and West Metropolitan Region (N&WMR) is unique within the department due to its size, levels of disadvantage and diversity, number of service partners, and extensive population growth.
These factors provide significant challenges in 2008-09. However, through strong collaborative partnerships with community service organisations, local government and other state government partners, we will continue to provide high quality services and jointly plan innovative responses for our diverse and growing communities.
The region has determined an agenda of building stronger and more inclusive communities, and will continue its commitment to improve services and increase community capacity to enhance the health and wellbeing of people in the North and West.
The other way of meeting these challenges is through the skills and commitment of regional staff. I am proud to advise that all staff make positive contributions to improving services to the community within North and West Metropolitan Region. Whether it is direct service delivery, agency partnerships, or corporate support, we all have a shared responsibility to continuously strengthen our services, notwithstanding continuing service demands and complexities.
The exciting legislative, policy and service development initiatives in regional programs provide all regional staff with a great opportunity to make fundamental and positive changes to the effectiveness and responsiveness of our services.
N&WMR has also set very clear priorities for 2008/09 they are:
• Client Focus
• Growth Populations
• Regional Leadership
• Aboriginal Communities
• Refugees and New Arrivals
• Neighbourhood Renewal
• People Management
• Communication
The regional priorities will focus and drive us in our work in identifying and responding to the needs of individuals and communities within N&WMR.
Each of the regional priorities is interlinked to promote continuing improvement in service delivery and integration across departmental programs.
The department’s role of enhancing and protecting the health and wellbeing of all Victorians, with a particular emphasis on the most vulnerable, provides the foundation and the basis from which the region will continue to address disadvantage and build inclusive communities.