In its simplest terms, social justice is the pursuit of equal rights and equal opportunity for all people.

Council has reinforced its commitment to protecting human rights, as well as advancing social justice and health equity at a local level, with the endorsement of the revised Social Justice Framework 2023-2033 at its April 2024 Council Meeting.

In its updated Maribyrnong Framework, Council reinforces the role it needs to play to deliver improved health and wellbeing outcomes while also advocating on important issues outside its immediate control.

The Framework adheres to legislation (including the Equal Opportunities Act 2010) and confirms the need for Council to embrace opportunities to reduce inequality for residents. Health inequality and climate justice are referenced as part of Council's social justice commitments for the first time.

You can view the endorsed Social Justice Framework 2023-2033 on Council's website.

You can also read the Council report and watch a livestream of the Council meeting on the website.

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as growing inequality across Maribyrnong and Australia more broadly, were considerations during a review of the previous document (2017-2021) undertaken in 2022.

This is reflected with the addition of Principle Three: Advancing health equity and a commitment to progressing gender equality, and inclusion of climate change and health equity as social justice platforms for the first time.

The revised Framework acknowledges that the impacts of climate change disproportionately impacts communities already facing disadvantage and discrimination.

Below is an overview of the vision, goals and guiding principles.

To view the framework in full, visit Council's website.

In early 2024, Council invited the community to provide comment on the draft Framework, either online via Your City Your Voice or via email directly to the project team.

Four responses were received, which included:

• support for the principles and goals of the draft Framework, but some concerns around its implementation
• a question about the draft Framework’s definition of resilience and how it can measuredneeds of residents and ratepayer groups not specifically identified.
• concern about how the draft Framework will be implemented equitably
• one email expressed support of the Framework and its values, suggesting implementing ways to measure homelessness and poverty rates.

You can read more in the Engagement Summary Report.