Melbourne - number 1 in the world ... again

Most of us will never fully appreciate the amount of work that goes into the tasks that make our city as popular, as liveable, and as beautiful as it is.

Things that seem simple, such as the trees by our roadsides or the plants which are selected for our nature strips, are carefully considered and planned - often years in advance.

Decisions like these are essential for the sustainability and future of our city, our nation, and our planet. They are a small but measurable and noticeable part of ensuring that the great city of Melbourne continues to be the number one most liveable city on earth with a rating of 97.5 out of 100. The fact that two other Australian cities are also included in the top ten - Adelaide; ranked equal 5th with a rating of 96.6 and Perth; ranked 7th with a rating of 95.9 - shows the remarkable effort that has gone into city planning, policy environments, and impact assessments undertaken by governments and their partner organisations, particularly at the state/ territory and local levels.

When it was announced back in August that Melbourne had topped the rankings for the 6th consecutive year, JCI Melbourne was very pleased to note the words of Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Robert Doyle;

“We do not take this title for granted and are constantly planning and implementing policies that will continue to improve our quality of life”.

Melbournians should be proud of the efforts made on our behalf but we cannot afford to be complacent. Our world is changing. Whether or not you believe in the impacts of humanity on the temperature of our planet; few would deny that politics, globalisation, and technology have changed the way we work and play.

Future investments in infrastructure must continue to be sustainable, resilient, inclusive, and innovative to reinforce the good work which has already been done to guarantee the future of our city’s liveability.