Logan City council will apply to join a United Nations (UN) program to determine international quality of life indicators and benchmarks.
Only eight cities in the world will be chosen for the three-year pilot program, in which data, such as the health of ethnically diverse people in each city, will be compiled and compared to create what will be known at the “Quality of Life Index”.
The index will be used as a performance monitoring tool for local and regional governments.
The program will also fund research so council can fill gaps in Logan-specific data.
Mayor Darren Power will write to the UN expressing council’s interest in the program, run by UN-Habitat, which starts in January.
He said the UN-Habitat’s objective of making cities and towns across the world safer, more inclusive, resilient and sustainable aligned closely with council’s city vision and planning.
“Our multicultural diversity, combined with our youthful demographic profile and high rate of population growth presents a range of challenges and opportunities that must be faced with determination and empathy,” Cr Power said.
“While we look forward with great optimism towards the future… we are determined to ensure our community shares equally in these future opportunities.”
The City of Logan is one of Australia’s fastest growing cities, with a 360,000 population that is expected to almost double in 20 years and is home to more than 234 cultures.
Cr Power’s letter follows more than six months of engagement between council and representatives of UN-Habitat.
“We want our residents to say with confidence that their elected representatives have kept them, and their quality of life, at the forefront of decision-making at all times,” he said.
“We see internal and external benchmarking as a critical tool in directing our efforts and investment, and for that reason I believe the City of Logan would be perfect to participate as one of eight pilot cities in the UN’s Quality of Life initiative.”
