Page 1020 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 21 April 2021
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to their members and networks. I thank the community and COTA ACT who provided vital feedback to the ACT government on concerns, issues and impacts around the vaccine.
The ACT government also continues to support older Canberrans through the provision of a range of subsidies, rebates, concessions and payment systems for pension cardholders, senior cardholders and people in older age brackets. We also continue to fund the administration of the seniors card through COTA ACT, which provides Canberrans over the age of 60 access to savings on a range of goods and services provided by government and participating businesses.
The age-friendly city plan for 2022-24 was launched in May 2020 to facilitate collaboration across ACT directorates to progress a range of targeted action to support older Canberrans. This includes enhancing social inclusion, access to services, public transport, age-friendly urban planning and addressing age discrimination and elder abuse. Significant progress has been made towards the actions identified in the plan in its first year. I talked about some of these earlier today. The Crimes (Offences Against Vulnerable People) Legislation Amendment Act 2020 has been introduced, which will see elder abuse made a criminal offence.
The Age Friendly Suburbs Program continues to make our neighbourhood safer and easier to get around for everyone, including people with mobility issues. This work will continue. The Community Services Directorate delivered the Celebrating Seniors initiative across October 2020 to encourage the community to re-establish activities and strengthen connections with older members of our community.
The ACT government continues its commitment to older Canberrans and promoting seniors as valued members of the ACT community through the Seniors Grants Program. A total of $80,000 is available annually to fund innovative programs which enable older Canberrans to actively participate in community life and enhance their status in the ACT. Among the most recent recipients are projects such as playstations for seniors, an LGBTIQ elders dance program and an ACT intergenerational pen pal service.
The ACT government also recognises the significant population of veterans and their families residing in the ACT and continues its commitment to provide support through a variety of initiatives and programs. This includes the $80,000 annual veterans grants program. Among the recent recipients are the South Canberra Veterans Shed, for the purchase of equipment; the Veterans Film Festival Inc, for film-making workshops; the Veterans Motorcycle Club, to support the veterans Coffee Bunker; and COTA ACT, for the connecting valley veterans program.
The ACT government also continues to support the ACT veterans employment strategy and the Ministerial Advisory Council for Veterans and their Families. I understand that I am not the person that Mr Hanson wants to see in the role of minister for veterans and their families, and I acknowledge that this is hard for him. But I want to assure Mr Hanson and the Canberra community that I am committed to ensuring that all of our ACT veterans and their families have access to the supports and services that they need. No matter what people think of me personally, in my time
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