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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 4 Hansard (30 March) . . Page.. 1141 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

Canberra has a strong community and is culturally diverse. It involves the community in government and offers many opportunities for consultation and input.

It offers access to many experiences and interactions with easy access to the natural environment, and a range of sports and interest clubs. It promotes historical and cultural heritage and has a diverse and innovative economy.

It does however, have a number of health risk factors. The proportion of people in the ACT who consume high levels of alcohol are generally higher than the national average (especially 25-34 year olds). 30% of people are overweight, skin cancer from sun exposure is a major concern, and 23% of the population are smokers (higher proportion of young people).

We then discussed our emerging challenges and opportunities. The ACT is 1.7% of the Australian population and is the second youngest jurisdiction. It has a younger population than the national average (32.1 years compared with 34.6 years for Australia). The proportion of people over 65 years of age are expected to triple by 2051. The life expectancy for people in the ACT is 81 years for females, and 77 years for males. The life expectancy for people in the Western Pacific region is 72 years for females, and 69 years for males.

We need to implement mental health strategies for depression and adolescent suicide. Illicit drug use is a big problem, with the implementation of broad ranging harm-minimisation strategies. The level of alcohol consumption is a high risk, especially for young people.

Addressing obesity and cardiovascular disease by promoting physical activity, and assessing the impact of work on family life, are also challenges that we face in Canberra.

Mr Speaker as I mentioned, the trip also included a brief visit to Nara, our sister city. Before meeting with Mayor Ohkawa, I met with a range of officials from the Life Long Health Sporting Centre, the Emergency Crisis and Disaster Centre, and the Nara Medical Centre.

During my meeting with Mayor Ohkawa I raised the possibility of Nara joining the Healthy Cities program. Nara, like Canberra, is already a healthy city in many respects but I am sure it, and other cities in the region, could learn from its participation.

The Mayor indicated that such a move might further cement relations between the two cities. He said how excited students from Ichijo High School were about their upcoming visit to Canberra. He also said the strong relationship between Canberra and Nara had encouraged the children to work so much harder in preparation for their musical performance here.

He spoke of the employment rate in Nara, saying while it was not fantastic it was reasonable compared to the rest of Japan. He said the standard of living in Nara was also better than in the rest of the country.

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