Page 1514 - Week 04 - Thursday, 25 March 2010
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The Canberra gold awards are another small way the ACT government thanks individuals and organisations for their contribution and commitment to this city. Just recently the Chief Minister presented awards to another 251 Canberrans who have called the national capital home for 50 years or more, bringing up families, making friends and surviving both the good times and the challenging ones. This year the inaugural Canberra gold exhibition will run at the Canberra Museum and Gallery until 20 June. On display are fascinating and quirky artefacts belonging to six individuals and one community group, all of whom have received the Canberra gold award. Stories of recipients are also shared through a digital storytelling project.
Personal safety was also a concern raised by our older Canberrans. ACT Policing’s safety for seniors program, the home safety program and the neighbourhood watch program are examples of how we are promoting and encouraging safety awareness and neighbourhood connections. The ACT government is also preparing to legislate for a better system of police background checking for those who work with vulnerable adults, including older people.
The safety and wellbeing of older people can also be impacted by physical, emotional and financial mistreatment. I am pleased to report that we have been working with other government agencies and stakeholders and the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing to develop a strong ACT elder abuse prevention program following a strategic review last year.
The revised program will introduce a new policy for ACT government agencies and funded community partners for preventing and responding to abuse of older people. This includes increasing community awareness about this issue, developing and training for front-line workers, and creating a data collection framework for recording incidences of abuse in the ACT.
Access to appropriate and affordable accommodation was recognised as an important issue for many older Canberrans, particularly for those on low incomes in the private rental market. The government continues to work with community housing providers to develop aged persons accommodation. In 2009 the ACT government collaborated with Hindmarsh to build a lifestyle complex at the old Burnie Court site that provides a range of accommodation options for older people. This joint venture with the Commissioner for Social Housing is an example of the ACT government and the private sector working together to improve housing options for all Canberrans.
Housing ACT is building more than 400 new homes over the next year with the help of the federal government’s nation building economic stimulus plan. All houses will have six-star energy ratings and sustainability inclusions, and many will be built for universal design. Almost half of these homes will be made available for older public housing tenants. This means that Housing ACT will be able to offer many of its older tenants the opportunity to move out of homes that have become too large for their practical requirements into new designed two-bedroom properties in the same neighbourhood. This will enable ageing in place, offering security, independence and uninterrupted social connections and close access to transport, shops and community facilities.
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