Page 521 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 21 February 2012
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So whilst I believe that we are doing a lot in this area, we will continue to pursue new avenues to ensure that older Canberrans feel valued and respected, for example by promotion through media and public events.
Housing and accommodation was another key theme. Access to appropriate, affordable and innovative housing choices was another issue that we saw raised through recommendations 2, 5, 7 and 10 in the afternoon hearings. I am pleased to say that the government has undertaken a lot of work in this area in terms of tangible products and policies.
As part of the commonwealth government’s national building initiative, the ACT received $87 million to construct new housing. Under that program, 297 older person units were constructed across eight suburbs of Canberra. Beyond this initiative, properties are being constructed to support the adoption of the liveable housing design under the capital construction program. The introduction of the liveable design features will allow public housing to be easily adapted as people age, supporting the concept of ageing in place.
Earlier this year the government promoted new properties across Canberra that will be available for lease under an ACT government-funded initiative, already easing the rental burden for a number of couples. The “come home” affordable rental scheme, run by the ACT Affordable Rental Office, offers homes within older persons public housing complexes at a 25 per cent discounted rate to older couples and individuals.
In January this year we announced the sale of land parcels in Isabella Plains and Calwell to two prominent operators of accommodation for people over the age of 55 and residential aged care—the operators being Lend Lease and Innovative Care. These property developments form part of the government’s ongoing planned approach to providing for the accommodation needs and preferences for older Canberrans. The construction of these developments is expected to commence later this year.
These are just some of the current and future initiatives of this government. Although we have made significant progress, we acknowledge that there is more work to do to respond to the changing needs of a rapidly ageing population. The outcomes of the Older Persons Assembly will be used together with the results of our recent age-friendly city survey and the report card on the first action plan to develop the next positive ageing plan for Canberra.
The government will continue its commitment to engage with older people to address their issues and needs and to make real and meaningful change that will benefit older citizens and our community as a whole. I thank all of the delegates of the Older Persons Assembly for their enthusiasm and input and for taking the time to inform us of how we can work towards making Canberra an even more age-friendly city than it is.
Before I close, I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the members of the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing who are present and to give them a
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