Page 3329 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 21 October 2014
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community gardens for older Canberrans, particularly for vegetable and fruit growing; and enhancing ease of accessibility for older Canberrans at indoor facilities, swimming pools and outdoor recreation areas.
A number of ACT government directorates including Territory and Municipal Services, Justice and Community Safety, Health and the Environment and Planning directorates have already implemented or are considering many of these recommendations, with Territory and Municipal Services currently in the process of developing two age-friendly pilot suburbs that will enable us to develop and test concepts and ideas to implement the pilot across all ACT suburbs in the future.
Transport for an age-friendly city was the second resolution that was debated by our delegates with much discussion and amendment centred around the development of affordable and sustainable public and community sector transport options in our city, including: development of regular, efficient, affordable and easily accessible systems; to provide off-peak community bus services that would service local communities; and a further expansion and development of a minibus transport system to provide older Canberrans with adequate connection to bus interchanges.
My colleague the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services addressed our delegates and provided information on recent initiatives by ACTION to provide a range of cost-effective and practical initiatives and solutions to address the immediate transportation needs of older Canberrans, including the introduction of a flexible bus service that will operate across four zones within the Canberra residential region.
The third resolution of the older persons assembly that was debated embraced the subject of connecting an age-friendly city. Delegates raised a number of recommendations and subsequent amendments which embraced options to assist older Canberrans, including greater awareness and understanding of information technology services and infrastructure, establishing and enhancing communication systems and strategies that ensure older Canberrans have access to relevant and pertinent information which can assist them in their needs and aspirations, and the development of greater linkages between younger and older Canberrans to promote intergenerational skills and knowledge transfer to keep older people connected and to educate and inform younger Canberrans.
The ACT government, including the Education and Training Directorate and the ACT Office for Ageing in the Community Services Directorate have made considerable progress in implementing initiatives that address these recommendations and concerns. The ACT government, through the guidance and resources of the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing and relevant ACT government directorates, are working proactively and in partnership with the ACT seniors community.
This week we celebrate ACT Grandparents Week from 20 to 26 October, which is another indicator of the ACT government’s commitment to celebrating the many ways in which our seniors remain active and socially engaged. It was good to see our new parent, Alistair Coe, join us yesterday for that launch. Grandparents Week is a partnership between the four seniors club—the Tuggeranong 55 Plus Club, Woden Seniors, Belconnen seniors club and Canberra Seniors Centre—as well as the Hellenic
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