Page 3980 - Week 11 - Thursday, 26 September 2019
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We also need to make sure that everywhere there are public spaces, which includes some shared spaces for gatherings and interactions. We need to plan our city for social connectedness. We need to plan it so that people can easily get out of their dwelling, so that they can walk around, and that there are not impossible things such as six-lane highways that you simply cannot cross. One of the other issues is that, as you get older, it becomes more and more challenging to get across wide roads in the time allowed by the traffic lights. This can become a real issue for social isolation.
Doctors need to be trained to talk to patients about their social connectedness when conducting medical screenings, and schools need to put a lot of emphasis on social skills training.
There are lots of ways that strong communities can help people to lead better, happier lives. We currently live in an age of “connected loneliness” with social media. We do not often have neighbours borrowing the proverbial cup of sugar, but we should. It is a way of sharing resources more effectively and it is also a way of transforming a neighbourhood into a powerful resource in its own right.
Loneliness is a matter of public importance, it is a public health issue, and each and every one of us can do something to address it.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Manager of Government Business, Minister for Advanced Technology and Space Industries, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (2.53): I thank Ms Le Couteur for raising this important issue. Loneliness and disconnect can lead to poor health and mental health outcomes, which is why this government is looking to reduce loneliness and its effects. I am glad Ms Le Couteur mentioned planning, because one of the ways we can reduce loneliness is by planning for connected communities.
Single-person households have increased by 125 per cent from 1991 to 2016. It is the fastest growing household type in the ACT. At the last census 24 per cent of households in the ACT had only one person. The government wants to make sure that living alone does not necessarily mean being lonely. We want to make sure that those people who live alone are connected to each other and to their community.
By increasing the mix of housing choices in Canberra, we can ensure that people can find the right type of house and community for their life stage. For those empty nesters living alone, this may mean having more options for smaller houses in their existing suburbs. We have heard that Canberrans want to age in place, so downsizing should not mean moving away from your family, your friends, your GP or the area you know and love.
The government has developed guiding principles for policy regarding older Canberrans: age-friendly Canberra, a vision for our city. The government undertook extensive consultation with the community in developing these principles. We heard from our seniors that loneliness is one of their main concerns, and the ministerial advisory council on ageing has also been undertaking consultation and deliberation on the issue.
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