Page 3218 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 18 October 2022
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government continues to leave older Canberrans behind and fails to prioritise them in a meaningful way.
I know that one of the main issues raised with me by older Canberrans is the state of footpaths in the ACT. For many older people, being able to go for a walk in their neighbourhood provides them with the positive benefits of being outside and exercising. They also have the opportunity to converse with their neighbours and passers-by. It is a simple thing, but it is also part of continuing to hold onto that feeling of independence. That is why it is so disheartening to see the number of reports about broken footpaths. Once again, it is a failure of the Labor-Greens government to deliver basic municipal services, and this negatively impacts Canberrans.
Older people cannot go for a walk, or they stop going for a walk, if they are afraid that they might fall because of a damaged footpath. We have seen this in suburbs in my electorate in Tuggeranong. For example, near one of our retirement villages and aged-care providers, there is a damaged footpath where a woman fell and broke her collarbone. That made many of the other residents fearful of walking in the area, because they knew that this accident had occurred. Unfortunately, that part of the footpath was never properly repaired. A close-by section was repaired but not the area where this lady fell and hurt herself. So it is limiting our older Canberrans in their day-to-day life.
Another key government area that greatly impacts seniors is public transport. The Age-Friendly City Plan outlines several measures to improve this area, including the study of public transport patronage data specific to ACT Seniors Card holders. This data should be compiled and used to make improvements to the public transport network to ensure that it is accessible for older Canberrans.
Public transport is another area of government that allows older people to keep their independence and ensure that they do not have to rely on loved ones to get around if they do not wish to, or they really do not have to. Older Canberrans were already significantly affected when some of the bus stops were closed as part of the network 19 changes, and when the bus routes changed.
When I asked the minister recently about dementia-friendly training for bus drivers, I was disappointed to receive quite a vague response. I have been asking the minister about this specific issue since I first advocated for a dementia-friendly design and initiatives to be included in the Age-Friendly City Plan.
Finally, my motion today calls on the ACT government to write to the Australian government in support of a UN convention on the rights of older persons. Older people’s advocacy organisations have long been calling for the establishment of a UN convention on the rights of older persons. An international convention such as this would affirm globally that older people are entitled to the same human rights and fundamental freedoms as everyone else. Human rights do not have a use-by date. Human rights do not end when you reach a certain age.
This would help to raise awareness of issues such as ageism and reduce the neglect of older people in societies throughout the world. It would change the perceptions that
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