Page 348 - Week 01 - Thursday, 11 December 2008
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identifying multiunit ACT housing properties where accommodation can be better dedicated to older residents; having a proportion of new developments dedicated to housing for older residents, particularly in areas close to shops and other services; and re-establishing the office of ageing in the Chief Minister’s Department to give it the priority it needs.
We also committed at the election to $1.7 million to address dental health, up to $1,000 each year to 500 Canberrans on the old age pension card or with a commonwealth seniors health card; $19.8 million towards after-hours GP clinics, which are particularly valuable to our ageing population particularly in light of the statistics that I quoted earlier; and $100,000 towards a study to identify transport options to help elderly people move around their neighbourhoods, visit friends and access services.
As we know, for older Canberrans transport is one of the most important issues. A lack of access to public transport, or a lack of access to other ways of getting around, is the thing that keeps many of our older Canberrans isolated. If older Canberrans cannot get adequate transport around their local areas, there is little hope of their empowerment and inclusion in the life of the community.
Also with our pensioner rescue package we put money on the table. We committed $4.5 million to provide relief for single age pensioners, those who are struggling the most. This would have come in the form of $500 lump sum payments, and we were pleased to see that the Rudd Government announced a number of measures including lump sum payments to seniors, to pensioners.
It is very difficult for older Canberrans to feel empowered in their community and to participate fully in their community if they lack proper accommodation, transport and health options. These are the challenges for the government, the Assembly and the community in how we better look after our ageing population.
Our older Canberrans have contributed so much over so many years to our community; they have helped build our community. As Canberra ages, as Canberra heads towards its centenary, we are seeing more and more of our aged who have been born here, grown up here, lived here, worked here, raised a family here and contributed in so many ways. It is only right, it is only just, in any decent society that we look after our most vulnerable, and in many cases our older Canberrans, particularly as they get into their very later years, as they experience more health challenges, are some of our most vulnerable citizens.
These areas that we have outlined—dental health and health generally, access to services and access to appropriate housing, transport and income support—are the key issues for our pensioners in particular but for all of our seniors. There are other issues for our older Canberrans, our self-funded retirees—there are issues which have been well canvassed in relation to indexation of pensions and the like—but all of this feeds into the mix. This will be a challenge for ACT governments going forward.
What we suggested during the campaign was about forward planning, about looking to the future and saying that we are going to face more challenges in these areas, particularly accommodation, and we need to get out in front of that. We need to get
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