Page 3583 - Week 11 - Thursday, 23 October 2014

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MR GENTLEMAN: Like the rest of Australia, Canberra is experiencing a rapid increase in the age of its population. It is anticipated that between 2011 and 2019 the total male population in Canberra will increase by 11 per cent. In comparison, the male population aged over 65 years is anticipated to increase by 47 per cent.

Men’s sheds provide social, community and health and benefits and offer older men in the Canberra community a place where they can find camaraderie, social support and opportunity for participation. Men’s sheds offer many opportunities to assist older men overcome social isolation, including friendship and company, the opportunity to participate in social activities with men of similar age and interests, to learn and share skills and experiences and to give back to their community. So you find that a lot of men’s sheds create objects that they can give back to the community, such as toys or machinery that has been repaired.

The connection between keeping physically and mentally active by engaging in interesting activities are beneficial to men who have experienced social disadvantage, mental illness, trauma and loss to promote better mental health and help reduce mental decline as people age.

A men’s shed may be seen as a modern version of the backyard shed. In the men’s shed you might find men restoring furniture, restoring bicycles for a local school or making a children’s cubby house for Camp Quality to raffle. You may also see men talking over tea and coffee or learning a new carpentry skill or using new technology.

Initiatives such as the men’s shed, which are targeted at providing help to older men, really do assist in our community. There are a couple of important points to remember when looking at men’s sheds. Men’s sheds are places where men, often beyond retirement age, remain productive members of our community.

MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Dr Bourke.

DR BOURKE: Minister, in what other ways is your directorate supporting the community sector to build its capacity and infrastructure?

MADAM SPEAKER: Dr Bourke, which capacity in infrastructure?

DR BOURKE: My question was: in what other ways is your directorate supporting the community sector—of which men’s sheds is a part—to build its capacity and infrastructure?

MADAM SPEAKER: It is a bit of a long bow, but I will allow it.

MR GENTLEMAN: The community sector and support section infrastructure grants program was established in 2007 to build capacity within the community sector to deliver programs effectively and efficiently with three categories for funding. We look at community support and capacity, non-fixed infrastructure and equipment, and capital works and fixed infrastructure.


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