Page 474 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 17 February 2016
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Although the territory is relatively young in age as a jurisdiction, like many other towns and cities across Australia, the ACT’s population is ageing. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Stats from 2012 reinforce that statement. Statistics predict the ACT population will rise to just over 904,000 people by 2061. The number of Canberrans aged over 65 is set to double from the 2012 census level of 11 per cent to 22.5 per cent by 2061.
An increasingly ageing population will continue to place pressures on economic prospects in Canberra and Australia wide. It will present new challenges and opportunities for Canberra and the current and future ACT governments will need to address the potential economic implications of these future demographic changes. These will include implications on our labour force supply, changes to our health system and increases in aged-care provision, not to mention the flow-on effects into every other aspect of local government services, including transport, housing, education and planning.
Each state and territory in Australia offers a range of concessions to improve the affordability of goods and services to people on low incomes such as concessions for health services, transport, education, utility costs and council rates. Concessions often benefit those with disabilities, pensioners, young people and those who are unemployed. Those who receive concessions generally rely on this support system as a means of helping them to meet their very important areas of need.
Yet here in the ACT seniors have been left virtually in limbo by this government. The government has said there will be changes but has not assured the people of Canberra what these changes will be. The Chief Minister was asked in this very chamber if he could assure seniors that they would not be worse off under any changes to the concessions program and he could not, or would not, provide any assurance whatsoever.
As the shadow minister for ageing, my office has received countless phone calls, emails and letters on this issue—pensioners seeking further information, seniors looking for reassurance when facing an uncertain future and elderly Canberrans who are horrified that after a lifetime of working hard in the community they may not be supported during their well-earned retirement. These are real people, Mr Barr, with real lives that will be affected by changes to the concessions program. But all the government seem to care about is cutting costs and the budget bottom line, and for what purpose? Again, it is to meet their one big aim that is going to affect all Canberrans.
The cost of living pressures that are being placed on the Canberra community are growing and this means that some of the most important issues to people living in Canberra are the fees and charges they will incur when going about their everyday lives. These are things like the cost of rates, the cost of parking, the cost of registering a vehicle, commercial rates and land taxes—just to name a few—all of which have increased under Labor, and all of which are increasing far higher than normal CPI.
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