Page 3981 - Week 11 - Thursday, 26 September 2019
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The first strategic aim of the vision is being involved, connected, and valued. It is the opposite of what loneliness is and it is what we are looking towards for all our senior Canberrans. It is forming part of our work in delivering the age-friendly city plan which will deliver a plan on how we continue to grow our city in a way where loneliness is addressed and we ensure that our senior Canberrans are connected. The minister for seniors expects to launch this plan in the first half of 2020. It will cover all areas of government from health to planning, city services to community services. It will provide a holistic plan on how we continue to build Canberra to be a city for all ages.
Those who live alone are not always the elderly; the 2016 census results show that young men and older women are the most common single-person households. Younger people who live alone should be able to buy or rent close to their work and close to friends and family. The government is committed to ensuring that people are connected to each other through effective planning. This means taking an evidence-based approach. It means thinking about our future, looking at how Canberrans are living, and planning the right housing mix for Canberrans. We cannot afford a one-size-fits-all approach to housing otherwise we will create disconnected communities. This means taking careful, considered approaches that provide people with the right choices at the right time.
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (2.56): I thank Ms Le Couteur for bringing this important matter on for discussion today. Loneliness and isolation are public health issues. Over the years changes in our society have meant that we can isolate ourselves more, even in our own homes. You can drive home or catch the bus home—if you are lucky enough to have a bus near your house—get home, use a remote control to open a garage door, go inside, and you have everything you need inside your house. Our social interests can be met perhaps by surfing the internet. We watch the TV. We can get food and other services delivered. Back in the day you had a reason to go out to do your shopping but now you can even order your shopping online and get it home delivered.
Some people have over time increasingly isolated themselves. For other people loneliness and isolation are not choices; it is a situation they have found themselves in. As shadow minister for seniors I often hear about this from older Canberrans, but it is not only older people. People can become isolated for a range of other reasons, for example, disability, physical frailty, low socioeconomic situations and so on. According to recent data 21.8 per cent of people aged 65 and over in the ACT had not had face-to-face contact with a family or friend living in the same household within the same week.
Loneliness and social exclusion can also be brought on by government action, or even inaction, and that could be cost of living pressures which can help contribute to social isolation. For example, increasing rates, fees, charges and taxes mean that many Canberrans have less disposable income to spend, and the first thing to go for many people is their social interactions: their outings with friends, their visits to the cinema or going to a local coffee shop for a cup of coffee or a meal.
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