Lack of Vic Ageing Strategy
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing. The action I am seeking is in relation to Victoria’s ageing population and the lack of an ageing strategy. Last week the minister announced the 35th Victorian Seniors Festival, which celebrates the contribution of the more than 1 million Victorians over the age of 60. In the minister’s press release he indicated that his government is:
… working towards an age-friendly and inclusive Victoria for all seniors.
In acknowledging that our population is ageing and that as a consequence our labour supply will contract and our expenditure on health and aged care will increase, simply ‘working towards an age-friendly’ Victoria is not enough. By 2050 the number of people aged between 65 and 85 will double in Victoria and the number of people aged over 85 will quadruple.
New South Wales and South Australia both have strategic plans in place to support the ageing and older workforce and greater senior participation, and these include addressing things like health and wellbeing, working and retiring, housing choices, transport and communities. The ageing strategy that I am seeking is one that goes across all departments, and I ask the minister to publish an ageing strategy in their term of government. There was not one at the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee.
REPLY:
The Victorian Government is committed to enhancing the participation of seniors in the local community, and particularly their health and wellbeing. Investment to date includes:
– $1.2 million for Age Friendly initiatives to promote the inclusion of older people; support services, business and community leaders to better plan for the needs of seniors; and enhance the quality of life for people as they age
– more than $600 000 for 108 cultural and linguistically diverse seniors group and clubs to create or expand social participation opportunities for socially isolated seniors
– $700 000 over three years for the Victorian Active Ageing Partnership, which aims to increase participation in physical activity for older Victorians, especially those who are disadvantaged, isolated or inactive
– $2.1 million over three years for Active and Healthy Ageing Advisers that support healthy ageing initiatives and enhance partnerships to improve organisational and workforce capabilities.
In addition, in response to the Commissioner for Senior Victorians’ report ‘Ageing is everyone’s business: a report into social isolation and loneliness’:
– $760 000 has been invested in the Strengthening Seniors Inclusion and Participation in Local Communities’ project. This project aims to build the capacity of local community-based organisations to reach out and better respond to the needs and interests of older people at risk of social isolation and loneliness
– the Senior Victorians Flagship Project has been established to develop appropriate pre-accredited programs that address the evolving training needs of Seniors Victorians in their immediate communities, for example, digital literacy classes.
$1 million is also invested annually in free transport and free or low cost activities for seniors during the Victorian Seniors Festival held in October. The Festival is an opportunity for the community to celebrate and honour our Victorian seniors and promote the significant and positive contribution that seniors make to the Victorian community.