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Council Set To Plan For Ageing Community

Latrobe City Council has taken a major step forward in planning and preparing for an ageing population with the release of the Latrobe City Older Persons Strategy.

By Latrobe City Council - 8th August 2007 - Back to News

Latrobe City mayor, Councillor Tony Zimora, said the strategy had been produced to guide council and the community in responding to the challenge of an ageing community.

"Just as importantly the strategy will help to ensure we build a community which respects, supports and benefits older residents. Over the next 15 years, Latrobe City will be home to twice as many people aged over 60 – or approximately 12,000 additional older residents.

"Falling fertility rates and increasing life expectancy coupled with the ‘baby boomer’ generation reaching retirement age is contributing to the increased proportion of older Australians," Cr Zimora explained.

"With fewer people comprising the younger generations it is important that we begin planning to support older people in our community to live healthy, active lives.

"This is the equivalent of planning for a new town or community and brings similar challenges in urban planning, building and maintaining appropriate infrastructure, creating employment and training opportunities, providing community and health services and encouraging cultural, recreational and social activities," Cr Zimora said.

Latrobe City’s Manager Family Services, David Welch said that the strategy sets out a range of principles and areas for action by council and the community over the next 15 years.

"The strategy addresses the issues of respect and recognition of older people; employment and education; social support and health; housing and accommodation; active living; transportation; urban planning and development and advocacy and communication.

"The next stage of the strategy will be the development of a Positive Ageing Plan which will set out specific actions to fulfil the overall objectives identified in the Older Persons Strategy. In addition an Older Persons Reference Group will be established to provide an effective point of communication between older people and council," Mr Welch explained.

Cr Zimora said that to support these initiatives, Latrobe City Council had been awarded a $10,000 grant to plan for the ageing community, and create opportunities for seniors to live active and fulfilling lives.

"This grant will help council to work with the older members of our community to plan for their wellbeing and promote an age-friendly community," Cr Zimora concluded.

The grant was awarded as part of a four-year Positive Ageing Project, a joint initiative of the Municipal Association of Victoria and Council on the Ageing Victoria, funded by the Office of Senior Victorians in the Department of Victorian Communities.


Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com



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