A community for all ages: Building the future
A local government perspective
Councillor Geoff Lake
Vice President, Australian Local Government Association
27 September 2005, Sydney
Julie Bishop has laid before us a very great challenge. In pursuit of a society for all ages, we must - she says - scrap outdated notions of industrial-age planning with its structured approach to the three traditional stages of life - education, work, retirement. She wants it replaced with more flexible built environments that will cater for the needs and aspirations of our next generation of ageing citizens - the baby boomers. To that, we in local government say hear, hear. We have already joined the crusade.
As the World Health Organisation has said, age-friendly built environments can make the "difference between independence and dependence for all individuals but are of particular importance for the ageing". The built environment has a critical impact on the mobility, independence and quality-of-life for older people. Of course, the concept of an age-friendly environment is easy to support - but much harder to achieve. The path ahead will be long, hard and not always clear. Demographic change will challenge us to rethink policies and practices in land-use planning, road and streetscape design, transportation and housing. We are - however - significantly hampered by the existing built environment.
Low-density urban design, a characteristic of many Australian communities, is not particularly age friendly. Land-use patterns have required access to motor vehicles, creating a hostile environment for pedestrians and limited access to public transport. Our housing stock - with its preponderance of single family homes - favours active households with relatively high incomes. A limited mix of housing types directly challenges our ageing-in-place objectives. Some communities do not have adequate footpaths and parks and public places are not always easily accessible for older people. Concentration of retailing and banking in large shopping malls and the demise of local, suburban shops makes it harder for older people to shop or access services.
Let's take a closer look at the challenges for local councils in regard to town panning, housing and transport.
Town planning
Town and urban planning can have a significant impact on the health and well-being of older people and their quality of life. Older people spend a great deal of time in their local neighbourhood. They tend to shop locally, regularly use public facilities such as libraries and parks and participate in local social and recreation activities. Footpaths, pedestrian crossings, building entrances, road signs, seating arrangements and other public facilities and services can all influence the way older people enjoy and participate in their local community life.
Today I will focus of streetscape and "walk-ability" characteristics. Older people walk regularly in their neighbourhood for exercise, pleasure or as a means of accessing shops and services. The challenge for councils is to incorporate "activity living" issues into community design processes. Attention to streets and streetscape amenities can foster the mobility of older people and their participation in community life. Importantly, walking is an important form of low-impact exercise. It helps seniors maintain healthy lifestyles.
Opportunities exist to do a number of things. For example:
We can ensure that community planning documents and guidelines address the impact on resident's ability to engage in routine physical activity.
We can request new development plans also include pedestrian and bicycle friendly elements and "walk-ability" characteristics.
We can encourage design guidelines that support active living for our growing older population.
We can also help to address safety concerns through the delivery of pedestrian safety programs such as has been achieved by a number of South Australian councils with their Walk with Care program.
Walk with Care gives older pedestrians and community groups the opportunity to discuss local road safety issues and concerns. The information gathered helps the council provide advice regarding existing facilities and develop solutions to safety concerns raised by older pedestrians.
Housing
Housing is another area that is starting to get more attention as our population ages. The preferred option of older Australians is to remain in their homes for as long as possible and until their changing circumstance necessitate a move to an assisted care environment. For older people, the home represents security, continuity, familiarity, and a sense of place. But remaining in a traditional, single-family house can be difficult. There are high maintenance costs, physical challenges involved in cleaning and maintenance, and physical barriers for those with limited mobility and strength.
Older people who must move are often constrained by the lack of housing alternatives within their community. When such housing is found, it is frequently located on "left over" land at the edge of town, far from the services that seniors need to access. The location, composition and design of a local housing stock can influence the extent to which senior Australians age in place. We need to provide flexible models of accommodation, encompassing a wide range of settings, while at the same time fostering supportive environments and independence.
For councils, the challenge is to ensure diversity in local housing stock to allow choice for people as they age. There is a clear need for a range of diverse housing types across municipalities. The ageing of single people and couples in large, low-density housing results in potential under-utilisation of expensive urban infrastructure and building investment. When older people are able to move to smaller, in-fill development, there are more housing opportunities for younger people as well as considerable savings to be made by reducing demand for serviced single-dwelling blocks on the city fringe. It's a win-win situation.
We also need better housing design - housing that can also be used by those with physical limitations. Councils are encouraging the development of a higher proportion of 'adaptable housing' in all new developments including general residential subdivisions, in-fill development and redevelopments. Land-use changes and development proposals that require permits are an appropriate time to require age-sensitive site plan modifications. Public improvements can be directed toward removing barriers and providing amenities. Education can be an important means for convincing builders and residents to make improvements on their own initiative.
Victoria's Nillumbik Shire Council - for example - has developed an information kit which provides hints and considerations for builders and residents to make their home design more age-friendly and enhance the ability of older people to live independently. I should add that Nillumbik won the inaugural Australian Government Planning for an Ageing Community award for its Homewise Kit. For their part, consumers need access to information that will help them make informed choices as they address problems of ageing for themselves or as caregivers.
We also need to consider issues related to the provision of services such as home and community care. Home maintenance is an issue for many; in one study 60% reported unmet property maintenance needs. This is an issue which needs attention. Many councils provide services funded through the Home and Community Care program. Further investment in HACC is needed to help keep people at home longer.
A further challenge for councils concerns location. We need to ensure we have appropriate location of a broad range of medical, support, recreational and retail services. These need to be linked to public transport options. Housing for older people should - ideally - be sited in the heart of a community within walking distance of shops, medical facilities, and other services such as libraries, banks and community centres.
Transport
I'd now like to drill down and look at some specific transport issues for local government in its quest to achieve a community for all ages. Transport is - of course - a key factor for a successful ageing in place strategy. Like everyone else, older people need to get around. In fact, it's critical they do not become cocooned and isolated from the community around them. But the mobility of seniors is hampered by community design features that forces people to be reliant on motor vehicles. We increasingly live - to use the jargon - in an "auto-dependent" society.
Once older people lose the ability to drive, they can be left stranded. For many Australians, regardless of age, the ability to drive a car is the passport to personal independence. Nevertheless, driving may become more difficult as a person ages, particularly in inclement weather or at night. Reaction time may slow and vision may become less sharp. The glare of headlights is a major factor affecting older drivers' visual abilities at night. External changes - including greater speed and density of traffic, new alignment of intersections, and additions to the road rules also challenge driving ability. Recognising this, councils are exploring ways to make driving safer.
The Koogarah Council in Sydney, for example, runs Drive - a three day program that takes participants through a wide range of practical and theoretical group activities. Workshops explore the issues that relate to keeping senior drivers safer on the roads as well as to consider community services, including alternative transport options. It is a proactive approach toward seniors maintaining their mobility and enhancing their driving skills and knowledge. This project has been commended as it incorporates practical information workshops and hands on training to provide relevant advice to seniors in Kogarah. The project's evaluation shows marked improvements in driver behaviour.
Decreased reliance on the car would be encouraged if there were a mix of affordable and accessible transport options. However, encouraging older people to use other transport modes can be challenging. Barriers to regular use many include a lack of accessibility, inconvenient routes and fear of crime. Community transport schemes have potential to provide for the transport needs of older people without access to a car, especially those with disabilities. They frequently provide flexible door-to-door services, incorporate special features needed by wheelchair users and often take into account special needs by having someone in addition to the driver to assist passengers. Such schemes are able to respond to specific local situations, such as taking people to hospital clinics or day-care centres.
Community transport is a category that brings together a range of schemes, generally arising from the initiatives of voluntary organisations at the local or regional level. But community transport is largely reliant on volunteers and is hampered by ongoing concerns about funding and regulation. The latter includes the status of volunteer drivers and the attitudes of other transport providers, especially taxis, who may see community transport as a competitive threat.
Councils are already promoting, supporting and running community transport schemes. Transport service providers in Dubbo - for example - are working together to promote a range of transport options for seniors in the community. Dubbo Coaches, Dubbo Radio Cabs, Dubbo Community Transport and the Dubbo City Council have all joined forces to promote the services for seniors, as part of the Transport NSW Rural Transport Pilot Project.
The bigger picture
Town planning, housing and transport are three areas where local government can - and is - playing a critical role in preparing for the challenge of pronounced demographic change. In closing, I want to have a look at the bigger picture facing Australia's 675 councils as our population ages.
While some will feel the impact more than others, no Australian council will be immune from the effects of demographic change. That's made abundantly clear by the Productivity Commission report that examined the impact of ageing on all three spheres of government. The report makes sober reading. It found:
- ageing of the population will place increasing pressure on local government expenditure
- there is likely to be an emerging fiscal deficit for local government under current policy settings
- Federal financial assistance grants are unlikely to represent a source of revenue growth that would offset any increased spending associated with ageing
- local government rate revenue - our only source of taxation revenue - will come under pressure from the increasing proportion of pensioner households.
The Productivity Commission also found that much of local government will face increasing pressure relating to the suitability of infrastructure, much of which was constructed without particular consideration for ageing populations.
ALGA has been arguing long and hard that councils are under significant financial pressure. We need fair federal funding to help us get on with the job of serving our communities. We need to replace the current system of finical assistance grants with one that provides councils with access to growth funding. Without a fairer funding deal, local government will find it increasingly difficult to provide for the needs of our ageing population.
This is an issue which must be addressed - and addressed sooner rather than latter. That said, the Australian Local Government Association has placed a high priority on assisting councils to address ageing issues. To this end, we have developed an important partnership with the Australian Government. And hear I pay tribute to the Minister for forging an early partnership with local government to assist us with this task.
At the national level, ALGA has developed a four-year-plan to help engage local government in a coordinated approach to population ageing issues. The plan is designed to provide a flexible framework that:
- builds awareness of population ageing within local government;
- encourages local government action to plan for an ageing population;
- fosters partnerships to support a more collaborative approach to population ageing; and
- improves access to regional information on population ageing and future demographic shifts.
The plan complements other national ageing strategies and builds on the considerable work already undertaken across the country. Since the Minister launched the Australian Local Government Population Ageing Action Plan, in July last year, ALGA has been actively building the capacity of local government to plan for an ageing population.
We now have a comprehensive ageing website and have an ageing forum to go with it.
We've conducted our first awareness and action survey.
We're showcasing the excellent work that councils are undertaking.
We've published a guide to assist local government to make further progress in planning for an ageing community.
We're compiling a council ageing strategy register.
And we are developing an online 'toolbox' that will provide councils with the tools, resources and contacts to integrate population ageing issues into all aspects of local government operations.
Summary
In summary, we have a long way to go. But we're past first base. Local government is keen to work collaboratively with stakeholders - individually or collectively - to achieve agreed objectives.
By working in partnership, I'm confident we can meet the challenges an ageing population presents and ensure councils continue to foster safe, secure and responsive communities sensitive to the needs of our increasing proportion of mature aged residents.
Thank you.
Councillor Geoff Lake
Vice President, Australian Local Government Association
27 September 2005
Sydney
