12 April 2005
Executive summary
Older people are a significant and growing part of local communities. This trend presents both daunting challenges and real opportunities for local government. To build the capacity of local government to meet the opportunities and challenges, ALGA developed the Australian Local Government Population Ageing Action Plan. The plan provides a flexible and dynamic framework that builds awareness, encourages action, fosters partnerships and improves access to information.
An initiative of the action plan is to undertake a survey to gauge awareness of population ageing within local government and to determine the level of local government action on population ageing issues. On 16 December 2004, ALGA launched its first Ageing Awareness and Action Survey. ALGA received 232 responses to the survey, representing 35% of Australia's 673 local councils. The highest response rate by an individual state or territory was Victoria, with 60% of the state's 79 councils responding to the survey. Local councils in rural Australia returned the highest number of surveys accounting for 62% of the total response rate.
Highly developed awareness
- Every respondent to the survey is aware that Australia's population is ageing.
- Over half of all respondents to the survey consider themselves either very well informed or well informed about population ageing issues.
Impact is extensive
- 93% percent of councils believe that population ageing will have an 'impact' on their municipality.
- Almost 28% described the 'likely' impact of population ageing on their municipality as severe.
- Nearly 80% of councils expect the impact of population ageing to occur from now through to 2019.
- The likely impact of population ageing is: Severe for home and community care, transport service and residential aged care; and moderate for housing, health and wellbeing services and recreation and leisure services.
Action has commenced
- 97% of local councils believe that they must plan now for the impacts of an ageing population.
- In responding to population ageing, only 31.43% of councils rate it as a high priority.
- Just 25.24% of local councils have developed a strategy in response to population ageing.
Resources are needed
- Local council's need assistance to enhance their capacity to meet the needs of the growing older population.
- The most important resource requirements identified by councils were specialised staff with 118 responses and support systems and networks with 102 responses.
