Housing Needs to Change if We Are to Age Well

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Today's senior Australians are healthy, and wealthier and more skilled than previous generations of older Australians. This is changing our communities and Australian society more broadly.

'But we need governments, industry and individuals to adapt to this demographic change. For example, in the housing sector, seniors need affordable choices to be able to downsize into appropriate housing,' says Mr Everald Compton, chair of the Advisory Panel on the Economic Potential on Senior Australians, which also includes Professor Gill Lewin and Professor Brian Howe.

'We, the panel, firmly believe that the ageing of the population can be turned into a really strong economic positive for the nation. To make the most of this achievement of living longer and living better, individuals, organisations and the nation must anticipate, plan for and invest in this longer life.', says Mr Everald Compton.

Today, the panel handed its second report to the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler.  The final report will make recommendations to the Government and be handed to Treasurer Wayne Swan on Monday 12 December at the Older Workers and Work Ability Conference in Melbourne.

The panel has almost completed its public consultations, visiting Adelaide, Alice Springs, Armidale, Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Canberra.

'We have spoken to a range of representative bodies and interested parties around Australia', said Mr Compton. 'They raised many issues and we have drawn out the key themes which revolve around healthy living, housing, participation and lifelong learning.'

'Most Australians will age well, but a proportion will face severe barriers, due to health issues, accumulated disadvantage, low or outdated skills and other life circumstances' he said. 'Australia needs to develop strategies that capitalise on opportunities an ageing population brings, and these strategies need to demonstrate awareness and understanding of the implications of a longer life course.'

'Everyone – the government, not-for-profit organisations, the private sector, individuals – needs to work together, in partnership, to realise the opportunities. That is why we want recommendations from all members of across society about what should or could be done to help realise the potential of our senior Australians,' said Mr Compton.

Interested parties are invited to send their recommendations to the secretariat via epsa.secretariat@treasury.gov.au.

The second report, Realising the economic potential of senior Australians: enabling opportunity, is at http://www.treasury.gov.au/content/publications.asp.

2 November 2011