WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? - PORTER OPENS RETIREMENT INDUSTRY CONFERENCE

Tonight Mary Porter AM MLA opened the 2011 Retirement Village Association ACT/NSW Regional Conference at a welcome cocktail reception.

Ms Porter, representing the ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher at the reception, said that with Canberra’s population set to age more rapidly than many other parts of Australia, the ACT Government was well advanced with plans to cater for the changing demographics.

"However," she added “as our aging population grows more and more people are choosing retirement village living as an option when downsizing, that is why my draft legislation in relation to the management of this industry is important.”

“People do need more options though, for example, since 2009 we have built more than 200 homes for older people to allow them to downsize from their larger houses,” Ms Porter said.

“This important Conference will give those who work in the industry an opportunity to discuss a diverse range of topics including innovation, economic forecasts, development opportunities, and sustainability.”

Delegates are attending from across the ACT and NSW and they will be taken on a tour of some of Canberra’s retirement villages’ whilst at the conference.

“The ACT Government is also eager to hear from older Canberrans about the issues they are facing and will be holding the country’s first Older Persons Assembly in September.

“In addition, the ACT Government and the ANU have recently launched the Age Friendly City Survey which is currently open to ACT residents aged 60 years and over who want to contribute to our understanding of the needs and experiences of older people.”

The survey can be completed online at www.surveymonkey.com/s/age_friendly_survey until 5 August 2011.

Media Contact:

Charles Njora 02 6205 2096