21 January 2004
Media Statement
Positive ageing needs local support
Senior Citizens Minister Ruth Dyson today called on all local authorities to follow the example of New Plymouth, South
Taranaki and Taupo District Councils and Christchurch City Council and sign up to the New Zealand Positive Ageing
Strategy.
Releasing the strategy’s 2003/2004 annual report and 2004/05 action plan, Ruth Dyson said local body issues such as
housing, transport and access to services have a huge impact on the ability of older people to participate in society.
“I want to congratulate the New Plymouth, South Taranaki and Taupo District Councils who have formally endorsed the
strategy’s goals by developing positive ageing plans for their communities. I am also delighted to see that Christchurch
City Council is included in the 2004/2005 national action plan for the first time.
“I hope that over the coming year, other local councils will work in partnership with the Office for Senior Citizens and
older people in their communities to promote positive ageing and make New Zealand a better place for everyone.”
Ruth Dyson said government agencies were making good progress in implementing the 10 goals of the positive ageing
strategy, with 152 actions completed in 2003/2004 and a similar number identified for the following year.
Highlights for 2003/2004 included:
legislation to progressively remove asset testing for older people in residential care;
legislation to improve protection for people buying into and living in retirement villages, including a Residents’
Code of Rights and Industry Code of Practice;
development of guidelines for multi-disciplinary, comprehensive, integrated assessment processes for older people and
their carers;
research funding of $4m over five years to Waikato University and the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit to
study well-being and ageing.
Copies of the New Zealand Positive Ageing Annual Report, 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004, and New Zealand Positive Ageing
Action Plan, 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005 are available from the Office for Senior Citizens, PO Box 12 136, Bowen St,
Wellington. Phone (04) 916 3758. Fax (04) 916 3778. Or on the website: www.osc.govt.nz
Contact details for local councils that have signed up to the New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy are attached.
Key achievements in central, regional and local government to improve opportunities for older people in 2003/2004
included:
Positive Ageing Goal Achievements in 2003/2004
1. Secure and adequate income for older people Ministry of Social Development - legislation to progressively remove
asset testing from residential care introduced to Parliament.
Retirement Commission - launched a 60 plus section of the ‘Sorted’ website to provide information to older people on
how to manage their assets over the course of their retirement.
Work and Income regions, Ministry of Social Development - community information services on entitlements provided to
older people.
2. Equitable, timely, affordable and accessible health services for older people Accident Compensation
Corporation - 41 Tai Chi programmes developed in 15 areas nationwide.
Ministry of Health - guidelines for multidisciplinary, comprehensive and integrated assessment processes for older
people and their carers developed and released publicly October 2003.
Ministry of Health - ‘Life after Stroke’ Guidelines published and available on the Stroke Foundation website.
Ministry of Health - development of the Residential Care Dementia Standard commenced.
New Zealand Artificial Limb Board - Best Practice Guidelines Physiotherapy implemented for hospital management of
amputees in Christchurch.
3. Affordable and appropriate housing options for older people Housing New Zealand Corporation – funding provided
from the Housing Innovation Fund to three community groups specifically for new housing for older people. The funding
will provide a total of 20 units for older people.
Housing New Zealand Corporation - 131 former Auckland City Council pensioner units were reconfigured, modernised or
redeveloped for older tenants.
New Plymouth District Council and Accident Compensation Corporation - audit report completed on falls hazard in older
people’s housing November 2003.
Office for Senior Citizens, Ministry of Social Development - Retirement Villages Act 2003 passed into legislation on
30 October 2003.
4. Affordable and accessible transport options for older people
Land Transport Safety Authority - New Zealand Driver Licensing’s driver testing officers and agent managers
attended a training course which focused on the needs of older drivers.
New Zealand Institute for Research on Ageing (NZiRA) - completed the Coping without a Car report on how older people
cope without access to private transport.
Transfund, Ministry of Transport - extended the scope of the Passenger Transport Social Services Review to incorporate
the access and mobility objective of the New Zealand Transport Strategy.
5. A range of culturally appropriate services allows choices for older people Office for Ethnic Affairs, Department
of Internal Affairs - ten government agencies committed to developing Ethnic Responsiveness plans.
Work and Income, Ministry of Social Development - proactive use of the multilingual contact centre improved
communication between Work and Income staff and older Pacific people.
Work and Income, Ministry of Social Development - staff provided services to older Māori on marae.
6. Older people living in rural communities are not disadvantaged when accessing services
Department of Internal Affairs - approximately $3 million distributed to 437 community groups in the
not-for-profit sector by Lottery Seniors funding.
Department of Labour - Connecting Communities national conference identified priorities for community Information
Communication Technology (ICT) work for the next five years.
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry – two Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) Access pilots in Tokoroa
and Southland supported to provide training and information to rural residents including rural older people.
7. People of all ages have positive attitudes to ageing and older people Ministry of Culture and Heritage - A
Fair Sort of Battle - veterans’ oral history of the Italian campaign published April 2004
Department of Labour - Diversity Index 2003 published and available on the EEO Trust website.
Work and Income Auckland Region and Office for Senior Citizens, Ministry of Social Development - training package
developed for Work and Income staff working with older people.
Ministry of Culture and Heritage - New Zealand and the Second World War – the People, the Battles and the Legacy
published April 2004.
8. Elimination of ageism and promotion of flexible work options Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry - seventy-seven
retirement planning seminars held from Whangarei to Invercargill.
Department of Labour - Achieving Balanced Lives and Employment a summary report published on Work/Life balance.
Ministry of Social Development - Mature Focused Case Management practice introduced December 2003 to ensure all Work
and Income unemployed clients aged 45 to 59 years receive intensive case management and support to attain sustainable
employment.
9. Increasing opportunities for personal growth and community participation Ministry of Education - in 2003, 4633
students aged 65 years and over participated in formal tertiary education making up 1% of the total student population,
up from 542 or 0.2% in 1998.
Ministry of Education – 18,000 older people over 60 years participated in Adult and Community Education (ACE) in 2003.
Ministry of Culture and Heritage - funding provided to 160 veterans to attend the 60th anniversary of the battle of
Monte Cassino and 30 veterans supported to attend the 50th anniversary of the signing of the armistice for the Korean
War.
10. Increasing opportunities for personal growth and community participation Ministry of Education - in 2003, 4633
students aged 65 years and over participated in formal tertiary education making up 1% of the total student population,
up from 542 or 0.2% in 1998.
Ministry of Education – 18,000 older people over 60 years participated in Adult and Community Education (ACE) in 2003.
Ministry of Culture and Heritage - funding provided to 160 veterans to attend the 60th anniversary of the battle of
Monte Cassino and 30 veterans supported to attend the 50th anniversary of the signing of the armistice for the Korean
War.