Local Government and Ageing in different environmentsPresentation to International Federation on Ageing ConferencePrague May 2012

Margaret KaySenior Policy Officer, Ageing and DisabilityDr Peter Phibbs, Dr Elizabeth O’Brien University of Western Sydney

Outline

Climate and Local Government

1. Local Government and Ageing project

2. Older people on the move

3. Effects of extreme climates on older people & Council responses:

• Sea level rises• Flash flood• Bush fire• Heat wave• Drought

1. Local Government and Ageing project

Local Government and Ageing Project

• Funded by Ageing, Disability and Home Care, NSW Government 2010

• Partner with Local Government and Shires Associations NSW

• 11 rural councils

• 9 metropolitan councils

What NSW councils do

NSW: • 152 councils– Ranging in size from 5 km2 to 53,000 km2 – Populations from 1,400 to 284,000

Council is:• Service provider• Planner, regulator• Manager of built and natural environment• Community advocate

Project aims

• social and economic contribution of older people

• identify the magnitude of costs for Local Government of an ageing population

• financial impact

• range of council services affected

• potential impacts on council’s revenue raising capacity

Findings

Value of older people as community members

Councils are expected to provide:• Community transport• Footpaths, paths for mobility scooters• Bus shelters (weather protection)• Services nearby• Facilities for visiting populations

Climate, councils and ageing

• Good climate = – Older people as travellers– Grey nomads need infrastructure– Retirement lifestyles - sea/tree change

• Extreme climate = – Older People’s care in extremes– Engineering solutions compete with age

friendliness

2. Older people on the move

Climate for lifestyle andtourism – NSW north coast

Grey nomads

Casino RV village NSW

Sea and tree change

LIFESTYLE CHOICES • Sea change = move to coast

• Tree change = move to countryside

Pressures on councils

• Population ages

• Pressures on council services:– garbage collection– community transport– community care– cemeteries

3. Effects of extreme climates on older people & council

responses

My Country

•

..I love a sunburnt country,A land of sweeping plains,Of ragged mountain ranges,Of droughts and flooding rains.I love her far horizons,I love her jewel-sea,Her beauty and her terror -The wide brown land for me!

Dorothea Mackellar(1885 - 1968)

•

Challenge for councils

In NSW, councils deal with a range of events:

• Sea level rises

• Flash flood

• Bush fire

• Heat wave

• Drought

Council responses

• Planning and building controls

• Engineering and road works

• Council facilities

• Health support

• Social support

Sea level rises

Rising sea level

• 85% Australians live near coast

• 60,000 homes in NSW affected by 1.1 m sea level rise = $18.7 billion

(Climate Commission 2011)

Coastal erosion

Council response – coastal management policy

• Sea walls, groynes, sand pumping

• Planned retreat policies

• Planning certificate notifications

• Coastal management fee

• Council may be liable for future damages

Sea level rise issues for older people

• Right to protect individual property

• Housing Security

• Fees?

• Insurance premiums

• Modifications?

• Caravan park dwellers

Flash flood

Flash flood Broken Hill

• 10 mm in 2 hours

• Winds 70 km/hr

• Hail

• Lightning

• Power cuts in 6,000

homes

Flash flood Broken Hill

Council response – levee bank

High kerbs

Flood issues for older people

• Health – Mosquitoes– Water quality– Sewerage overflow– Mould – asthma

• Pedestrian access difficult with high kerbs• Isolation

– food services– care

Services- meals on wheels

• Oats afloat?

• Toast in a boat

• Tea at sea?

Canterbury, NSW Meals On Wheels

Bushfire

Bushfire

• Increase in very high fire danger days

• 2002, 100+

homes destroyed (Joint Select Committee on Bushfires 2002)

Dean Street in Long Gully, west of Bendigo Wikipedia

Ku-ring-gai Council

Council response – safer places

Ku-ring-gai Council

Rural Fire Service NSW

Bushfire issues for older people

• Residential aged care – edges of towns

• Isolation

• Dangerous behaviours – gutters

• Breathing difficulties

Heat wave

Council responses - plans

• Warnings

• Local government heatwave plan

• Information on health risks and prevention

• Safe public places that are air conditioned such as libraries, movie theatres, council buildings

Heat wave issues for older people

• Power failure

• Heat stroke

• Affect on medications and life equipment

• Dehydration – toilet stops

• Living alone or homeless

• Death

Lake Macquarie Council, NSW Health Victoria

Stay cool

www.popbitch .com

Drought

Drought

• 1997 – 2009

• 2003 worst on record

CSIRO BOM 2008 Drought Exceptional circumstances

Council response - water

• Trucking in water insome rural areas

• Water saving rules

• Emergency pipeline

• Social supports for isolated farmers - outreach

Drought issues for older people

• Rural population is ageing at a faster rate

• Exhaustion

• Selling farms processes complicated

• Hospitalisations due to stress

• Social isolation of aged farmers

• Water restrictions

• Water quality

Council and climate for older people

• Respond to locals and tourists• Infrastructure• Information• Support and capacity building in climatic

extremesReport:http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/file/0005/250826/20_OBrien_and_Phibbs_2011_Local_Govt_Ageing.pdf