By KATHRYN BERMINGHAM
CARDINIA Shire Council unanimously passed its new Age Friendly Strategy at Monday night’s meeting.
Designed to “create an ‘age-friendly’ community for Cardinia Shire residents,” the strategy outlined a number of key objectives for the years to 2019.
It details plans to benefit the older demographic in the areas of outdoor spaces and buildings, transport, housing, respect and social inclusion, social participation, communication and information, civic participation and employment and community support and health services.
Councillor Collin Ross said the strategy was a win for the ageing population of Cardinia.
“I’d just like to emphasise that this is a really, really important document,” he told the meeting.
“As we know we have an ageing population, and in Cardinia Shire over the next 10 to 20 years we’re going to have more and more people moving into Cardinia Shire who are retired age.”
He said that the employment of Positive Aging Officer Kelly Burdack was crucial to seeing the plan achieve success.
“That just shows that we take it seriously enough that instead of different people doing bits and pieces, we have someone dedicated to that position on an ongoing basis.”
The plan will be funded through council’s financial resources and budget.
Councillor Kate Lempriere took the opportunity to recognise local identity and positive ageing supporter John Goff, who passed away on the weekend.
“Councillors I’d just like to mention that one of our senior citizens, who was very prominent and prevalent within the shire, John Goff, passed away on Saturday,” she said.
“And that’s very sad because he was very active with U3A, it was his baby for a long long time, and he did an awful lot in helping seniors through the University of the Third Age, and I respectfully ask you to stand for a minute’s silence.”
