2002-03 Positive Ageing Action Plan

Thank you all for attending this important occasion.

It is important for two reasons.

First it is a recognition of the range of government agencies that have breathed life into the Positive Ageing Strategy.

And second, it is an opportunity to look forward as we launch the 2002-03 Positive Ageing Strategy Action Plan.

The process of planning to integrate Positive Ageing objectives throughout the mainstream of the government sector, and then accounting for actions undertaken in accordance with those objectives is an extremely positive process, and having read through the first report and next years Action Plan, I can see the potential for best practice guidelines to emerge.

There are the obvious aspects of the report that I would want to mention:-

1. Release of Living Standards of Older new Zealanders reports in July 2001
2. The Living Standards of Older Maori Report was recently released as well and I want to acknowledge the importance of the role of MSD in ensuring this research is undertaken as it informs our work.
3. Launch of the Retirement Commission’s Sorted website and advertising campaign in September 2001
4. Passage of the New Zealand Superannuation Act on 10 October 2001
5. First reading of the Retirement Villages Bill in Parliament in February 2002, and an expectation that it will be reported back from the Select Committee when Parliament resumes next year.
6. Launch of the Health of Older People Strategy in April 2002.
7. Development of a Maori Health Strategy and a Pacific Health and Disability Action Plan
Establishment, through the Heartland Services initiative, of 12 centres for government services and 12 monthly outreach services for provincial and rural New Zealand.
8. Development of a Future of Work project by the Department of Labour, which will consider the implications of an ageing workforce in New Zealand.
9. Implementation of mature employment and age discrimination projects by the EEO Trust, the Human Rights Commission, Work and Income Canterbury and the Canterbury Development Corporation.
10. Implementation of an Adult Literacy Strategy focusing on adult and community education.

However there are other aspects of the report that I want to highlight as well.

For example Customs have introduced retirement seminars and phased retirement has been formalised in policy.

I was delighted to read this achievement, because it is an issue that is of increasing importance – and that is how do we ensure that people both plan for and acclimatise to retirement. I will be very interested to see how the Customs initiative develops, because I can definitely see it making its way into accepted best practice.

Apart from this report, which refers to the government’s approach to Positive Ageing, and includes central government, local government and community partnerships, I do want to mention the role the private sector can play and acknowledge the good corporate citizenship that is exemplified by Telecom/Xtra in its 10 year partnership with SeniorNet.

The 100th Club has now been launched and represents a real commitment to bridging the digital divide and the generation gap.

So this report provides a snapshot of success, and this report provides a snapshot of the challenges ahead in a year where I believe further real advances will continue to be made.

When I launched the Positive Ageing Strategy I said that the action plans would be what gave it life.

I’d like to thank all the departments who participated so willingly and ably in this important process and thank you again for joining with us as we celebrate the lifeblood of the Positive Ageing Strategy.