New Report Finds Sydney Needs Significant Investment to Prepare for an Ageing Population

Sydney currently lacks the housing, transport and access to healthcare to meet the needs of a rapidly ageing population and urgent attention must be given to public investment to support senior citizens in Sydney, according to a new report published 23 May by the Committee for Sydney in partnership with BaptistCare and Stockland.

The report, Dignity and Choice: An inclusive future for our ageing population, identifies the key challenges that need to be overcome to ensure Sydney remains inclusive and accessible for our senior population. It also contains over 30 different recommendations for federal, state and local governments to help policymakers prepare for a future where one-quarter of the population will be aged 65 or over, and 15% of the population will be aged 75 by 2056.

Ipsos polling conducted for the report found that one-third of Sydneysiders do not think they will be able to support themselves in retirement, potentially putting a big strain on future public services. Also, 50% of Sydneysiders think that their suburb does not currently cater well for the needs of seniors and retirees.

The Dignity and Choice report found in some areas of Sydney, over half of the residents approaching retirement are considering leaving their suburb due to lack of facilities for older people.

Ross Low, CEO of BaptistCare, believes that urgent investment in the care and support of older generations in Sydney is crucial. “Older Australians deserve to live happily and safely in Sydney. Although improving our infrastructure to support seniors requires significant effort and investment, we owe it to our elder generations to honour their contributions to Sydney’s local communities, by ensuring they can live here comfortably in old age.”

“Allowing our elders to be forgotten and sidelined is not the Australian way; we are a society that supports and celebrates our elders, and this must extend to ensuring that the city they love remains open to them in their later years.”

Key findings from the report paint a picture of a city that isn’t ready for the forecasted rise in its aged population. Less than 1% of properties in Sydney’s private rental market are affordable for retiree renters on the full-aged pension; BaptistCare has previously warned that women over 55 are now the fastest growing demographic for homelessness in Sydney. Social isolation is a huge problem for seniors, with one-third of older people already experiencing loneliness, and the Council on The Ageing expects that the incidence of social isolation will more than double by 2040. This is a troubling and unacceptable statistic.  

These issues for elder Australians are likely to be further complicated by related changing demographic trends; in NSW alone, the number of dementia patients is expected to more than double, from 120,000 to 300,000. Despite some exceptions, very few councils in Sydney have developed strategies to plan for the needs of people with dementia.

The Dignity and Choice reports key recommendations for government policymakers to combat these issues include:

• Expanding the provision of affordable and social housing for renting retirees
• Reforming state tenancy laws to make federally funded ageing-friendly home modification funding more accessible for renting retirees
• Reforming federal and state taxes to make it easier for home owning retirees to downsize or move into retirement living facilities
• Tackling social isolation by investing in social infrastructure and community events that are ageing-inclusive
• Developing local strategies to manage the forecast growth in local residents living with dementia

Mike Furner, General Manager Housing & Retirement Living, BaptistCare, stated his support for the recommendations: “There are few things so fundamental in life as feeling secure in your own home; this is true for us all, and especially so for older people. Many older Australians live dangerously close to the poverty line, at risk of losing their home, or dwelling in a home that no longer accommodates their changing needs.

This need not be the case. Further investment in housing infrastructure for seniors will result in more of our elders having safe, affordable options close to family and friends when they need it most.”

Dignity and Choice: An inclusive future for our ageing population is publicly available and can be read in full here.

Find out more about BaptistCare.