Thursday 23 January 2025
MEDIA RELEASE
RLC welcomes Tasmania’s action plan to support oldest population in the nation
The Retirement Living Council (RLC) welcomes the Tasmanian Government’s renewed focus on its ageing community with the Respectful, Age-friendly Island: Older Tasmanians’ Action Plan 2025–2029.
The release of the Plan follows recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data that shows Tasmania has the highest average age – at 42.7 years old – in the nation.
The Plan outlines the actions the Tasmanian Government will take over the next five years to ensure its ageing community feels supported, connected, valued and respected.
Retirement Living Council Executive Director, Daniel Gannon, welcomed the release of the Plan and said a quarter of Tasmania’s population is aged 65 and over.
“This type of initiative is crucial as the social demographics rapidly change across the country, and leading the way is Tasmania, which is ageing faster than any other state or territory,” Mr Gannon said.
“Tasmania has the largest proportion of people aged 65 and over, and that’s why we’re pleased the Plan was informed by thorough consultation with the ageing community.
“Feedback was provided by more than 1,500 Tasmanians whose recommendations – on ageing in a healthy and safe environment – were incorporated into the final Plan.
“This Plan also speaks to a larger challenge facing not only Tasmania, but the whole country.
“We have a rapidly ageing population, a chronic housing supply deficit, and struggling healthcare systems. There is a silver tsunami on the horizon and retirement living communities have a crucial role to play as people grow older and greyer at a rate never seen before.
“By 2040, Australia’s over-75 age cohort is forecast to skyrocket from two million to 3.7 million – that’s a whopping increase of 85 per cent.
“That’s why the RLC continues to advocate for rightsizing – an initiative that sees older Australians move into age-appropriate accommodation that can support their evolving needs.
“In turn, this injects additional homes into the market during the housing crisis and means older Australians are less likely to need hospital or aged care.”
Media contact: Ben Harvy | 0430 306 424 | [email protected]