This document summarizes a presentation about how local governments in Australia respond to climate change and an aging population. It discusses how older residents and tourists are affected by coastal flooding, bushfires, heat waves and drought. Councils implement policies on coastal development, emergency planning, infrastructure improvements and social services to support seniors during extreme weather. The challenges include housing, transportation, health risks and social isolation for older community members.

1. Local Government and
Ageing in different
environments
Presentation to International Federation
on Ageing Conference
Prague May 2012
Margaret Kay
Senior Policy Officer, Ageing and Disability
Dr Peter Phibbs, Dr Elizabeth O’Brien
University of Western Sydney

2. 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

3. 1. Local Government and
Ageing project

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 2. Older people on the move

10. Climate for lifestyle and
tourism – NSW north coast

11. Grey nomads

13. Casino RV village NSW

15. Sea and tree change
LIFESTYLE CHOICES
• Sea change =
move to coast
• Tree change =
move to countryside

16. Pressures on councils
• Population ages
• Pressures on council services:
– garbage collection
– community transport
– community care
– cemeteries

17. 3. Effects of extreme climates
on older people & council
responses

18. 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)
•

19. Challenge for councils
In NSW, councils deal with a range of events:
• Sea level rises
• Flash flood
• Bush fire
• Heat wave
• Drought

20. Council responses
• Planning and building controls
• Engineering and road works
• Council facilities
• Health support
• Social support

21. Sea level rises

22. Rising sea level
• 85% Australians live near coast

23. • 60,000 homes in NSW affected by 1.1 m sea
level rise = $18.7 billion
(Climate Commission 2011)

24. Coastal erosion

25. 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

26. Sea level rise issues for older
people
• Right to protect individual property
• Housing Security
• Fees?
• Insurance premiums
• Modifications?
• Caravan park dwellers

27. Flash flood

28. Flash flood Broken Hill
• 10 mm in 2 hours
• Winds 70 km/hr
• Hail
• Lightning
• Power cuts in 6,000
homes

29. Flash flood Broken Hill

30. Council response – levee bank

31. High kerbs

32. Flood issues for older people
• Health
– Mosquitoes
– Water quality
– Sewerage overflow
– Mould – asthma
• Pedestrian access difficult with high kerbs
• Isolation
– food services
– care

33. Services- meals on wheels
• Oats afloat?
• Toast in a boat
• Tea at sea?
Canterbury, NSW Meals On Wheels

34. Bushfire

35. Bushfire
• Increase in very high fire danger days
• 2002, 100+
homes destroyed
(Joint Select Committee on Bushfires 2002)

36. Dean Street in Long Gully, west of Bendigo
Wikipedia
Ku-ring-gai Council

37. Council response – safer places
Ku-ring-gai Council
Rural Fire Service NSW

38. Bushfire issues for older people
• Residential aged care – edges of towns
• Isolation
• Dangerous behaviours – gutters
• Breathing difficulties

39. Heat wave

40. 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

41. Heat wave issues for older people
• Power failure
• Heat stroke
• Affect on medications and life equipment
• Dehydration – toilet stops
• Living alone or homeless
• Death

42. Lake Macquarie Council, NSW Health Victoria

43. Stay cool
www.popbitch .com

44. Drought

45. Drought
• 1997 – 2009
• 2003 worst
on record
CSIRO BOM 2008 Drought Exceptional
circumstances

46. Council response - water
• Trucking in water in
some rural areas
• Water saving rules
• Emergency pipeline
• Social supports for
isolated farmers
- outreach

47. 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

48. Council and climate
for older people
• Respond to locals and tourists
• Infrastructure
• Information
• Support and capacity building in climatic
extremes
Report:
http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/file
/0005/250826/20_OBrien_and_Phibbs_2011
_Local_Govt_Ageing.pdf