Tripartite agreement in Tas for population ageing

Older Tasmanians will benefit from a new agreement signed in Hobart to better coordinate care and services across the three tiers of government.

The Tripartite Partnership Agreement for Population Ageing in Tasmania has been signed by the Premier, Paul Lennon, the federal Minister for Ageing, Senator Santo Santoro, and the President of the Local Government Association of Tasmania, Councillor Mike Gaffney.

The agreement is the first of its kind in Australia and has been hailed as an excellent example of innovative collaboration between governments.

“The State Government initiated the negotiation of this important agreement because one in four Tasmanians is over 55 and, in population terms, we are the second oldest state but the fastest ageing,” Premier Paul Lennon said.

He said the agreement would build on the work that all governments are doing for older people and would help to address the challenges of an ageing population.
The agreement includes a commitment to joint action for better coordination and access to information, improved planning of aged-care services, and encouraging best practice and innovation in providing aged care services and accommodation.

Senator Santoro said the Commonwealth Government provides more than $200 million each year for aged and community care services to support older Tasmanians.

He said the agreement should see more cooperation between different levels of government to ensure that planning meets the needs of Tasmania’s ageing population.

Councillor Mike Gaffney, President of the Local Government Association of Tasmania, said councils around Australia faced significant challenges in providing age-friendly environments within existing community infrastructure and available services.

He said the agreement recognises that, to meet these challenges successfully, there must be authentic cooperation between the three spheres of government, positive working relationships with business and industry and, importantly, effective consultation with our communities.