Retirees Frank and Thelma Richardson love the Sunshine Coast lifestyle at Living Choice Twin Waters Retirement Village. Photo Michaela O'NeillWe're the Old Coast
By Toby Walker
MAROOCHYDORE, Queensland (The Daily),
October 19, 2007:
Grey crowds are on the horizon as the Sunshine Coast’s population grows but it’s not too late to start preparing for the incoming old front. At the end of this month the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Dr Scott Prasser will present his latest research which looks at the predicted increase in the number of seniors 65 years and over who will move to the region.
Today the Sunshine Coast’s total population stands at around 276,000. By 2022 that figure is expected to be around 500,000, 125,000 of whom, said Mr Prasser, would be seniors. Mr Prasser’s research has found that the region can expect a 250% increase in the number of seniors in the next 15 years compared to the anticipated state average increase of 150% over the same period.
So is enough being done locally to cater for the social economic impacts of an older population?
I think one of the problems on the Coast is that we have had three separate local governments and to me this is more of a regional problem, he said.
At the moment it’s not causing any problems because the age group of the seniors coming here are able to drive themselves places, they’re young seniors, if you like, but as they get older issues like public transport, home services are going to become critically important.
Mr Prasser believed it would be prudent for the newly amalgamated council to establish a senior’s policy advisory unit so such issues were given appropriate recognition. But the anticipated influx of older people could prove lucrative for the astute entrepreneur too, he said. In the past seniors have tended to spend less but these new seniors have more wealth through super annuation and houses they’ve sold so there’s lots of business opportunities that will present themselves to meet their demands, he said.
Twin Waters residents Frank and Thelma Richardson have chosen to spend their twilight years on the Sunshine Coast, moving from the UK to the Living Choice retirement community. Aged 59 and 61 respectively, they are very much the young seniors Dr Prasser’s research refers to.
Frank said a combination of lifestyle-friendly factors had made the Sunshine Coast the obvious choice for an early retirement and it is easy to see why so many others are predicted to make a similar choice.
We love the Mooloolaba area and the surrounding district and obviously the climate is great so it’s an easy place to live, he said. This is what we were looking for. The resort-type living is the right style and the right price because we’re both fairly active and it had all that we wanted.
Dr Prasser will present his research at the State of the Region conference at the USC on October 30
© APN News & Media Ltd 2007
