AUSTRALIA: Call To Appoint Ambassador For Ageing

SYDNEY (ABC News), November 30, 2007: A peak retirement industry body says the new Minister for the Ageing, Nicola Roxon, must develop policies to assist the rapidly growing number of older Australians. Ms Roxon replaces outgoing Liberal Party minister for the ageing, Christopher Pyne, after the Coalition was defeated by Labor in the federal election. Retirement Village Association chief executive officer Kate Hamond says Ms Roxon should start by appointing an ambassador of the ageing, to oversee the interests of those over 65. "We do have ambassadors for all sorts of things in our society, but older people should be considered and with of course almost 3 million being over 65, it's a fair chunk of society that needs consideration," she said. "The industry has actually doubled in size, the number of residents in Australia has doubled in the past 10 years and they will double again. "Because they are such a significant group in the community - they're aren't sick, they are just older." © 2007 ABC