13 June 2012, 130612, Aged Care, ageing population, Housing, information, Ken Morrison, outdoor spaces, PCA, Property Council of Australia, Security, transport, universal design standards
Ken Morrison says our cities need to be transformed for our ageing population – and it’s not solely about nursing homes.
By 2050 Australia will have a population of 35 million – almost a quarter of whom will be over 65. And while we are ageing, our cities are growing. It’s not just aged care facilities and health care which will be under pressure but our cities as a whole — transport, outdoor spaces, housing, information access and security.
The Property Council’s Ken Morrison tells 3Q the problem is not isolated to the lack of nursing home places. With a declining tax base and a burgeoning number of elderly, the pressures on all tiers of government will be immense which is why making cities function now is more important than ever.
Read his blog about age friendly cities.
As the Government promotes its policy of the elderly staying in their homes for longer, the Property Council is part of an organisation lobbying for all new homes to be built to universal design standards by 2020.
Read about the partnership between the Property Council, government and other organisations.
By building a house to last its occupants’ lifetimes, despite illness or disability, we will all be able to live independently for longer. Universal design ideas are already being implemented in Japan, Britain, Canada and Norway.
Essential Report, Polling, safety, Security, Terrorism
Q. Do you think Australia is a safer or less safe place than it was 10 years ago?
| Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
| Total safer | 19% | 28% | 18% | 12% |
| Total less safe | 36% | 28% | 40% | 28% |
| A lot safer | 5% | 9% | 5% | 3% |
| A little safer | 14% | 19% | 13% | 9% |
| About the same | 42% | 43% | 40% | 59% |
| A little less safe | 26% | 21% | 30% | 24% |
| A lot less safe | 10% | 7% | 10% | 4% |
| Don’t know | 3% | 2% | 3% | 2% |
More respondents think that Australia is now less safe than it was 10 years ago (36% total less safe), compared to those that think it is safer (19% total safe). Most respondents think it is about the same (42%).
Those aged 25-34 years old are more likely to regard Australia as a lot safer (10%) than the general sample (5%). Those aged 65+ are significantly more likely to regard Australia as less safe, with 57% of these respondents stating that they felt it was total less safe overall, compared with 36% of the general sample.
Labor voters are the most likely to regard Australia as a safer place than it was 10 years ago (28% total safer) and Greens voters are the least likely to do so (12% total safer).
Lib/Nat voters are the most likely to regard Australia as less safe than 10 years ago (40%), compared with 28% of Labor and 28% of Greens voters.
approach to asylum seekers, asylum seekers, climate change, Election Issues, Essential Report, fair industrial relations system, federal politics, Greens, Labor, Liberal, management of the economy, Nationals, political leadership, Polling, polls, population growth, protecting the environment, quality education for all children, quality of Australia’s health system, Security, taxation
Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election?
| Total | Labor | Liberal/ National | Green | |
| Management of the economy | 61% | 60% | 76% | 28% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 26% | 29% | 24% | 27% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 49% | 50% | 50% | 51% |
| Protecting the environment | 15% | 17% | 10% | 52% |
| A fair industrial relations system | 8% | 12% | 4% | 4% |
| Political leadership | 17% | 16% | 20% | 16% |
| Addressing climate change | 15% | 23% | 6% | 45% |
| Controlling interest rates | 13% | 15% | 13% | 6% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 32% | 28% | 36% | 12% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 5% | 5% | 3% | 7% |
| Housing affordability | 16% | 16% | 13% | 16% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 17% | 14% | 19% | 16% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 8% | 4% | 13% | 1% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 5% | 3% | 5% | 12% |
| Managing population growth | 12% | 12% | 12% | 9% |
There were few substantial differences between voters on issues they considered important. Compared to the average, Labor voters are more likely to rate addressing climate change (23%) as important.
Liberal/National voters attach more importance to management of the economy (76%) and security and the war on terrorism (13%) while Greens voters are more likely to nominate protecting the environment (52%), addressing climate change (45%) and treatment of asylum seekers (12%).
controlling interest rates, Election Issues, fair industrial relations system, management of the economy, quality education for all children, Security, war on terrorism
Q. And which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | |
| Management of the economy | 37% | 42% | 2% | 19% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 42% | 31% | 4% | 23% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 36% | 35% | 5% | 25% |
| Protecting the environment | 19% | 20% | 40% | 21% |
| A fair industrial relations system | 44% | 30% | 4% | 22% |
| Political leadership | 34% | 36% | 5% | 25% |
| Addressing climate change | 21% | 22% | 31% | 26% |
| Controlling interest rates | 28% | 42% | 2% | 29% |
| Protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 41% | 33% | 3% | 23% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 24% | 27% | 21% | 29% |
| Housing affordability | 31% | 31% | 4% | 34% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 35% | 35% | 3% | 28% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 27% | 35% | 4% | 34% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 26% | 33% | 9% | 33% |
| Standing up for regular Australian working families | 44% | 28% | 4% | 23% |
| Managing population growth | 28% | 33% | 7% | 33% |
| Making sure Australian working people got fair treatment at their workplace | 45% | 29% | 3% | 23% |
Labor is trusted most to handle a fair industrial relations system (44%), ensuring a quality education for all children (42%) and protecting Australian jobs and protection of local industries (41%).
The Liberals are trusted most to handle management of the economy (42%), controlling interest rates (42%) and security and the war on terrorism (35%).
climate change, economy, Education, Election, environment, Health, immigration, International Relations, Security, Voting intention
Q. How important are the following in deciding which party you will vote for?
| Top priority | Very important | Quite important | Not so important | Don’t know | |
| Better at handling Australia’s economy | 37% | 48% | 10% | 1% | 4% |
| They have better policies on things like education and health | 31% | 47% | 16% | 1% | 4% |
| They are more capable of governing effectively than the other parties | 30% | 47% | 16% | 1% | 6% |
| They are more likely to represent the interests of all Australians | 30% | 45% | 18% | 3% | 5% |
| They will do things that help me and my family | 28% | 42% | 21% | 4% | 5% |
| They have better policies on things like national security and immigration | 24% | 42% | 22% | 6% | 5% |
| Better at looking after the interests people like me | 23% | 47% | 22% | 4% | 4% |
| They have better policies on things like industrial relations and supporting Australian workers | 23% | 44% | 24% | 4% | 5% |
| More trustworthy than the other parties | 22% | 44% | 21% | 5% | 8% |
| They have better policies on things like environment and climate change | 21% | 41% | 23% | 9% | 5% |
| They have a better leader | 16% | 40% | 28% | 8% | 7% |
| I always vote for them | 9% | 15% | 24% | 42% | 10% |
Key factors in deciding which party to vote for are handling the economy (37% top priority), policies on education and health (31%), capable of governing effectively (30%) and representing the interests of all Australians (30%). Comments »
economy, Education, Election, Health, immigration, International Relations, Security, Voting intention
Q. How important are the following in deciding which party you will vote for?
| Top priority | Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens |
| Better at handling Australia’s economy | 37% | 33% | 51% | 19% |
| They have better policies on things like education and health | 31% | 41% | 25% | 35% |
| They are more capable of governing effectively than the other parties | 30% | 30% | 35% | 18% |
| They are more likely to represent the interests of all Australians | 30% | 36% | 25% | 25% |
| They will do things that help me and my family | 28% | 32% | 27% | 17% |
| They have better policies on things like national security and immigration | 24% | 24% | 29% | 20% |
| Better at looking after the interests people like me | 23% | 27% | 21% | 22% |
| They have better policies on things like industrial relations and supporting Australian workers | 23% | 36% | 17% | 20% |
| More trustworthy than the other parties | 22% | 23% | 23% | 21% |
| They have better policies on things like environment and climate change | 21% | 26% | 13% | 46% |
| They have a better leader | 16% | 24% | 14% | 13% |
| I always vote for them | 9% | 11% | 11% | 6% |
The most important issues for Labor voters are policies on education and health (41% top priority), representing the interests of all Australians (36%), policies on industrial relations and supporting workers (36%) and doing things to help me and my family (32%).
For Liberal/National voters the key issues are handling the economy (51% top priority), capable of governing effectively (35%) and policies on national security and immigration (29%).
The major issue for Greens voters is policies on the environment and climate change (46%). Comments »
asylum seekers, Australian jobs, climate change, economy, Education, Election Issues, environment, Health, Housing, Industrial Relations, Interest rates, leadership, population, Security, tax, Terrorism, Water
Q. And which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | |
| A fair industrial relations system | 45% | 24% | 5% | 26% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 41% | 25% | 4% | 29% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 42% | 28% | 3% | 27% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 38% | 27% | 4% | 31% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 36% | 28% | 4% | 32% |
| Housing affordability | 30% | 24% | 4% | 41% |
| Political leadership | 33% | 30% | 5% | 33% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 23% | 23% | 22% | 32% |
| Managing population growth | 24% | 27% | 9% | 40% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 25% | 30% | 3% | 42% |
| Management of the economy | 32% | 38% | 3% | 27% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 23% | 29% | 11% | 37% |
| Controlling interest rates | 28% | 35% | 2% | 35% |
| Addressing climate change | 18% | 16% | 36% | 29% |
| Protecting the environment | 17% | 13% | 47% | 23% |
Labor have a substantial lead over the Liberal Party as the best party to handle a fair industrial relations system (+21%), quality education for all (+16%), Australian jobs and protection of industries (+14%) and ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system (+11%).
The Liberal Party’s main strengths were controlling interest rates (+7%), treatment of asylum seekers (+6%) and management of the economy (+6%).
The Greens were thought to be the best party for protecting the environment (47%) and addressing climate change (36%). Comments »
Australian jobs, climate change, economy, Education, Election, employment, environment, Health, Housing, immigration, Industrial Relations, Interest rates, population, Security, Terrorism, Voting intention, Water
Q8. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)
| One | Two | Three | Total | Total
25 Jan 10 |
Difference | |
| Management of the economy | 34% | 18% | 10% | 62% | 63% | -1% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 14% | 20% | 16% | 50% | 48% | +2% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 8% | 10% | 11% | 29% | 33% | -4% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 5% | 8% | 9% | 22% | 18% | +4% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 3% | 7% | 9% | 19% | 23% | -4% |
| Housing affordability | 6% | 5% | 6% | 17% | 14% | +3% |
| Controlling interest rates | 5% | 5% | 6% | 16% | 15% | +1% |
| Managing population growth | 3% | 4% | 7% | 14% | * | |
| Protecting the environment | 3% | 5% | 5% | 13% | 16% | -3% |
| Political leadership | 5% | 3% | 4% | 12% | 23% | -11% |
| Addressing climate change | 4% | 4% | 4% | 12% | 16% | -4% |
| Fair immigration policies | 3% | 4% | 3% | 10% | * | |
| A fair industrial relations system | 2% | 4% | 3% | 9% | 10% | -1% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 2% | 2% | 3% | 7% | 12% | -5% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 2% | 2% | 3% | 7% | 9% | -2% |
*Not asked in January 2010 poll
62% of people surveyed rate management of the economy is one of their three most important issues, followed by 50% that rate ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 29% that rate Australian jobs and protection of local industries as one of their three most important issues.
Only 9% rate a fair industrial relations system as one of their three most important issues and 7% rate security and the war on terrorism and ensuring a quality water supply.
The major change since the previous survey in January, was a drop in the importance of political leadership from 23% to 12%. Ensuring a fairer tax system has risen slightly from 18% to 22%. Comments »