COTA E NEWS

The Queensland Plan

COTA Queensland made a submission to The Queensland Plan.

The Plan, which will be released in late 2013, attempts to capture Queenslanders' shared vision for the next 30 years and identify local and statewide priorities.

In our submission we wrote:

Given the global challenges of ageing and urbanisation over the next three decades, COTA Queensland believes the World Health Organisation's age-friendly cities and communities framework is a valuable guide for any 30-year vision for Queensland. The age-friendly cities and communities framework is used in over 100 regions throughout the world. Creating age-friendly cities and communities requires strategic and long-term partnerships between government, business and the community. An age-friendly approach to social planning will promote and recognise better design and planning in homes, the environment, work, training and education, and health systems. We believe that a 30-year plan should aim to improve the resilience of older people who are particularly vulnerable during natural disasters, economic downturns, and social fragmentation.

A 2-day summit regarding the Plan will be held in Brisbane in October. COTA Queensland's Chief Executive Mark Tucker-Evans will attend the Summit to advance the needs of people as they age. You can register to receive regular updates about the Plan here.
 

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Seniors Week 2013

Seniors Week 2013

Seniors Week was held August 17-25 this year.  COTA Queensland , the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability  and  208 Queensland Seniors Week Partner organisations have worked collaboratively to support,  subsidise and host over 330 events state-wide with the Theme 'Respect and Social Inclusion'.

COTA Queensland would like to officially thank all of the Partners for their hard work in making Seniors Week 2013 such a success.  To view a listing of the Seniors Week Partners click here.

COTA's Communications Officer,  Lisa Hodgkinson, had the pleasure of attending multiple events throughout the week. 

'It was so lovely to be a part of the community spirit that was shared amongst many cities and regions during the week'  she said. 

'Seniors Week is a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of  older people and this was certainly represented throughout the week'. 

Seniors Week 2014 will be held Saturday 16 August - Sunday 24 August and we aim to make next year an even bigger success.

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2014-15 Budget Submission

COTA Queensland makes an annual submission to the state government about its spending priorities and planning commitments. You can read our submissions here.
 

Next year's budget will hopefully move from an emphasis on 'fiscal repair' to a more proactive outlook about solving chronic problems and building social capital. Seniors have told us for many years about the struggles they face with the financial cost of housing, health, energy, water, rates, leisure, and transport. There are also difficulties with inaccessible buildings and infrastructure, lack of mobility options, social isolation, and being able to live independently and confidently free of discrimination and elder abuse. But it is not all doom and gloom. We want to express the hopes, ideas and plans which seniors have for themselves and their communities, as we together strive for an age-friendly society.

Let us know what you think by joining our consultation process, 'Your Story Our Table',   or by letting us know directly what you believe should be in our 2014-15 Budget Submission to the Queensland Government.

Mail to COTA Queensland  PO Box 15525, City East, 4002 or email policy@cotaqld.org.au.

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COTA Queensland would like to hear from you!

You can make an important difference to COTA's  work by registering for Your Story Our Table   - COTA’s Community consultation process.

We will:
• Survey you on important issues for people as they age like community care, transport and  health
• Send you updates on what people have said and how that is helping us make a difference.

Its easy to register and you will go into the 3 monthly draw to win a $50 voucher.

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Confident, Safe and Secure

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) recognises the valuable role that older Queenslanders play in our community and their right to safety and a lifestyle without fear.

There is a mistaken belief within the community that older people are vulnerable to crime and live in fear.  The reality is quite different in Queensland, and in other jurisdictions in Australia and around the world.

The QPS has developed the Confident Safe and Secure  living in Queensland handbook (in partnership with the Department of Communities) and Senior Wiser Safer Directory,  which provides crime prevention information and advice for seniors as well as information on programs and services.

These publications have also been translated into Arabic, Chinese (traditional), Greek, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese.

For more information visit www.police.qld.gov.au 

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There's an App for that!

This month we take a look at a range of apps produced by the Australian Government we hope you'll  enjoy. 

DisasterWatch
Provides information about disaster related events and disaster resilience in Australia.

Drugs
Designed to raise awareness about the harmful effects of drug use and encourage and support decisions not to use. Features GPS functionality to help find support services based on location.

Express Plus Seniors
Offers seniors a simple way to do their Centrelink business on the go using their mobile device. Connecting with Centrelink just got easier.

MoneySmart
Use these personal finance apps to get instant calculations and financial assessments on your phone.

National Health Services Directory
Find health services, such as general practices, pharmacies, hospitals and emergency departments, when and where you need them.

National Public Toilet Map
Find the location of more than 14,000 public and private public toilet facilities across Australia!

National Library of Australia mobile catalogue
The National Library of Australia mobile catalogue is a fast and easy way to search the collection and to find resources whenever and wherever you are.

Run That Town
Lets you play an interactive strategy game with real census data. It puts you in charge of any Australian neighbourhood and challenges you to develop the area and make decisions that will sway popular opinion in your favour.

Water Storage
Find how much water is available in Australia, your state, capital city and for individual storages. 

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