Release of 2nd Intergenerational Report

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PDF printable version of Release of 2nd Intergenerational Report (PDF 29 KB)

02 April 2007
PYN028/07

The Minister for Ageing, Christopher Pyne, has welcomed the 2nd Intergenerational Report released today by the Treasurer at the National Press Club.

The report confirmed that during the next four decades Australia would undergo a dramatic shift in its population, resulting in significant increases in the number and proportion of older people. By 2051, the population aged at least 85 would account for between 6 per cent and 9 per cent of the population, up from around 1.5 per cent now.

“Ageing trends mean that the same population is ‘living longer’, not ‘dying earlier’,” Mr Pyne said,

“As a result of advances in medicine, disease control, public health campaigns which have seen major decreases in smoking rates, and improved health care, older people are living longer and have the chance to lead healthier, more satisfying and productive lives than ever before.

“The Australian Government recognises the opportunities and challenges of population ageing and this has been squarely on the national policy agenda for some time.”

Mr Pyne said the National Strategy for an Ageing Australia, released in early 2002 following wide-ranging public consultation, provided the strategic framework underpinning the Government’s planning for and managing the impacts of population ageing.

“Since then, the Government has put in place a variety of measures, including changes to superannuation and taxation systems; for example, the Simpler Superannuation reforms that will come into effect this year,” he said.

Other initiatives that would assist older Australians included the passage of the Age Discrimination Act 2004, funding for the Mature Age Employment and Workplace Strategy in the 2004-05 Budget and the creation in late 2004 of the portfolio of Workforce Participation.

Funding in the 2005–06 Budget for the Welfare to Work initiative expanded education and training opportunities for parents and older workers who had been away from the workforce.

“Through the $2.2 billion Investing in Australia’s Aged Care package in the 2004-05 Budget and the $1.5 billion Securing the Future of Aged Care package announced earlier this year the Government is putting aged care on a more sustainable footing by providing more funding, more places, more training and better care,” Mr Pyne said.

“The Australian Government is already significantly increasing the funding it provides for aged care in response to the ageing of Australia’s population – expected to increase to about $9.9 billion by 2010-11. This is more than a three-fold increase over the $3.1 billion that was spent in 1995-96.”

“By the end of 2011, the Australian Government will be subsidising more than 250,000 aged care places – an increase of 100,000 places since 1995-96.

“And all of our policy measures are supported by responsible Budget management, a universal means-tested age pension, encouragement of superannuation savings through taxation concessions, unemployment benefits based on mutual obligation principles, a subsidised pharmaceutical benefits scheme, universal public health insurance with taxation rebates for private health coverage, and a quality community and residential aged care system,” he said.

Media contact: Adam Howard 0400 414 833