New Zealand has been accepted as an affiliate member of the WHO Global Network of Age-friendly cities and Communities. Minister for Seniors Tracey Martin made this announcement during the inaugural National Age-friendly Communities Forum in Wellington in June.
Close to 150 people came together for the forum including local council representatives, community groups, organisations and academics.
The Age-friendly Cities and Communities model was developed by the World Health Organisation in 2005 to help address the issue of ageing populations. It is a community-driven model with older people a critical voice and key partner along the way.
The key-note speaker at the forum was Christine Young, Director of Community Development for the City of Melville Council, who discussed how age-friendly is being implemented in Western Australia.
Presentations from the event are available on the SuperSeniors website for people interested in age-friendly. For more information, go to www.superseniors.msd.govt.nz/age-friendly-communities.