2055 is already here for some Australian communities

2055 is already here for some Australian communities. 59 Australian communities are already living the future predicted by the latest intergenerational report.

Opinion piece by Jack Archer, Deputy CEO of the Regional Australia Institute

59 Australian communities are already living the future predicted by the latest intergenerational report. Regional communities, such as the city of Port Macquarie and inland in towns like Grenfell in Western NSW, are at or above the levels of ageing forecast by the report, and are in the midst of dealing with the pressures and opportunities an aged population presents.

Commenting on the report, the Treasurer said that an ageing population will mean “empowering individuals to have more control over the government services they access – and government services need to be more flexible to respond to the needs of individuals as they change their lives”.

But the picture of an ageing workforce is not as simple as the report paints. [In]Sight – Australia’s regional competitiveness index demonstrates workforce participation rates in these 59 areas vary widely from below 55% to above 75%. A range of economic and social conditions are clearly impacting on how engaged an ageing population will be in the future. The situation is also evolving rapidly.

Last year the Regional Australia Institute published a Talking Point on ‘SuperBoomers’; the wealthier, healthier and deeply experienced Baby Boomers that are seeking to live a different lifestyle from ages 55 to 75 in regional Australia. This work emphasised that ageing of local people and the migration of older people from cities to regions can be viewed as an opportunity rather than a burden. Ageing is a mark of our social and economic success – the challenge is to continue that success.

The intergenerational report touches on this broader picture, but the lived experience and role of individual and community responses is largely missing. The focus is on what change will mean for government and what government will need to do to deal with these issues.

This is a useful way to put the issue on the agenda, but the debate needs to quickly move on to define some clearer options and practical solutions.

The experience of these 59 communities is important in making this shift. By engaging with local residents in these places we can understand more about what the practical challenges are likely to be in 40 years’ time. We can also identify how the economy and society can respond to an older population, where this will be successful and where the transition presents significant challenges.

Last year the RAI had the opportunity to participate in a local think tank in Hinchinbrook Shire in North Queensland, one of the 59 communities already experiencing 2055 conditions.

This community is actively looking at ways to build a viable and successful older community in one of Australia’s most naturally beautiful areas.

Bringing aged accommodation into the centre of town to provide a better lifestyle for older residents and to support the vitality of the business district is one idea on the table. Working with employers to better utilise older, experienced workers in businesses is also being considered. Attracting SuperBoomers to join the community and start new enterprises is actively discussed, recognising the vitality that aged migration could bring.

The Hinchinbrook example is unlikely to be a one off. It emphasises the extent to which communities are already working on creative ways to manage these intergenerational issues.

Many or all of these 59 communities would be open to trialling options for government services and other changes that the government believes could make a difference nationally. They will also have ideas of their own that a flexible policy approach could support, enabling the government to learn more about how community and individual motivations can be integrated into future policy.

A national conversation is important, but let’s go further and start a national pilot of options to build a viable and prosperous older society focussing initially on these 59 communities.

Jack Archer is the Deputy CEO of the Regional Australia Institute. The Regional Australia Institute (RAI) is an independent policy think tank and research organisation that advocates for change to build a stronger economy and better quality of life in regional Australia – for the benefit of all Australians.

The 59 Communities living 2055

Each of these communities has a senior dependency ratio of 37% or greater. This level is equivalent to the national situation outlined by the Intergenerational report of 2.7 people aged 15-64 for every person 65+ in 2055.
Source: [In]Sight – Australia’s regional competitiveness index www.regionalaustralia.org.au/insight