Swan says dole comments out of context

According to the Business Spectator; Treasurer Wayne Swan has defended telling people whose assets have been frozen to get help from Centrelink, saying his remarks were taken out of context Business Spectator – Swan says dole comments out of context

The Global Meltdown: A timeline

Interesting little map from Crikey.com.au and worth taking notice of. Click on image for global info.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You’ll notice Gosford City Council is not on the map! Wonder why?

Over-65s to double by 2036

Many of those people will be living alone, and not all of them will have friends or family to check on their welfare. In several cases this year elderly people have died alone in their homes, their bodies not discovered for weeks, sometimes months. If this is a reflection on modern society then something is rotten in Denmark!

Happy to retire

The challenge of looking after those who are old and alone has never been greater. Data shows that one in five people in NSW will be aged 65 and over by 2036.

One of the saddest stories was that of Jorge Coloma, 64, found dead in his public housing flat almost a year after he was believed to have died. We, as a society, need to change our attitudes toward senior citizens.

The latest demographic data from the NSW Department of Planning, published today [Monday 20th October], indicates that looking after the elderly will become a greater challenge for the community over the 30 years.
Between 2006 and 2036 the number of people in NSW aged 65 and over will increase by 111 per cent, representing the fastest growing age category in the state, according to the projections.

In comparison, the number of people aged between 18 and 64 will rise by only 21 per cent.
By 2036 people aged 65 and over will represent 21.5 per cent of the population, compared with 13.5 per cent in 2006.

The aging population was the result of the baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1965) shifting into these older age groups, combined with falling mortality rates, the department said. The youngest of the boomers will reach 65 by 2030, which is when the annual growth rate of the 65-to-84 age bracket is expected to slow.

The aging population is the main driver behind a growing number of people living alone, the department said. The number of lone-person households is expected to increase from 646,500 in 2006 to 1.06 million by 2036, up 64 per cent. In 30 years 29 per cent of all households will consist of only one person.
The projections do not include any figures for whether housing would become more or less affordable by 2036, but the elderly and those living alone are already among those hardest hit by the housing shortage and high rents.

Aging will also generate large growth in the number of households consisting of couples without children. Projected to rise from 654,000 in 2006 to 1 million by 2036, there will be almost as many couples without children as couples with children.

People looking after children on their own are also on the rise, with single-parent households projected to increase from 654,900 in 2006 to 1 million by 2036, up 53 per cent. In Sydney the number of lone-person households is projected to increase 69 per cent from 377,900 in 2006, to 637,500 by 2036.

Again, this is the largest percentage increase of all household types, and is driven largely by the growth of the elderly population. It means that by 2036 more than a quarter of people in Sydney will live on their own.
Single-parent households will rise by 48 per cent, and the number of households without children will rise by 56 per cent. Whilst these figures represent the state of NSW it is fairly obvious here in the Gosford region there will be an impact.

The question is will the Central Coast’s infrastructure be positioned to deal with the strain?

A scenic entry into Gosford

Beautification of the waterfront around Iguana Joe’s restaurant and bar will happen [at some time] but in the meantime travelling over the Brain McGowan bridge along the waterfront is delightful.

The RTA is building a new and improved intersection on the corner of Dane Drive and Masons Parade  with a significant left turn lane which takes traffic into Gosford past the police station and council buildings.

The gateway to Gosford along the Central Coast Highway from West Gosford has the opportunity to give Gosford CBD a much needed lift.

The suggestion from Tony Myers of Oliver Myers Real Estate is about capitalising on the beauty of the waterfront and directing drivers into Gosford from that intersection. This means coming into Gosford from a southerly approach.

Tony says this is a much nicer approach to the city centre than the conventional route and will give a far better impression rather than entering Gosford via Donnison Street. He has a point.

This approach to Gosford will introduce new business and investers by the front door. All that would be neccessary would be a couple of signs directing traffic this way. Of course locals will not use this route but visitors would, and no doubt appreciate the short drive along the waterfront.

Click on the image for a bigger picture. A sign could be erected and positioned close to #1 on the map.

Good idea or what. Cheers Tony, it might get some mileage!