United Nations International Day of Older Persons was a timely reminder of what our senior citizens mean to our community.
Currently, 20.8pc of Masterton’s population falls into the over 65yrs category and that is set to grow to at least 31.8pc by 2050.
They already play a huge part in the development of our town and district. Just think, for instance, of the age group which makes up most of our service clubs who do such great work both initiating and progressing projects which benefit people young and old.
Think too of the age group which makes up most of the volunteers for the many organisations and groups whose main purpose is to do good for those less advantaged than the norm. And of the age group of those who have invested financially most in our region, often not for personal gain but for the benefit of others.
With that in mind, the decision by Masterton district councillors to support the establishment of the Te Hokai Nuku Positive Aging strategy was clearly a step in the right direction.
This strategy has a simple purpose … to encourage older Mastertonians to live valued, fulfilling lives.
And that means taking their needs and wants into account in practically every decision-making area … from parks to transport, the environment, and economic development etc.
A big ask for sure but one helped by the appointment of a positive ageing strategy co-ordinator who works across all Wairarapa councils to ensure that the implementation process of the strategy is as simple as its purpose. To celebrate the aforementioned International Day of Older Persons, the Masterton council’s hard-working community development team held a special morning tea at the library. It was a huge success with attendance numbers far exceeding what was anticipated and as Mayor, I had the pleasure of spending 20 minutes or so addressing what was a very attentive audience on what the council was keen to do in the last two years of this triennium.
There was a question and answer session and I was delighted that for the most part, this showed that those present were largely on the same wavelength as their council.
It wasn’t so much a question which most piqued my interest but a comment which suggested council could benefit from organising regular meetings between, say, its youth council and those who slot into the “older persons” category.
It is an idea which has considerable appeal to me because I often hear that our youth is so far removed from the thinking of their aged peers and that the gulf is becoming increasingly difficult to bridge.
This was given extra credence in some minds by a recent television programme which graphically highlighted the difference between the so-called Generation Z and the rest of us in attitude, both materially and socially.
In any future planning endeavour, wouldn’t the end result be more meaningful if those contributing to it covered virtually the whole spectrum of age and experience?
Why shouldn’t, say, a 16-year-old have as much to offer as an 80-year-old when it comes to the design and shape of our new civic facility or upgraded library?
Or conversely, why shouldn’t that 80-year-old be able to address the construction of a splash pad with the same enthusiasm as their younger counterpart?
On another note, those who are writing letters to the editor complaining about the council continuing to advance the proposition of building a new performance space to replace the current town hall need to be reminded this is one of two options to go out for public consultation, the other being a “do the minimum” which would essentially mean the town hall still being demolished but not replaced.
How the public reacts to those options will inevitably play a big part in any final decision. It is also worth reminding readers that Waka Kotahi is funding the Eastside cycleway. This funding cannot be transferred to any other project.
