Tauranga City Council is giving the green light to become the first age-friendly city in New Zealand – which will be a boost for the region elderly.

In a pioneering move – at their strategy and policy committee meeting – councillors recently agreed to accept the draft strategy in the aim of following a global movement to improving cities meeting the needs of an ageing population.

Tauranga city is to become age-friendly.

The initiative, based on a World Health Organisation (WHO) framework, will build on the positive ageing strategy introduced 10 years ago; and comes at a time when projected statistics for 2016 show older residents (officially deemed as 65-plus) will out-number younger people living in the city.

Between 2006 and 2031, the number of older residents living in Tauranga is predicted to double – with one in four being over 65 years old by 2031.

Age Friendly City project manager Rochelle Friend says council's approval of the Age-Friendly City Draft Strategy ensures everyone is on the right track. Although approved, the strategy will once again go before public consultation next month.

'It is about the practicalities of what makes an age-friendly city and council took a really good proactive approach.”

With a number of agencies contributing to the policy, the underlying factor is promoting practicality which makes an age-friendly city. These include respecting the elderly, supporting healthy, active ageing, improved access and mobility to facilities; and the awareness of elderly needs.

The strategy has already gained interest from other cities, including Auckland and Christchurch, which are watching closely on the results while Taupo is looking to implement the city's transport strategy.

'People are living longer and are living more. They are out and about and are taking part just as much as young people,” says Rochelle.

Two major issues, identified as needing urgent attention, are affordable and future-proofed housing; and elderly's access to information.

Tauranga Age Concern chairperson Angela Scott says promoting the ‘Life Mark' standard on all homes will cut out added costs associated with modifying existing homes. Homes, built under the standard, allow for future ‘elderly' alterations including disability ramps and practical door handles.

The strategy is based on a bottom up approach with community feedback, gathered in February, collated and recorded in the strategy – something Angela endorses.

'It's practical common sense standards.

'What we are trying to do is get people to think on the age-friendly wavelength. When they are doing anything they need to think ‘will this be fine for older people'?' If it is, it's good for everyone.

Tauranga City Mayor Stuart Crosby is thrilled to adopt the 'New Zealand leading document” which, he feels, is based simply on the producing the right attitude towards Tauranga's ageing population.

'It is very important too that we do understand some of the principles, goals and actions that will make Tauranga a leading age-friendly city not only in New Zealand but also the world.”

Any improvements or changes, needed throughout the city once the strategy is implemented, will come from council's existing budgets.

'So it's really about an attitude and thinking approach when we go and do something to our amenities or our planning or when we upgrade something, that we are more conscious of our ageing population.

'The whole world is ageing, so is New Zealand and so is Tauranga. So it's unavoidable.”

Released next month, the revised draft strategy will be open to public consultation for four weeks.