A city known as 'God's waiting room” should be the first in the country to develop an age friendly strategy, says Tauranga City councillor Larry Baldock.

Larry made the comment during council's adoption of a strategy aimed at establishing a city that meets the needs of the aged, but soundly criticised by some as being simply words.

Council has adopted its age friendly policy. Photo: Ross Brown.

Councillors accepted some criticisms and made minor alterations before adopting the policy, with the view that it is a work in progress and will be subject to regular review.

Mayor Stuart Crosby says that instead of being known as a city of the aged, the strategy will eventually see Tauranga being known as a city for all ages.

Population Ageing Technical Advisory Group chair Graham Young says while the goals and direction of the council strategy are supported, many of its actions are too broad to be successfully implemented.

The council should go back to the drawing board and redraft the strategy to focus on a smaller number of actions that are specific, measureable and achievable and that will make a difference in promoting an age friendly city, says Graham.

Linked walkways, a consistent standard of linked footpaths walkways and cycle tracks across the city, locating retirement communities near the city centre or public transport hubs, and concentrating on developing communities where people can ‘age in place' is what submitters say they are looking for.

Gernontologist Carole Gordon says Cherrywood is an example of the sort of urban centres the city council should be developing encouraging for ‘ageing in place'.

It has angle parking, a variety of shops and service centres.

'You can do just about everything in that little place, and it's got a toilet and extra parking,” says Carole.

'It just needs a little bit more social connection.”

The suburban centre developments are suggested as an alternative to the isolated ‘elderly ranches' of the retirement homes, says Carole.

Carole says many of the issues and options identified through the strategy's engagement and consultation phase highlight actions that can be integrated into council and or community organisation work programmes with, in most cases, minimum cost – and they will have significant longer-term social and economic impact.

The real effort is yet to be focussed at the community level where people are living longer, and increasingly want to learn, to work, and play.

The policy needs to go further to address population ageing issues at a strategic level to ensure that ageing in place is a viable option for living a longer independent socially and economically connected life, says Carole.

Carole says there are studies and solid research on ageing populations available that can help the council set solid policies to assist a population ageing in place.