Dr LIM - 1999-02-25
The Sunday Territorian and the Northern Territory News have been running advertisements entitled ‘The Seniors are Coming’, and ‘They Mean Business’. Can the minister please advise Territorians what this advertising is all about?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, those of us who have been around a while have seen a constant parade of International Years of whatever rolling past us. International Years of Trees and Youth and Family. This year is the International Year of Older Persons, and as the Minister for Senior Territorians I am very pleased that this focus has been put on this year.
This government has adopted a policy during these International Years of using them as a celebration, as a time for reflecting and focusing on our relationships in the particular year in question, but more importantly as an opportunity to develop tangible initiatives which live past the year in question.
One of the things that this government will be moving on quickly, in fact I will be launching it on 12 April, is the Seniors Card. The Seniors Card is a scheme where we acknowledge our senior Territorians’ outstanding and valuable contributions and we have that in tandem with a directory which includes the names and addresses of Territory businesses and services which offer a variety of special services and discounts to Seniors Card holders.
Mrs Hickey: It’s a bit late coming!
Mr DUNHAM: It is timely, I think.
The directory has currently over 90 businesses that are prepared to offer services and discounts to seniors. We are running an advertising campaign, which is due to finish shortly, in the hope that we can attract a few more and this directory will be not only available to the 10 000 or so seniors that we have in the Territory, but also to the 200 000 or so who visit from interstate every year. The campaign will close in early March, and the card will be launched on 12 April. In conjunction, there will be a 1800 number organised for the ease and convenience of elderly citizens for any inquiries they might have, and application forms will be widely distributed throughout the Territory. The Territory Insurance Office is a major sponsor. I congratulate those businesses that have put their names forward as assisting senior Territorians.
While on my feet, I will mention that there are a couple of other initiatives during this year. One will be a launch next week, on Monday, and it will be the launch of a consumer kit which focuses on the needs of older Australians. I will be doing this on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Industries and Business. The kit contains information on over 30 Territory service providers, government and non-government people, councils and private people, and it will be available to seniors so that they can see the range of services that are offered.
Later - also in March - I will be launching a tourism scheme. It should be noted that seniors are the fastest growing population group and offer the most potential in the growing domestic travel market. It is estimated that around $893m is spent by this group on domestic travel annually. We will be hoping, through our tourism effort, to capture some of this market, and I hope to make an announcement on that sometime during next month.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, those of us who have been around a while have seen a constant parade of International Years of whatever rolling past us. International Years of Trees and Youth and Family. This year is the International Year of Older Persons, and as the Minister for Senior Territorians I am very pleased that this focus has been put on this year.
This government has adopted a policy during these International Years of using them as a celebration, as a time for reflecting and focusing on our relationships in the particular year in question, but more importantly as an opportunity to develop tangible initiatives which live past the year in question.
One of the things that this government will be moving on quickly, in fact I will be launching it on 12 April, is the Seniors Card. The Seniors Card is a scheme where we acknowledge our senior Territorians’ outstanding and valuable contributions and we have that in tandem with a directory which includes the names and addresses of Territory businesses and services which offer a variety of special services and discounts to Seniors Card holders.
Mrs Hickey: It’s a bit late coming!
Mr DUNHAM: It is timely, I think.
The directory has currently over 90 businesses that are prepared to offer services and discounts to seniors. We are running an advertising campaign, which is due to finish shortly, in the hope that we can attract a few more and this directory will be not only available to the 10 000 or so seniors that we have in the Territory, but also to the 200 000 or so who visit from interstate every year. The campaign will close in early March, and the card will be launched on 12 April. In conjunction, there will be a 1800 number organised for the ease and convenience of elderly citizens for any inquiries they might have, and application forms will be widely distributed throughout the Territory. The Territory Insurance Office is a major sponsor. I congratulate those businesses that have put their names forward as assisting senior Territorians.
While on my feet, I will mention that there are a couple of other initiatives during this year. One will be a launch next week, on Monday, and it will be the launch of a consumer kit which focuses on the needs of older Australians. I will be doing this on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Industries and Business. The kit contains information on over 30 Territory service providers, government and non-government people, councils and private people, and it will be available to seniors so that they can see the range of services that are offered.
Later - also in March - I will be launching a tourism scheme. It should be noted that seniors are the fastest growing population group and offer the most potential in the growing domestic travel market. It is estimated that around $893m is spent by this group on domestic travel annually. We will be hoping, through our tourism effort, to capture some of this market, and I hope to make an announcement on that sometime during next month.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016