Download full joint submission COTA Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria were pleased to contribute to “Getting the VDO right”, a joint submission to the Victorian Default Offer Review 2024-2025. The submission represents the shared view of leading Victorian community sector organisations and energy consumer advocates. It is a joint submission made by the Victorian Council […]
Download full submission as PDF COTA Victoria and SRV welcome the opportunity to contribute to the Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee’s inquiry into the rental and housing affordability crisis in Victoria. We are concerned about the current housing challenges facing older Victorians, who are increasingly impacted by increased rental prices and low available
Download full submission as PDF COTA Victoria and SRV welcome the opportunity to contribute to the Legislative Assembly Economy and Infrastructure Committee’s inquiry into the impact of road safety behaviours on vulnerable road users. We are concerned by the increasing number of people, particularly older people, being killed on the road post-pandemic, and the anecdotal
Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria (SRV) have welcomed the federal budget, which last night delivered vital cost of living support for older Victorians and will deliver immediate benefits as we enter a challenging winter period. The Commonwealth Government announced key initiatives to support older people, including a historic $11.3B investment
Download full submission as PDF COTA Victoria and SRV welcome the opportunity to contribute to the next stage of the review of the Retirement Villages Act 1986 (the Act). We are particularly pleased that the Victorian Government is continuing with this long overdue reform and providing further opportunity for feedback on the Exposure Draft Bill
Download full publication as PDF Our COTA Victoria Strategic Plan 2023-2025 will ensure we can continue to support older Victorians over the next three years and beyond. The Strategic Plan clearly defines our pathway for the future, and is based on our positive and pragmatic perspective of ageing in Victoria. It is based around four
Following the 2022 Victorian state election on 26 November 2022, the Victorian Labor Party and Premier Daniel Andrews were elected for a third term. COTA Victoria had outlined, and campaigned on, our six priority issues for the 2022 state election as part of our ‘Make Victoria Age Friendly’ platform, which we developed in consultation with
Older people currently make up more than 20% of Victorian voters and this number is growing. With this in mind, COTA Victoria calls on all parties and independents to commit to six asks in the lead up to the 2022 state election. These asks will go a long way towards enabling people to maintain their
Older migrants and refugees require accessible and culturally appropriate services to address elder abuse as a form of family violence. Seniors Rights Victoria sees a range of elder abuse problems experienced by older people. Those from migrant and refugee backgrounds may experience any or all of these issues and there is no clear evidence to
‘Through volunteering at COTA Victoria, I learn from others on the committee, and I also use my knowledge and skills as a nurse, academic and researcher to support, connect, engage and represent with and for the benefit of older Victorians.’ – Policy Development Committee member Helen Rawson Do you understand some of the challenges facing
Key recommendations Reduce disparities in migrant and refugee communities by: Implementing initiatives that educate, upskill and support migrant and refugee family carers to ensure sustainable care relationships with older people. Implementing intergenerational programmes to increase older migrant and refugees digital literacy, noting their need to access equipment and stable internet connection. Improve the system by:
Working with older people to advocate for policy change has always been an important part of COTA Victoria’s work. Former senior policy officer, Donna Swan, worked in the COTA Victoria policy team for seven years. We asked for her reflections on the importance and impact of COTA Victoria’s policy work during that time. During her
