THE “dire” state of Canberra’s footpaths are putting elderly residents at risk of falls, the Opposition says.

Shadow Minister for Seniors Nicole Lawder will today (October 18) move a motion calling on the ACT government to speed up the territory’s footpath maintenance program.

“Older Canberrans are understandably concerned about the dire state of footpaths in the ACT,” she said.

“They are more vulnerable to falls and rely on footpaths for exercise and mobility. It’s the basic maintenance components of the Age Friendly City Plan that matter most to older Canberrans which is why I’m calling on the government to accelerate this work.”

The ACT government’s 2020-24 Age-Friendly City Plan includes range of initiatives designed to support older Canberrans in areas such as health, public transport, human rights and planning.

It’s estimated around 12.5 per cent of Canberrans are aged over 65, with the figure expected to increase over the next decade

Lawder’s motion also calls on the government to write to the Federal Government seeking support for a UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.

“Older people advocacy organisations have long been calling for the introduction of a UN Convention of the Rights of Older Persons, I see no reason why the ACT Government can’t write to the Federal Government about this matter,” she said.

“Ensuring that our city is accessible to all should be of the highest priority to this government.”

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