Tauranga since years is known as a city of the newlyweds, but it is nearly dead now. In this regard, the council has now agreed to revive the city into ‘age friendly cityship’.

Being a part of the World Health Organization’s process, this is something that is included in the 2012-2022 Ten Year Plan. Yes, during the next ten years the council has decided to change the cliché of this city.

During the deliberations on the annual plan submission, it has been decided that this process will be led by the Tauranga City Council only so that slotting it into the current 2012-2022 Ten Year Plan process could be prioritized.

All thanks to the collaboration of agencies that in order to request the council for committing an ‘age friendly city’ produced 89 submissions. This decision about Tauranga city is the result of successful lobbying of collaboration efforts only.

In this regard, Carole Gordon, convener of the 11 agency collaborative effort said, “It is very heartening that the community voice was respected by the city council”.

With this modification, the system and policies in regard of meeting the respective needs of mature and older people, when the young generation ages, needs to be changed.