COTA SA welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan (GARP) discussion paper.

COTA SA cares deeply about ageing well and is committed to ensuring older South Australians have the opportunity, capacity and ability to navigate the changes of ageing in their place of choice. The Greater Adelaide Regional Plan is an opportunity to deliberately plan to support South Australians to age well, now and into the future.

COTA SA strongly advocates for a planning system that lays the foundations for communities that are age-friendly, cohesive, inclusive, resilient, adaptable and accessible. Strategic design and planning that allows people to age in their home and in their community, leads to positive health and wellbeing, and minimises cost and disruption to the individual, their community and ultimately, the public health system.
Specifically, we call on the government to:

• Consider our ageing population and the rise in isolation and loneliness as major trends that shape the future of planning and development in South Australia.
• Plan for diverse housing options that meet the diverse needs of the older population, now and into the future, whilst not precluding an older person from being able to choose where or the type of dwelling they live in.
• Build climate-safe, thermally efficient homes in new housing developments and significantly tighten building standards to insulate and seal homes and reduce energy demand.
• Incorporate social housing into every government-led and Renewal SA residential development.
• Plan for infill and medium-density communities that facilitate community connection and accessibility, and maintains or increases tree canopy.

Read the full submission for more detail.