Our Age Friendly Hamilton

What's our goal?

We want Hamilton to be one of the friendliest places for those who are 65 and older to live. We’re focussed on future-proofing the city's facilities, support, and services, especially as the number of New Zealanders aged 65+ is expected to double to between 1.3 and 1.5 million by 2046.

Why is it important?

In 2018 we had 20,000 people aged over 65 living in Hamilton. This number is expected to increase to 37,000 by 2030, 52,000 by 2040 and 66,000 by 2050. This will impact the design of facilities and infrastructure around the city.

How are we doing it?

We got together with community agencies, organisations and businesses to develop our Hamilton Age-Friendly Plan 2021-2024. Hamilton was also the country's first city to join the World Health Organisation’s Age-Friendly Network of Cities and Communities in 2018, which was championed by the Age-Friendly Hamilton Steering Group.

Useful information for older people

Whether you’re new to Hamilton or not, here's some some useful information for you and your older family members including community groups and helpful resources.

 

Community groups for older people

Use the links below to connect to your community’s groups and networks. You’ll also find a comprehensive contact list of community groups across Hamilton in our 2023 Your Guide to Hamilton.

Your city’s future

Planning and strategy

Our Age-Friendly Plan 2021-2024 has more than 40 actions to be progressed over the next three years, involving dozens of local groups and organisations. It was developed using nine age-friendly themes:

  • outdoor spaces and buildings
  • transport and mobility
  • respect and social inclusion
  • social participation
  • civic participation and enjoyment
  • communication and information
  • housing
  • community support and health services
  • safety.
The Plan's implementation is being overseen by a group of experts in older people’s issues. This group reports to Council every six months, and there are also twice-yearly updates on the Plan’s implementation provided to the Council's Community Committee.
Waikato Wellbeing Project

Our Council is part of the Waikato Wellbeing Project (WWP). This is a community-led initiative that is developing wellbeing targets for the Waikato, based on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its 10 goals include a focus on health, housing and hardship - three areas which can become more challenging to deal with for those growing older.

Other planning and strategy initiatives 
  • Our Community and Social Development Strategy 2021-2026 (He Rautaki Whakawhanake Hapori) encompasses the needs of our diverse communities. One of its outcomes is high community use of our places and services because they are accessible, safe and welcoming.
  • Our Welcoming Plan has aged-focused support as part of its overarching goal of ensuring all Hamiltonians get the most out of their community and the opportunities Hamilton can offer. You can also contribute to updates in the Plan – see information on the Plan in welcoming communities.
  • Council’s He Pou Manawa Ora – Pillars of Wellbeing strategy, sets out how Council will work with others using the pillars (pou) of History, Unity, Prosperity and Restoration to build a proud and inclusive city for the wellbeing of all its people, including older people.

Council decision-making - have your say

As a significant part of Hamilton’s community, we also want to make sure older people (and the organisations that support them) have a voice in Council decision-making.

See share your voice for more details.

Get involved in your community

Council supports a variety of events and provides venues and facilities where all Hamiltonians can connect and/or collaborate as individuals or groups.

Getting out and about

Our city also has some great public spaces and places everyone can enjoy. Many of these are ideal for bringing Hamilton’s older people together for a variety of educational, community group-related or just plain fun-related activities!

Note that Claudelands Globox Arena, FMG Stadium Waikato, and Seddon Park are designed to make it easier to use these venues e.g. wheelchair access. Visit their websites or phone 07 929 3000 to get more accessibility information for each venue.

You can find out how Council’s information, services, funding and resources are helping Hamiltonians to use our public spaces and places more – and how your group can use them.
To find out about mobility parking spaces and access in Hamilton see our mobility parking page and view our map.

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Last updated 25 March 2024