Planning for population ageing: the rhetoric of ‘active ageing’ – theoretical shortfalls, policy limits, practical constraints and the crucial requirement for societal interventions

International policy discourse on planning for population ageing has developed around the notion of ‘active ageing’. However, the extent to which active ageing policy prescriptions are responding to social and individual needs at the local level is yet to be investigated. This paper examines the theoretical shortfalls, policy limits and practical constraints to active ageing, with a focus on social exclusion, locational disadvantage, spatial exclusion and the impediments local councils encounter in supporting this policy. Findings from a study on local government and ageing in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, a complementary investigation of projected changes in older populations in NSW local government areas and related issues in the literature are reported. The analysis demonstrates the implications differing local (resource, opportunity, capability and spatial) contexts have for active ageing and the vital requirement for societal interventions.