Mr Coulton enjoyed a roast lunch with local residents before listening to the issues they face.

“It was an open discussion,” he said.

“It was a good opportunity to discuss issues facing seniors.”

Wellington Council co-ordinator for the aged and disabled Lynne Rich said respite was a big issue among elderly citizens.

“A policy should be made on extra respite,” she said.

“Beds need to be allocated to the area so carers get a good break when they need to.

“They also need to look at more funding for Bellhaven and Maranatha as there is a huge increase in the aged population.”

According to Mrs Rich, by 2030, 6000 people will need aged-care beds every week.

“The politicians are the ones who will need the beds by then too,” she said.

“One lady bought up the issue about the increase in the pension, and at about the same time, electricity and rent increased too.

“The Government gives seniors a discount towards their electricity bills of $32.

“However the GST is $28 so actually they gain nothing.”

Mr Coulton also took people aside to privately discuss their concerns.

“One lady questioned why the groceries at Woolworths in Wellington are more expensive than in Dubbo,” Mrs Rich said.

“They couldn’t understand why this was, as well as why the petrol was six cents more here than in Dubbo.

“They were also concerned about centrelink payments and respite beds.”

Mr Coulton said the meeting was a great opportunity to gather information on the things affecting local seniors so he could take them back to discuss with other ministers.

“You don’t know anything if you don’t ask,” he said.