Looking for a city to grow old in? Adele Horin discusses what makes her neighbourhood age friendly ahead of CEPAR's 1st International Conference featuring the World Health Organisation's expert on age friendly cities, Dr John Beard.  

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With an estimated A$1.7 trillion sitting in Australia's superannuation savings pool, the system appears to be in rude health. However, concerns are mounting that the model may become a zero-sum game if funds available through the super system are cancelled out by high debt levels among new retirees.

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It is no secret that the superannuation industry is up in arms over the Government's plans for a budget day tax grab to try to balance the books. Treasurer Wayne Swan gave his biggest hint so far he's planning to raid the rich. But one of Australia's leading superannuation experts says the focus on tax is the tail wagging the dog.

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A member of the Henry tax review has rejected the federal government's claims that tax breaks for superannuation are unsustainable and warned that threats to wind them back in the budget put key aims of the system at risk.

University of NSW economics professor John Piggott said threatened changes to superannuation put at risk the "highly redistributive" system that provided income protection for the poor in old age and offered a modest standard of living that "most countries in the world would die for".

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Pre-budget speculation about changes to superannuation kicked up another gear today, with Simon Crean promising he'd "Do whatever he can" to stop major tinkering to the national retirement system. Meanwhile a former cabinet colleague said the budget couldn't afford current tax concessions.

The spat over super appears to have spooked other industries as well, who've stepped up their lobbying efforts to try to stave off the government's razor gang as it looks for ways to pay for Labor's election promises.

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Speculation continues over how the federal government may change the tax regime for compulsory superannuation.

The government says the $32 billion in tax breaks for super this year are unsustainable and undermine the system because they flow mainly to the wealthy.

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East Asia Forum Quarterly featuring Peter McDonald, Rafal Chomik and John Piggott.

In the next 30 years an additional one billion people will call Asia home. But the expansion of Asia's population and its economic power will take place in teh context of another very dramatic demographic change: its population is ageing, and fast.