11 December 2023
MEDIA RELEASE
RLC calls for construction skills focus in migration mix
The Retirement Living Council (RLC) is calling on the Australian Government to ensure construction skills are a key focus of its new migration strategy to ensure enough retirement villages are built to keep pace with the nation’s rapidly ageing population.
This comes with current supply of retirement villages in the country at capacity, despite the number of Australians over the age of 75 set to increase from two million to 3.4 million by 2040.
RLC Executive Director Daniel Gannon said given Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has set an ambitious target of 1.2 million new homes around the country by 2029, the retirement living sector could and should be part of the supply solution.
“If the government ensures the construction industry’s labour capacity remains sufficient, the ability for the retirement living sector to push ahead with planned development of 18,000 retirement dwellings across Australia can reduce the national housing gap by approximately 18 per cent to 2030,” Mr Gannon said.
“But if industry keeps pace with current market penetration of over-75s, we will need an additional 49,000 units over and above what is currently in the pipeline. This could see a 67 per cent reduction in the national housing shortage,” he said.
Mr Gannon characterised retirement living as a “secret weapon” for governments that are struggling to bring more housing stock to a market under duress.
“Given the challenges associated with Australia’s demographic outlook, we will need more age-friendly homes into the future, not less,” Mr Gannon said.
“When older Australians ‘rightsize’, it frees up housing stock for young people, couples and growing families.
“We also know that 1.4 million Australians over the age of 75 currently live in oversized dwellings, which can lead to trips, falls and as a result more visits to GPs and hospitals.
“Building better housing can lead to better health outcomes for consumers and governments alike, but we need to ensure regulatory, legislative and investment conditions are helping this ambition, not hindering it,” he said.
ENDS
Media contact: Joe Schwab | 0402 687 890 | [email protected]