Planning for the silver tsunami
With our population of over 65s expected to double in the next 40 years, a state-by-state evaluation of Australia’s planning for retirement living finds no exemplars and plenty of room for improvement.
The first Retirement Living Planning Report Card, published by Urbis and commissioned by the Property Council, assesses Australia’s states and territories against a rigorous set of planning benchmarks.
South Australia topped the table, ranking highly for progressiveness and efficiency. Tasmania, with the largest proportion of residents aged over 65 years, scored lowest.
However, no single state stands out as an “exemplar”, says the report’s author and Urbis associate director Kylie Newcombe.
Common hurdles found across the country include competition for land, historic zoning and height restrictions, and “a general lack of understanding of the market’s needs by authorities,” Newcombe explains.
“We need to switch the mindset from planning as a barrier, to planning as an enabler,” Newcombe adds.
Close to 200,000 older Australians currently live in around 2,300 retirement villages.
“But with the rate of over 65s accelerating rapidly, Australia will need more age-appropriate housing to meet increased demand,” says Ben Myers, the Property Council’s executive director of retirement living.
“Issues such as zoning and overly restrictive height controls can inhibit the redevelopment potential of existing communities.”
State and territory governments must do a better job of planning for housing for older Australians, especially retirement villages, which can extend people’s independence by an average of five years, Myers adds.
The Report Card includes four recommendations for planning reform:
- Increase land availability
- Support more commercially-viable developments
- Improve alignment with market needs
- Elevate retirement living to state importance in planning schemes.
“Without changes to planning policy and improved awareness at council level, seniors may find their choices limited,” Myers concludes.