Australian Retirement Village Residents Association/Retirement Living Council – Joint statement of intent

Retirement village living is an option being taken up by more senior Australians than ever before. Nearly 200,000 people call a retirement village home around the country. We know from formal research as well as from personal stories that most of these people enjoy the support and lifestyle of village living, although there are inevitably areas of concern and dispute.

With the huge increase in the number of Australians who are over 65, we are all aware of the increasingly important role that retirement villages play in giving more senior Australians choice. Choice – of community; home (an apartment, townhouse or villa); and service, from basic communal activities to tailored home care.

In addition to the growing diversity in location, home and service type, many new villages are needed as well as the redevelopment of some old villages that no longer meet some residents’ needs. But along with the increased demand for modern villages comes a great responsibility on the part of retirement village owners to ensure the rights of residents and families are fully addressed.  

Both residents and operators have a big stake in ensuring retirement villages are vibrant communities and attractive places to live. It is with this common ground in mind that the peak bodies for village residents (all of the state and territory associations, which together form the Australian Retirement Village Residents Association, or ARVRA) and national village operators (the Retirement Living Council, or RLC) have begun meeting regularly to discuss initiatives of common benefit as well as issues that can be resolved together.

For example:

• A survey for residents has been distributed asking for feedback on the most effective methods a retirement village accreditation scheme could positively impact village life;
• Resident representatives have been involved in the delivery of a section of the Property Council’s Village Management Industry Diploma, speaking on behalf of residents about their expectations of management;
• The RLC commissioned research from Alzheimer’s Australia NSW to provide village operators with high quality guidance on how best to manage the complex issues associated with the incidence of dementia in villages. Residents and their families were included in the research through discussion groups, individual interviews and the assessment process.

We are currently examining ways of making village dispute resolution simpler and more consistent, and also ways of saving residents money through reduced council rates.

The AVRVA and RLC are united in their goal to see thriving, happy retirement communities across the country. Both residents and operators are best served by a co-operative approach to tackling challenges in the retirement village sector, and by discussing any difference of views constructively. There will always be matters where the ARVRA and RLC agreed to disagree! But we are committed to working together where possible.

Alistair Christie, President, Australian Retirement Village Residents Association
Mary Wood, Executive Director – Retirement Living, Property Council of Australia

26 October 2016