The audience stood and clapped as Jim Hazel was inducted as a Retirement Living Council Honorary Life Member at its annual awards’ gala dinner on Queensland’s Gold Coast last week. 

Aveo Group CEO Tony Randello said he owed his career to Jim Hazel, and he still often consults him, as so many have done and are still doing in the retirement living sector. 

The Chairman of Ingenia Communities and Director of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Jim also serves on the Boards of Coopers Brewery Limited, the University of South Australia and COTA Australia, the peak policy development, advocacy and representation organisation for older Australians. 

“My first conference was in 1990. And when I look around the room, look at all the people. I think there were three of us there in 1990 and including Peter Nilsson. This is an industry that gets in your blood as most of the people in the room would realise,” he said.  

“And I think I’m as optimistic about the future of the industry today as I’ve ever been.” 

Jim went on to look into the future and warned that the retirement living sector needed to become a stronger industry. 

“Unless we’re organised, unless we’re mobilised, we’ll continue to be on the wrong end of those (regulatory) negotiations when what we’re trying to do is produce a product that's good for residents and good for operators, creating a positive future for all.  

“We need to really develop as an industry and not just the retirement living part of the seniors industry, but I think there are lots of other areas in the sector that I think I would hope coalesce over time and you merge into one very powerful body.” 

Jim joins Derek McMillan and Alison Quinn as Honorary National Life Members of the RLC.