The Retirement Living Council (RLC), a division of the Property Council of Australia, has released a comprehensive report for industry, consumers and governments around Australia, backed by a major media blitz.
Targeting the Federal and State Governments, the first-of-its-kind report sends a strong message about the value of the sector, the affordability it provides in an otherwise unaffordable housing market and why its residents live healthier lives.
“Retirement villages across Australia are already saving the government a billion dollars a year, by delaying residents’ entry into aged care, and quite simply, we need more of them,” Daniel Gannon, the RLC Executive Director, says.
Better Housing for Better Health, released on Saturday, calls for three steps as the population rapidly ages. It is pitching the sector as providing care, wellbeing, and support services.
The report seeks to promote development, remove financial barriers to enter retirement living, and increasing awareness.
Develop age-friendly communities:
-
Streamline processes and accelerate application processes to increase development;
-
Establish minimum land allocations for the development of retirement communities in under-supplied areas.
Make it financially easier to enter retirement living:
-
Exempt a portion of the home sale proceeds of rightsizers from the Age Pension asset test.
-
Allow retirement community residents to access government financial schemes.
Help sell retirement living:
-
Improve information to inform seniors about their options as they age.
-
Provide specialised resources for planners at local and state government levels to assist in a better understanding of the sector and ensure the timely assessment of new communities.
“For the first time, this report shows how our sector has actual solutions to Australia’s two biggest worrying trends – our housing crisis and our rapidly ageing population,” Daniel Gannon said.
Yesterday in Canberra, he met with Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Housing Minister Julie Collins, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor and Shadow Housing Minister Michael Sukkar to make his case face to face.
