The Retirement Living Council’s new Executive, Director Daniel Gannon, wants the entire retirement sector to unite.
After DCM Group CEO Chris Baynes’ opinion article last Tuesday, Daniel tasked his small team to find out how many operators had signed the Code of Conduct, which aims to set and maintain high standards in the marketing, selling and operation of retirement communities, including complaints and dispute management procedures for operators and residents.
The figures Daniel’s team are alarming as Chris highlighted when you consider there are about 2,774 retirement villages in Australia (IBISWorld, 2022):
- 80 operators (about 711 villages) are subscribers to the Code.
- Including 22 of the 25 RLC members
He identified that there are close to 2,200 retirement villages across the country, with approximately 650 operators.
“If more villages don’t sign up to the Code and adhere to the industry’s national standards, opportunists will be tempted to super-impose their own regulatory models, ones that are designed for a political purpose,” Daniel said.
“Nobody wants a showy bureaucracy (taking regulatory action) that will cost heaps and deliver little, if any, meaningful service and/or product improvement for residents.”
He emphasised that the sector needs to be consultative with residents and proactive in constructive service and product development.
