The peak body for retirement villages still wants Cairns Regional Council to walk away from its proposal to charge the minimum single dwelling rate for each unit in a retirement village, as opposed to charging the village as one dwelling, as has been the case.
The Weekly SOURCE reported last Tuesday Oak Tree Retirement Village Cairns faces a rate increase of 800% if the proposal becomes law in the next financial year. Aveo’s The Parks retirement village faces an increase of 520%, Cairns Post reported, also last Tuesday.
Council last night announced the increase will be staged over a two-year period, halving the proposed rate increases for the 2025/26 financial year, and then charging the full proposed rates for the 2026/27 financial year.
“We recognise the change, while fairer overall, will impact hip pockets at a time where every dollar counts,” a council spokesman said.
“We’re aiming to assist people absorb the change by phasing it in over two years.”
Eligible pensioners are also entitled to a $320 annual rebate on rates, and council said they estimate the total increase for pensioners would be “at most” an extra $6 per week, based on current rates.
Oak Tree Retirement Village Cairns was originally dealt an 800% rate increase, from $9063 to $82,613. Under the new proposal, they would be charged $41,306 in the upcoming financial year and then $82,613 in 2026/27.
The Retirement Living Council remains adamant the proposal should be scrapped.
“Instead of penalising existing residents, Council should be looking at ways to incentivise new (village) supply to address housing shortages. The retirement living sector wants to build more affordable homes to help meet Australia’s housing supply targets, but short-sighted policies like this discourage investment and will reduce future supply,” Retirement Living Council Executive Director Daniel Gannon said in his letter.
The #1 retirement living listings website villages.com.au has 12 seniors’ living sites in Cairns.
