The Retirement Living Council has welcomed the release of the Victorian Government’s Housing Statement, which outlines a plan to deliver millions of additional homes across Victoria – and retirement communities must be part of the solution.
RLC Executive Director Daniel Gannon said this plan was a positive step for Victoria that intends to deliver much needed housing for Victorians.
“Ambitious plans are important, and so are effective and efficient planning systems that provide affordable homes for those who need them,” Mr Gannon said.“We know the average price of a two-bedroom retirement unit in metropolitan Melbourne is 51 per cent cheaper than the median house price in similar areas.
“But the problem isn’t affordability, it’s supply.
“If this ambitious plan from the Victorian Government puts an end to retirement operators waiting up to five years for development applications to be approved, then this is great news for industry.
“For too long, planning systems have held up supply and unnecessarily driven up costs for developers through extensive delays.
“Given the number of Victorians over the age of 65 is forecast to grow by 650,000 over the next 20 years, much work needs to be done to bring more appropriate and affordable housing to market.
“It is critical that governments understand these opportunities as it plans for the significant increase of older Victorians and aims to keep the aged care sector operational.
“The population shift forecast by the 2023 Intergenerational Report will have socio-economic impacts on the nation, including the housing supply shortage and the pressure on an already struggling residential aged care sector.
“The great Australian dream of home ownership can become a reality for tens of thousands of additional Victorians under the right circumstances - and it starts and ends with an effective planning system,” he said.
About the RLC
The Retirement Living Council is the national leadership group for the retirement living sector, championing policies that deliver age-friendly homes and better services in retirement communities.
More than 260,000 senior Australians live in approximately 2,500 retirement communities across the country, with an over-75s market share of 12.6 per cent.
There are 4.6 million people around Australia aged over 65 today - this number will grow to 7.1 million by 2043.
Importantly, the sector generates almost $3.5 billion in annual savings to governments through reduced interaction with healthcare systems and delayed entry to aged care.
The RLC sits within the Property Council’s national advocacy team and is the most powerful voice of the sector, representing national retirement village and senior living community operators.
