‘Capital goes where it is welcomed’: making the case for retirement villages to Federal, State and Local governments

Daniel Gannon, Retirement Living Council Executive Director (pictured at the LEADERS SUMMIT), is travelling up and down the country explaining “capital goes where it’s welcome, and we’d like to think that State Governments appreciate the delicate nature of the relationship between investment and regulation.”

“Right now, the RLC is working with residents and governments in Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia on legislative reforms." “This comes at a precarious time given the country is facing challenges around housing supply, affordability, cost and supply chain constraints." “If these reforms make it harder for operators to build and operate age-friendly communities in various states, it could place a handbrake on supply at the worst possible time.” “Investment conditions relating to the retirement living industry can be strengthened or eroded depending on legislative frameworks around the country,” he said.

Property Council Chief Executive Mike Zorbas is also on the offensive, again spruiking retirement living communities, and calling out state governments and local council planning authorities. The attitude of many local council planning departments is raised time and again by retirement living operators, who want to develop their sites, to The Weekly SOURCE.

“State, territory and local governments simply have to lift their run rates on housing supply across the market, key worker and social housing spectrum,” Mike said in response to the latest research by the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) that points to a worsening housing supply situation. “We also need to urgently move the housing needle by creating the right investment conditions for new Build to Rent housing, purpose-built student accommodation and retirement living communities.”