Local Councils need to be held to account on planning

The ageing population shows the need for more housing for retirees and unless local Councils are told to change their thinking and their policies, nothing will change.

Levande has four retirement villages that it wants to redevelop and most are years behind schedule. In addition, Oaks Grange in Brighton East, Melbourne, has just been approved by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and we reported last Tuesday, it’s now seven years since talks began on redeveloping Castle Ridge Resort in Sydney’s Hills Shire Council.

Meanwhile, land lease operator Serenitas has had to go the NSW Land and Environment Court after the NSW Mid North Coast’s Council refused to consider its proposal for its new community within the 45-day limit. There were only four submissions on the DA.

60 new projects a year are needed to maintain 5% penetration of all people 65+ living in retirement villages. With the ageing population, that is nowhere enough.

Operators are wanting to create new vertical models of care, independent living units co-located with aged care, and yet many Councils are staunchly opposed. Noise and traffic are often spurious claims opposing redevelopments.

Operators tell us that local Council planning departments are under-staffed and at least one, two or three planning officers look after their DA due to staff leaving.

State Governments need to act now to ensure that retirement living developments are approved efficiently. The nation needs them.