Property Council’s Retirement Living Council Executive Director Ben Myers departs

The Property Council is yet to appoint a replacement for Ben Myers who has left his role as Executive Director of the Council’s Retirement Living Council. Brisbane-based Ben had been in the role for almost six years and resigned in July. He left last Friday. Executive search agency Meritos has been leading the hunt for Ben’s successor. SUBSCRIBE TO SATURDAY DIGITAL MAGAZINE Ben and the RLC have instituted a number of measures that have gone some way to restoring the public’s trust in retirement villages after the significant damage caused by the joint Four Corners/Fairfax Media investigation in June 2017.

“Together, we’ve steadily rebuilt the reputation of retirement living, and at long last we’re getting governments to understand the important role that retirement communities play in supporting healthy ageing,” Ben wrote to members. “But there’s much more to do. “Getting government to listen has been the hard part.”

It is that task that he has left for his successor.

“Every level of government – federal, state, and local – has some responsibility for supporting the growth and development of retirement living communities,” he said. “The fact that the average retirement villages in Australia is now about 25 years old – despite the significant health, social and economic benefits of retirement living – shows governments aren’t doing enough to encourage investment or support planning and development of age-friendly communities. “Ensuring older Australians have the choice to live in an affordable and accessible age-friendly community must become a key priority for all governments.  Listening to industry – and working in partnership to encourage investment into age-friendly communities – presents all governments with an opportunity to improve the health and wellbeing of older Australians.”