Clifton Lifestyle’s community in Old Bar, NSW, was named CCIA’s NSW Community of the Year in 2023. In 2025, the same title went to Yamba. Two different communities, two years apart, both recognised at the top level of the industry.
That’s a useful thing to know, because choosing a lifestyle community is a decision that plays out over years, not just at the point of sale. It’s worth asking not just what a community looks like on opening day, but how it’s run some years on.
Clifton Lifestyle isn’t one of the country’s largest land lease operators, and that shapes how it works. Rather than building communities to sell and move on, the approach is to build to operate, staying involved for the long term so that the standard set on day one is the standard residents still experience years later. It’s the same approach that earned Clifton Yamba and Clifton Old Bar their awards, and it’s the model behind every new community that follows.
“We don’t build a community and walk away,” says Ben Styles, Development Director at Clifton Lifestyle. “We’re still there for our residents years after handover, and that’s exactly why Clifton Camden Haven and Clifton Toowoomba are being built to the same standard as previous Clifton Lifestyle communities.”
Two new communities, one proven approach
That same approach is now underway at two new communities: Clifton Camden Haven on the NSW Mid North Coast, and Clifton Toowoomba on the Darling Downs in Queensland. Both are currently taking registrations of interest for their Stage 1 home release, giving future residents first choice of site location and home design before the wider release, along with Stage 1 launch pricing.
Why land lease makes financial sense
Under the land lease model, residents own their home outright but lease the land it sits on, rather than purchasing both. It’s a structure that typically means a lower entry price than a comparable house-and-land purchase, no stamp duty on the home, and none of the exit fees or deferred management fees common to retirement villages. Homeowners retain the capital gain on their home when they choose to sell. For many buyers, it’s a way to free up equity from a larger family home while keeping more of it working for them.
Resort-style living, every day
Both of the new communities being built are designed around resort-style facilities for an active, social lifestyle. At Clifton Camden Haven and Clifton Toowoomba, residents will have access to a state-of-the-art Clubhouse with sports bar, arts and craft room, cinema, gym, sauna, magnesium heated pool and spa, BBQ area, bowling green, RV storage and pickleball courts.
A community of instant friends
Ask current Clifton Lifestyle residents what surprised them about the move, and a common answer is how quickly they got to know their neighbours. Shared facilities and a like-minded community of people at a similar life stage naturally encourage that. It’s one of the less advertised but more valued parts of an over 55s lifestyle resort.
“We moved to Clifton Yamba from Melbourne 18 months ago,” says Clifton Yamba resident Kris. “We love our new life at Clifton, our beautiful home and the lovely friends we have made here. I would highly recommend Clifton homes for the quality and management of the property.” [Kris S, Google Review]
Also currently selling
Clifton Lifestyle also has homes currently available at Clifton Taree, also on the Mid North Coast of NSW and Clifton Victor Harbor in South Australia, rounding out a portfolio built on the same track record.
Why timing matters
Stage 1 pricing reflects where the community is right now, before construction and the communal facilities are complete. Buyers who get in early are often rewarded for that early commitment, securing a launch stage price that comes before the community has been fully developed.
The takeaway
Clifton Camden Haven and Clifton Toowoomba give buyers something few new communities can offer: the chance to be among the first residents of a brand-new community, backed by a developer that’s already shown what it delivers when the ribbon-cutting is long behind it. Registrations of interest for Stage 1 are open now, with early buyers getting first choice of homesite and design at launch pricing.
For more information:
Explore Clifton Toowoomba and Clifton Camden Haven here.
Email: info@cliftonlifestyle.com.au
