The Retirement Living Council (RLC) and Property Council of Australia have welcomed an announcement by the ACT Government that it will not pursue the appointment of a Retirement Living Ombudsman.
A report released by ACT Attorney-General, (pictured) revealed that a Retirement Living Ombudsman will not be required in the ACT.
RLC Executive Director, Daniel Gannon welcomed the decision.
“We’re not going to solve the nation’s housing crisis by adding more red tape to the mix,” Mr Gannon said.
“Industry’s voluntary Code of Conduct has been in place for three years now, with a growing number of signatories, underlining our commitment to raising industry standards.
“The Code gives operators a set of standards to ensure every resident’s experience is a positive one, with minimal complaints across the country every year,” he said.
Mr Gannon also reflected on the sector’s fundamentals based on the most recent PwC/Property Council Retirement Census.
“Retirement community occupancy in Canberra is the highest in Australia at 95%, which represents effectively full capacity,” he said.
“Concerningly, the three-year development supply pipeline of retirement units in the ACT fell by more than half to 234 dwellings compared to the previous census forecast of 569 dwellings.
“Injecting more appropriate supply into the ACT’s housing market would give consumers an accommodation option that is 43 per cent cheaper than the median house price.”
The Property Council’s ACT and Capital Region Executive Director, Shane Martin said the decision comes as a result of important cooperation between all key stakeholders.
“Government, operators and the residents’ association should be applauded for coming together to work collaboratively and focus on finding an important balance for all involved,” Mr Martin said.
“Industry is motivated by a desire to increase consumer and investor confidence, raise industry standards, and pursue better regulation and transparency while delivering diverse housing options for seniors in the ACT,” he said.
