The Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean has announced Rose Webb has been appointed the new NSW Commissioner for Fair Trading. In his media release of the 30th October, Mr Kean elaborated on the new Commissioner’s extensive experience at a senior level. Ms Webb also shares his passion for putting the consumer first and cracking down on shonky operators across this state.
Read the full media release.
The Minister Matt Kean was interviewed on FM radio 100.1 – Hornsby local community station. This followed an earlier interview with Andrew Burgess a resident of The Landings. The subject matter related to concerns within retirement villages and may help to further publicise the Inquiry in support of Government’s welcome initiative.
Here is a 6 minute edit which is Matt speaking his observations and promises
Click logo to listen to Matt.
Prospective residents of retirement villages will be able to calculate the estimated costs of moving into a village before signing a contract, with the launch of a new online calculator by NSW Fair Trading on Tuesday.
Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said the online calculator would allow residents to “compare village prices and ultimately ensure they’re not getting ripped off by unscrupulous operators”.
Access the Retirement Village Calculators HERE
Following up on his earlier announcement, the Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation, Matt Kean and the Minister for Ageing, Tanya Davies, have issued a joint media release on retirement village reforms.
“The NSW Government is putting power back in the hands of retirement village residents under a new package of reforms announced today.”
The package includes a four point plan which includes an inquiry that will make sure residents have the protection they deserve.
Minister Kean said “Kathryn Greiner AO will head the (an) inquiry, which will examine all registered retirement villages across NSW, and their compliance with the Retirement Villages Act 1999.”
To download a PDF of the Media Release – Click HERE
To view the Media Release online – Click HERE
Adele Ferguson continues her series of articles on the current state of the retirement village industry in the Sydney Morning Herald.
In December 2014, months after he stepped down as Premier of NSW, Barry O’Farrell wrote to a group of residents at a retirement village telling them he “remained of the view that a parliamentary inquiry was required” into the multi-billion dollar retirement village sector.
He said a parliamentary inquiry was the best vehicle to investigate the sector as it would be public, involve MPs from various parties, under the Parliament’s rules, and its recommendations would have to be publicly responded to by the government within three months.
“I regret that largely due to the winding up of the parliament’s sittings I have been unable to secure such an inquiry,” he said.
Fast forward to now and almost 2000 residents of retirement villages in NSW signed a petition calling for an industry ombudsman and other reforms. So far this has fallen on deaf ears
The ACCC, for its part, has launched an inquiry that it says will look at some of the more serious allegations being raised, including whether contracts are unfair and unconscionable.
Gerard Brody, the chief executive of Consumer Action Law Centre, recently said the retirement living contracts were some of the worst contracts he had seen across many different industries – even worse than complex financial services.
Read Adele’s full article HERE.
Consumers are at the heart of a new plan announced today by the NSW Government.
Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said Consumers First was a package of reforms and initiatives that would put everyday people front and centre.
“Whether it’s dodgy real estate agents or reckless retirement village operators, I’ve had enough of consumers being taken for a ride,” Mr Kean said.
Read the full text of the media release HERE
NSW Council waives water fees in win for retirement village residents
3,500 village residents are celebrating after Central Coast Council announced it would waive over 50% of their water service charges for 2016/17.
The residents had been fighting the former Gosford Council over big increases in their water, sewerage and drainage charges in 2015/16 – in some cases reportedly up to 1000 per cent – after being under-billed for the previous three years.
However, the newly formed Council has now voted to foot the bill for 53% of the water service charges this FY – an average of $142 each.
The same waiver had already been granted to villages in the former Wyong Shire, which was also amalgamated into the Central Coast Council.
Administrator Ian Reynolds said Council was working towards a fairer pricing structure and will ensure the charges “remain aligned” for the following year.
Credit: Express Advocate.
Sydney Morning Herald – August 20, 2016
Keith Tremain always believed that when times got tough, you could count on your mates.
After suffering two strokes, a heart attack, and the loss of his wife, the 81-year-old is now bracing for a battle with construction giant Lendlease, which wants to demolish the entire wing of the Sydney retirement village he lives in, because serviced apartments are not profitable enough.
Read Mario’s SMH article HERE.
Alzheimer’s Australia NSW Discussion Paper 13, August 2015. – Miskovski, K., Chenoweth, L. & Moore, B. (2015)
“The retirement living sector is a successful model industry, providing a range of care options to facilitate ageing in place.”
How well do retirement villages facilitate ageing in place for residents living with dementia?
This discussion paper reports the findings of exploratory research which aimed to investigate the extent to which people with dementia are supported in retirement villages and identify improvements to ensure that retirement village residents with dementia are able to age in place.
To access this document please click Alzheimer’s Australia (NSW)
Subsequent to consideration of the discussion paper. Alzheimer’s Australia (NSW) then produced the Dementia Guide for the Australian Retirement Village Industry which residents and their their extended family may also find interesting.
RVRA Optimistic on Greiner Inquiry Report
RVRA President Tom Gait, is optimistic that positive
improvements will flow to residents of retirement villages in New South Wales from the state
government’s consideration of the Greiner Inquiry Report.
Read the full 23rd February 2018 media release.