Hi everyone

While the RVRA is fully focused on what is happening within Retirement Villages we need to keep a vigilant eye on what is happening externally to ensure we are ready for any impact that may occur.

Some of the key recent happenings are:

1. Regulatory changes in NSW for retirement villages

The Retirement Villages Regulation 2025 (NSW) came into effect on 1 September 2025, replacing the previous 2017 regulation.

Key points for resident associations / committees:

• Operators must now disclose more detailed information to residents — including enhanced disclosure requirements for incoming residents.
• The capital-maintenance reporting cycle has been simplified: the requirement to report major items now on an annual basis (rather than over a three-year cycle) for many villages.
• Asset registers must reflect “remaining effective life” of major capital items (rather than just “effective life”) and operators now have more flexibility to self-assess rather than strictly follow tax-ruling lifespans.
• New offence provisions: Operators must have an elder-abuse prevention strategy, must not discourage residents from making complaints or pursuing disputes, and NSW Fair Trading can issue on-the-spot fines for non-compliance.

Implications for residents & committees:

• Residents should check that the village operator has updated disclosure statements and inquiry documents to reflect the new regulations.
• Committees can request to review the updated asset register and capital maintenance plan to understand the “remaining effective life” of major items (roofs, lifts, fire systems, etc).
• The new compliance powers mean resident committees have a stronger basis for raising concerns about lack of transparency or insufficient records.
• For coming contract renewals or new entrants, the improved disclosure regime is a positive shift for resident protection.

October has been a busy month for the Board. In addition to “changing the guard” and welcoming new Board Members Denise McGowan-Slee and Colin Long, both of whom bring a wealth of experience to the Board, we have continued to meet with representatives from the Property Council, the Retirement Living Council, Fair Trading, and various Operators.

Members Enquiries

Member enquiries increased during September as villages conducted their AGMs and new residents committee members took on their roles. There were 32 enquiries from members covering a total of 48 categories (some enquiries covered 2 or more call categories). The largest number of calls categories were about Management (17), followed by Legal and Legislation (9), and Residents Committees (9). Residents committee rules or constitutions were under review in some villages, while others experienced AGM voting difficulties.

Members can access Information Sheets dealing with these and many topics in the Members Only section of the website. The Information Sheets links are being updated to the new 2025 Regulation but are quite usable in the interim.

The Retirement Villages Education Centre

The first video in the “Finances in Retirement Villages” series, about "Understanding the costs of moving into a Retirement Village" is ready for viewing, see the link below to the website and also on the RVRA YouTube channel.

https://www.rvra.org.au/education/videos

It will be closely followed by video 2: “Understanding ongoing costs while living in a Retirement Village” and Video 3: “Understanding the costs of leaving a Retirement Village”.

Workshops

In this month’s Bulletin we report on a virtual residents committee Workshop held for Inasmuch Community Retirement Village. We hope to encourage more residents committees to utilise this format to help them to understand the roles, responsibilities and function of an effective residents committee.

Village Visits

We offer virtual village visits to acquaint residents with the supporting role of the RVRA. If you wish your village to be included in the Village Visit schedule, virtual or face-to-face, please contact Cathy on 1300 787 213 (option 1) if you have not already done so.

Annual RVRA Budget and AMP Survey

The RVRA 2025 Budget and AMP Survey closed on Monday 8th September and the responses are being analysed and the Report prepared.

In our July Bulletin I discussed the problems in managing village visits to regional NSW—particularly in areas without a nearby Board Member who can attend without overnight accommodation. The same problem is true for Residents Committee Workshops. While we have conducted many face-to-face Residents Committee Workshops over the past year, the offer to run them virtually is not being taken up.

Why hold a workshop?

Many residents committees struggle with understanding their role, responsibilities and the boundaries of their authority. The RVRA offers both half and full day Residents Committee Workshops, available either in-person or virtually. These sessions are designed to equip committee members with the knowledge and practical skills they need to operate effectively. Key topics include communication, conflict resolution, governance, and community engagement—core skills that help committees contribute positively to the wellbeing and cohesion of their village communities.

To expand accessibility, we’ve been trialing new delivery methods in partnership with village operators. In some cases, operators bring residents committees from multiple villages to a central location for a shared workshop. For example, RVRA President Roger Pallant recently led workshops over three days for one operator, involving 47 committee members and 22 management representatives from 21 villages (see the August Bulletin for details).

However, for many villages, there’s an even simpler solution—a Virtual Workshop.

Virtual workshops are straightforward to set up. Participants gather in a meeting room with a large screen, and one member connects a computer or laptop to the Zoom or Teams link provided. This setup allows full interaction between participants and convenors—questions, discussions, and all. The only drawback? Our convenors have to miss out on joining you for morning tea or lunch—we can only watch from afar!

Recently, a virtual Residents Committee Workshop was successfully held for Inasmuch Retirement Village in Sussex Inlet, south of Sydney. Both residents committee members and some management representatives attended (by agreement with the committee). Each participant received a copy of the Training Workbook and completed pre- and post-workshop surveys via Google Forms—simply by clicking a link in an email.

One clear advantage of the virtual format quickly became apparent: the flexibility to run multiple short sessions (five sessions of 30–40 minutes each) led by three different convenors. This not only kept the content fresh but also allowed each convenor to focus on their area of expertise.

For many villages, this could be the ideal solution—minimal cost, maximum benefit.

For more information or to arrange a workshop for your village, contact:
📞Cathy – 1300 787 213 (option 2)
📧Email: calls@rvra.org.au
Or contact the Education Centre: ecchair@rvra.org.au

Diane Hart
Chair, RVRA Education Centre

Diabetes can impact people across all life stages, including childhood, the reproductive years, working age and older adulthood.

The theme of this year’s WHO World Diabetes Day, "Diabetes across life stages,” recognizes that every person living with diabetes should have access to integrated care, supportive environments and policies that promote health, dignity and self-management. This campaign emphasizes the importance of a life-course approach to diabetes prevention, management and overall well-being.

Key messages include:

1. Diabetes can affect people at every stage of life;
2. From childhood to older age, diabetes prevention and care efforts must be integrated across life stages; and
3. Supporting well-being and self-care empowers people with diabetes at every age.

Source: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-diabetes-day/2025

More links to helpful information about diabetes:

Discover the upside of ageing - LiveUp

LiveUp is a free healthy ageing guide funded by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, designed to help you stay independent and socially connected as you get older.

The LiveUp website is packed with impartial information and resources, helpful product suggestions, and local activities and groups to help you take control of how you’re ageing. Learn what you can do when you LiveUp at liveup.org.au

If you prefer to speak to someone over the phone, LiveUp offers a free and confidential Navigation service to help you understand and explore your healthy ageing options.

Contact a Navigator on 1800 951 971 or support@liveup.org.au

Help Us Keep Advocating for Fairness in Retirement Villages

Thank you for being a valued member of the Retirement Village Residents Association (RVRA) - or for considering membership. Our members' support has helped us continue advocating for fair treatment, stronger protections, and better representation for residents across New South Wales.

As you know, while most retirement village operators do the right thing, there are still many cases where residents are left vulnerable—facing unfair fees, poor communication, or inadequate dispute resolution.

With limited government resources and many competing priorities, retirement village concerns are often pushed to the side.

That’s why we are requesting your help.

A donation to the RVRA will directly support our work, including:

• Advocating for legislative reform
• Providing information and advice to residents
• Engaging with government and village operators
• Giving residents a stronger collective voice

You can donate online (either direct through our website or using GiveNow) at:
👉 https://www.rvra.org.au/donate

Every donation—no matter the size—helps us remain independent, effective, and committed to protecting the rights of all residents.

Thank you again for being part of this important association. Together, we can ensure retirement villages remain places of safety, fairness, and respect.

On behalf of the RVRA Board - thank you for your support.

Kind regards

Roger Pallant
RVRA President

The RVRA appreciates the support of the following professional services organisations.
To become a Supporter of the RVRA, contact us.