RVA NEWS MONITOR No.28 - April 21, 2009
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Former Top Cop to address Vic/Tas Conference
Christine Nixon, the high-profile former Chief Commissioner of the Victorian Police Service is set to attend the Victorian Tasmanian RVA Regional Conference as the key note speaker on 31 July. Ms Nixon led the Victorian Police for eight years and within days was appointed Chair of the Victorian Bush Fire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority at the request of the Victorian Government. RVA regional manager for Victoria and Tasmania Sue Nicholas said it was an exciting opportunity to have such a high-profile and distinguished presenter at the conference to share her experiences and achievements in these two demanding roles. “We were absolutely thrilled to receive Ms Nixon’s acceptance to be our key note speaker. She’s made quite a name for herself leading our police force here in Victoria and she’s recognised across Australia for her leadership attributes,” Ms Nicholas said. This year the Victoria Tasmania Regional Conference will focus on sales and marketing strategies in the new economic climate. Entitled, Vibrant Retirement Villages in the New Economic Environment the conference will feature a range of expert presenters and interactive panel discussions designed to share best practice information. “This year we’re hoping to attract an audience of predominantly hands-on managers and staff to take part and exchange ideas with our presenters and expert panels. “We have recession busting presentations on, cost effective sales and marketing, how accreditation can improve the performance and marketability of your village, cost effective sustainability concepts into a mature village, sales and marketing ideas including how to sell the DMF and much more,” Ms Nicholas said There will also be two interactive expert panel discussions where guests are invited to participate to discuss sales and marketing strategies and the marketing benefits of accreditation with RVA Standards Manager Gary Medcalf and a panel of experts and industry leaders “I think that one of the conference’s strengths will be its hands-on approach with a presentation by Peter Buckingham of Spectrum Analysis Australia on Australia 2009 and beyond, the ageing of our population and its likely impact on future demand for housing and health services. “The CEO of Programmed Property Services, Mark Piwkowski, is presenting a case study on a village that was able to significantly reduce recurrent maintenance expenditure and there will be an interactive panel of marketing and sales experts who will share their ideas and experiences. “We will also conduct discussions on current changes to the Retirement Villages Act and there is still room for sponsorship,” Ms Nicholas said. The Victoria Tasmania Regional Conference will be held at Hemisphere Conference Centre 488 South Rd Moorabbin on 31 July. Registration and sponsorship forms can be found here.
If you missed this bulletin in the last up date from the Village Manager newsletter from Villages.com.au,we’ve re-published it below: Attention
Operators and
Operations Managers
Government grant
worth $9,000
per ILU
Urgent
action required
now "The Retirement
Villages Association
encourages
all members
to consider
the substantial
benefits available
to your residents
and you as operators
that this unique
initiative
presents”. 100 ILU’s = $900,000 available now The Federal government has allocated $150 million to subsidise up to $8,000 for the installation of a 1kW photovoltaic solar panel system on private dwellings as a renewable energy source. In addition
each dwelling
can receive up
to $1,000 in
Renewable Energy
Credits (REC’s).
This makes the
total of $9,000
available for
each dwelling,
paid within six
weeks of installation. A 100 ILU village can receive $900,000 in solar panel capital improvement. Villages Publishing has created the mechanism for no outlay of funds by the operator and no risk. 30 to 40% lower electricity bills The systems will deliver its residents 30 to 40% lower electricity bills and feed into the grid. Applications
close 30 June Fast tracked
applications
RVA people in profileThis week we meet RVA NSW/ACT Regional Manager Mark Eagleston
Q: How did you get involved in the Retirement Village Industry? I was made aware that there was a position available at the RVA that I may be interested in as it involved using my legal skills in parts and may be something different to enjoy instead of private practice. I spoke to the CEO and then had an interview with the NSW/ACT Committee Chairman and was highly interested in what an amazing growth industry the retirement village sector is. Q: What does your role involve on a day to day basis? Managing and taking care of NSW and ACT gives me a wide variety of roles. I can be doing everything from putting together submissions to members of parliament on legislation and meeting with politicians and government organisations right through to attracting new members to the RVA. I also assist current RVA Members and prospective residents. We’re also kept busy organising our Manager Networking Meetings, organising our State Conference and conferring with the NSW/ACT Committee. Q: What’s of particular interest to you within the industry in NSW at the moment? Definitely the changes to the Retirement Villages Act and what the Regulations will contain. There are a number of contentious issues that will have to be dealt with, especially items such as Payroll Tax which we are currently working on. I definitely enjoy the challenge of making sure it is not exempt as an item which can be excluded from resident’s budgets. I know we have an extremely strong case and look forward to the challenges and processes we will have to go through to keep this as a legitimate cost for our members and all operators in NSW. Q: What has got you excited at the moment re the industry in NSW? The changing way in which the industry is approaching how retirement should be and the difference in the way new villages are being built and developed compared to the older existing villages. The level of facilities and options available for residents these days is fantastic in new villages and the older villages are matching them by improved refurbishments and increased services and facilities. The way in which the village managers approach their tasks and duties and how proud they are of their villages is also fantastic and shows that we have strong foundations to build on and make our industry stronger. Q: What are some of the best ways you’ve been able to attract membership to the RVA? Inviting non-members to our Manager Networking Meetings has attracted new members as it is a really good way to see some of the benefits of being an RVA member. I also believe that making the time and effort to follow up on the people who have requested information is important. Sometimes it may take a number of follow up calls or visits but eventually people see the great benefits they receive for being a member of the RVA. Q: Where do you see the industry heading in the short, medium and long term in NSW? I see the industry in NSW in the short term consolidating on its strong foundations and really booming in the next decade with extra new developments as the ageing population increases and the property market regains its strength. I also see an increasing requirement for rental villages as the mindset of many people these days is to rent rather than buy and I believe it is a mindset that will flow on and eventually have an effect on our industry. This, however, is very long term. Q: What sets the RV industry in NSW apart from other states? NSW often leads the way in most areas which usually has the other states following. For example we have recognised the importance of the new RV Act as other states are either currently going through reform or are currently reviewing their legislation and will be looking to NSW for examples of what amendments should be made. I think the broad choice of lifestyle on offer in villages also sets us apart from other states. We have villages for people looking for a sea change, tree change, high rise villages and now even country villages which are larger and more spaced out for those people who have lived on farming properties, once again showing that NSW is leading the way. Q: What do you enjoy doing (eg hobbies sport) that people might be surprised to find out about you? I really enjoy cooking and spend a fair bit of time in the kitchen or at the barbeque. I have recently become a keen renovator and was quite proud of the results obtained considering I’ve really only ever studied or sat behind a desk and couldn’t tell the difference between a hammer and screwdriver until recently. I am also a keen gardener and actually held a weekend job for three years as a landscaper until recently. I also enjoy most sports including rugby league, cricket, golf, lawn bowls and poker. Q: AFL or NRL which do you prefer or not and why? Definately NRL. I grew up playing rugby league and can be sometimes found watching my old videos (especially the game where I scored four tries in 12 minutes) and I love supporting the Sydney Roosters. Having said that I also enjoy AFL and attended a Swans game a couple of years ago and got a better appreciation for the game by watching it live as opposed to television.
Welcome our newest membersThe RVA is proud to welcome our newest members, however, that doesn’t mean we’re forgetting our existing members. Please contact our communications manager Chip Henriss chip@rva.com.au to submit your people in profile, new appointments or opinion piece. The RVA has recently welcomed: VILLAGE MEMBERS QLDRenaissance Varsity
Lakes Renaissance Varsity Lakes, on Queensland’s Gold Coast, will contain 300 apartments complimenting the prestigious design and lifestyle in an area voted as Queensland’s best address. Facilities will include; indoor pool, croquet, bowls and more. Renaissance Varsity Lakes aims to be a leader in the provision of vertical, resort style retirement living with three buildings of eight and nine levels, spread over 1.5 hectares of luxury. Contact Andrew Carins acarins@renaissancerl.com.au NSW ACTJames
Milson Village The James Milson Village, located at the corner of High St and Clark Rd North Sydney, is a community project providing accommodation for 240 residents over five levels of care. The Village is conducted by the North Sydney Retirement Trust, a charity incorporated under the Corporations Law. The Village, which opened in 1974 currently contains 104 self care units, 56 two bedroom and 48 one bedroom. All accommodation at the Village is either recently built or totally renovated. Contact: Glen Piper milson_hostel@pacific.net.au
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS NATIONALSavills
Australia Level 25 / 140 William Street, MELBOURNE VIC 3000 Savills is
a leading global
real estate service
provider listed
on the London
Stock Exchange. Contact: Pat De Mara pdemara@savills.com.au NSW ACTConsolidated
Lawyers Pty
Ltd Suite 6.02 /
233 Castlereagh
Street Consolidated
Lawyers was founded
by its Principal
in 1999 with
a vision of bringing
together a group
of highly specialised
lawyers in different
areas of Law,
with an unflinching
focus on achieving
results rather
than conforming
to traditional
legal standards. Contact: Bechara Shamieh admin@consolidatedlawyers.com
Upcoming Events
Further
details and
contact information
can be found
on our Events
Calendar.
Further details and contact information can be found on our Events Calendar.
RVA Blog The RVA will
be blogging very
soon and we want
our members to
be part of it. We will be discussing current issues surrounding the retirement village industry and we’ll be looking for your opinions, ideas and information. Watch this space for more information on the RVA Blog.
Contribute to this News ReportHave you got a story or an interesting idea that you’d like to see on the news monitor but aren’t confident about writing it yourself? No need to worry, contact our communications manager Chip Henriss chip@rva.com.au and he’ll be happy to help you draft a piece for the News Monitor. All submissions are subject to approval by the CEO. For further information or to make comment on the above items, please email communications@rva.com.au The RVA News Monitor is a weekly feature on the RVA website, and will provide updated stories on issues involving the retirement village industry. The RVA welcomes story or issue ideas to be included in the News Monitor, or comments or opinions on stories featured. |
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