Page 3275 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 22 August 2012
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MS PORTER (Ginninderra) (9.34), in reply: I wish to thank members for their contributions to this debate. As members know, this bill represents a positive move forward for residents of retirement villages in the ACT as well as a comprehensive and clear legislative framework for operators. Before I proceed to a discussion on the benefits provided by this bill, I would like to respond to some of the comments which have been made during the debate. I would especially like to thank the attorney for his support. As he said, we have a very important retirement village industry in the ACT, a diverse market and many village residents.
It is important that this bill is passed this evening to give this large number of older persons and our growing older population in the ACT, who have chosen or may choose to live in this type of retirement village, certainty—and also, of course, the industry itself certainty. I thank Ms Bresnan for her support and for her comprehensive understanding of the bill. I thank her for the work that she has undertaken to consult with residents and the industry at all times. I also thank her for speaking so eloquently tonight with such a sore throat.
Turning to Mr Seselja’s comments, he notes the low level of complaints that were received. However, he obviously does not understand the reluctance by older people to try to resolve matters when concerns arise, which sometimes are quite serious in nature, when they believe that the code has no mechanisms to attend to those concerns and to protect them.
The argument that New South Wales has 600 retirement villages and the ACT only 28 and that somehow negates the necessity for this bill is a nonsense. We only have a small number of public hospitals in the ACT. I hazard a guess that Mr Seselja would not recommend that we do not have legislation to govern our health system. We do not have as many schools or universities in the ACT as New South Wales has, but I am sure that Mr Seselja would like laws to protect students and teachers. Somehow he seems to think that just because we have less of something there does not need to be any legislation to govern that industry in the ACT or to support it.
As we know, many older people look to downsize and find more manageable and affordable options. Retirement villages suit some; however, not all. But we do have a growing industry in the ACT which offers a number of different models and products to meet retirees’ needs. Because the industry is growing and changing in many ways, it presents prospective residents with many challenges when deciding where they want to live. I think it is essential to remember that, for the most part, living in a retirement village is a very positive experience for residents. However, it is essential that we act to ensure that all residents and prospective residents are fully informed and have mechanisms in place to deal with issues, as they arise, in a just and expedient manner and at the same time supporting the industry.
As members will recall, when I tabled this bill in June I outlined the extensive community consultation with both industry and resident representatives. Both before and after I tabled the exposure draft of the Retirement Villages Bill in 2010, representations were made to me from a number of retirement village stakeholders. These stakeholders included individual residents, the ACT Retirement Village
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