Regional NSW push for retirement village dollars
Regional councils in New South Wales are now making a concerted retirement village pitch for big city dwellers with the promise of affordable housing, clean country air, and new aged-care facilities.
Towns such as Parkes in central western NSW have local farmers setting up a retirement village on a 22- hectare site that could house 1,000 seniors and is likely to cost the developers over $125 million.
Local farmer Bruce Hodges told the Australian Financial Review that “there’s been a lot of interest from people in the cities. They can sell their homes in the city and come and buy in the country and they’ll still have money in the bank. They can enjoy country living and security”.
The NSW Riverina town of Deniliquin is also keen to tap the retirement market through sending delegations to Melbourne retirement and lifestyle expos. The town is hoping an influx of retirees will help reverse a population drop due to local industry shutdowns.
The town’s economic development officer, Mike Conellan, said “there’s the opportunity to get out of the rat race and come to a place that’s less congested. We’ve got a lot to offer in terms of lifestyle and affordability”.
