Australian seniors aren’t the only national demographic creating new demand amongst retirement village operators and lifestyle providers. In fact, two major retirement village groups in New Zealand have recently reported the same trends.

Two of New Zealand’s biggest retirement village operators, Arvida Group and Ryman Healthcare, have paid attention to the growing movements and each started their own initiatives that will accommodate the future of the significantly changing ageing population.

Arvida Group CEO Bill McDonald says the organisation sees a need for a new operation that will cater to a new kind of population.

"We need to stay relevant to people coming through in the next 10 to 20 years. We need a different type of building and a different type of operation. It has to be of great value to retirees who are looking for good, well-planned age care.”

One such defining operation is in their developments of the Living Well Park Lane village in Christchurch, which is designed to be a flagship of their future villages. Facilities at the Park Lane village will include a community centre for both the public and residents, complete with a café that sources produce from the village's communal gardens - produce that may also be sold
to others. There will also be a community crèche, a health club and animals, including chickens and lambs, with Mr McDonald describing the village’s characteristics as ‘multigenerational’.

For Ryman Healthcare, the changes have been reflected in larger villages, with more serviced apartments and more facilities on offer to residents. Some of the most popular facilities introduced include social men’s sheds, and cafes (which, as reported by Ryman Corporate Affairs Manager David King, are a mainstay in villages thanks to their unprecedented popularity).

King says Ryman Healthcare is seeing record levels of demand for villages as the population ages. "We sold our Pukekohe village stages in record time and there was a 14-month waiting list at one stage."

"The population aged over 70 is rapidly ageing and is set to more than double in the next 30 years. It is the greatest demographic change the western world has seen. Retirement villages in New Zealand are home to a little over 12 per cent of the retired population, so there is a huge potential market. The market will only grow."