Independent retirement village operator Elements Retirement Living at Springwood has moved to welcome new regulations for retirement villages across the state of Queensland, with Elements founder and managing director, Chiou See Anderson, declaring that it is important for residents to have a voice.

Following an announcement earlier this month by the Queensland Government that village contract reformation would be in place by the end of this year, Ms. Anderson reinforced that residents already had consumer protections and needed to take time to understand their rights.

“I’d welcome simpler contracts that were consistent across the industry,” Ms Anderson said. “At Elements, we have always declared fees and charges upfront and all new residents are fully briefed before we accept their application to reside here.”

“Good village operators already provide a long contractual cooling off period because we want our residents to have a positive experience and enjoy their retirement,” she said.

“I am involved in the daily life of my 110 residents, so we have a fairly direct complaints process! But I would welcome any formal dispute resolution system that provides further peace of mind, as it’s very important to make living in a retirement village both enjoyable and transparent.”