Two weeks ago Aged and Community Services (ACSA), Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) and the Property Council released a draft Code of Conduct for the retirement living sector. It was largely created by the Property Council’s Retirement Living Council (RLC) chapter. Four days later, the NSW Government announced it would launch its own mandatory Code of Conduct.

This week ACSA urgently requested its NSW/ACT members to have their say on the voluntary RLC Code.

We have directly reprinted ACSA’s statement to members below:

*Note that this draft Code of Conduct is being proposed for all states and territories in Australia not just NSW.

Although the NSW Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean announced in response to the Greiner Review Report “Retirement villages will have to abide to a mandatory code of conduct — and will be policed by retirement village ambassador”, it is still very important for ACSA members in NSW to be heard, to provide feedback to this draft [industry] Code of Conduct.

This draft is the only one ‘on the table’ at the moment. Until we know what mandatory code the NSW Government intends to develop, what form it would take, when and how it would be applied, we need to continue to develop what works best for our sector while engendering the trust of prospective residents. It may be true that an industry developed Code is preferable to a Government led outcome.

We can’t recall ACSA being so forthright before – they clearly want members to get on board.

ACSA is also undertaking an active engagement process with their state-based Retirement Living Committees over the next few weeks to discuss the draft.