Mergers & Acquisitions Scape’s Craig Carracher: Aveo deal cost closer to $4.5B, not $3.85B Brookfield Asset Management hailed the sale of Aveo as the largest direct real estate transaction in Australian history, quoting a price tag of $3.85 billion. Click here Ian Horswill 08 Sep 2025
Sector Moves & People Manuel Lang joins GemLife as Chief Corporate Officer The ASX-listed land lease community operator GemLife has appointed Manuel Lang as its Chief Corporate Officer, effective 1 October 2025. Manuel brings more than 20 years’ experience in the land lease and property sectors. He was General Manager Land Lease Communities at AVID Property Group. Click here Ian Horswill 10 Sep 2025
Not for Profit National peak body Baptist Care Australia swallowed by BaptistCare The peak body of the Not For Profit faith-based organisation is no more. Baptist Care Australia (BCA) team has joined the newly merged BaptistCare organisation after the national peak body representing Baptist community service organisations... Click here Ian Horswill 05 Sep 2025
Opinion 200,000 village residents in assisted living and private aged care within 5 years? Yes Grant Corderoy tells our private aged care breakfasts that the DMF is likely on the way out and up front membership is the only way to be able to deliver the staff and services this new customer will demand. There will 200,000 of these customers swamping village ‘beds’ in the next 60 months. Click here Chris Baynes 08 Sep 2025
In the Headlines Macquarie-backed Millbray enters land lease market with $2.9B fund and 5,000-home target Macquarie Asset Management has officially unveiled Millbray, a new vertically integrated land lease communities group, with plans to deliver at least 5,000 homes along Australia’s eastern seaboard. Click here Ian Horswill 09 Sep 2025
Sector Moves & People UnitingCare Queensland appoints Ben Edwards as new CEO The Group Chief Operating Officer of St John of God Health Care, Ben Edwards, has been appointed as the next Chief Executive Officer of UnitingCare Queensland, commencing 12 January 2026. Click here Ian Horswill 08 Sep 2025
Legal Issues Lifestyle Communities takes DMF fight to Court of Appeal Lifestyle Communities has formally lodged its appeal against a July ruling that found its Deferred Management Fee (DMF) structure breached Victorian residential tenancy laws. Click here Ian Horswill 08 Sep 2025
Community Living Keyton exits serviced apartment model with Melbourne closure Keyton has closed the doors on its only all-serviced apartment retirement village, Goodwin Close in Blackburn South, Melbourne, after years of struggling to attract new residents. Click here Ian Horswill 08 Sep 2025
Out of the Ordinary SATURDAY knows the future: No RAC, no DMF – the future of retirement living Scalabrini CEO Richard de Haast is rewriting the rules with Harbourside, a $60 million waterfront project that swaps outdated funding models and RAC beds for customer choice, future-proofed apartments and private care safety nets. Why is this... Click here Lauren Broomham 09 Sep 2025
Redevelopments Construction begins on Australia’s first timber aged care home After a “long gestation,” work has finally begun on the extension and refurbishment of Hardi Aged Care Blacktown, 45km west of the Sydney CBD, architect John Flower has confirmed. Click here Caroline Egan 10 Sep 2025
Development TLC reveals $490M five-year pipeline as $170M Melbourne healthcare precinct approved TLC Healthcare has unveiled a $490 million development pipeline to be rolled out over the next five years, beginning with its most ambitious healthcare precinct yet – a $170 million development in Hallam, Melbourne. Click here Ian Horswill 10 Sep 2025
Development UnitingCare Queensland returns to retirement village development after 12 years UnitingCare Queensland has unveiled plans for its first new retirement village in over a decade, with Stage One of Bokarina Beach Village on the Sunshine Coast set to deliver 28 freestanding three-bedroom homes under its BlueCare brand. Click here Ian Horswill 08 Sep 2025
Retirement and Community Living Aveo reveals plan for Manly Hospital site redevelopment Aveo has unveiled its vision for the former Manly Hospital site, with a Health and Wellbeing Precinct featuring retirement living, aged care, and community facilities. Click here Ian Horswill 08 Sep 2025
Development Stockland announces new Halcyon land lease community in Perth’s East Wanneroo Stockland has confirmed plans for a fourth Halcyon land lease community in Western Australia, as part of its new masterplanned community Grevillea, located 25km north of Perth’s CBD in Mariginiup. Click here Ian Horswill 08 Sep 2025
Development Reside fast-tracks fifth retirement village after strong villa sales Reside Communities has recorded strong early demand at its newest project, Maleny Grove, in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland. Click here Ian Horswill 08 Sep 2025
Development Work begins on $99M Stage Two retirement village at Uniting Edinglassie Emu Plains Construction has officially commenced on Stage Two of Uniting Edinglassie Emu Plains, a $99 million redevelopment in Sydney’s west, with a sod-turning ceremony attended by Uniting NSW.ACT CEO Tracey Burton. Click here Ian Horswill 08 Sep 2025
Housing News RAAFA WA to build Andrew Russell Veteran Living in Perth after funding secured Construction is now underway on a dedicated facility to temporarily house veterans at risk of homelessness, following a sod-turning ceremony in Cannington, Perth’s southern suburbs. Click here Ian Horswill 08 Sep 2025
Housing News SA Govt ramps up housing for vulnerable older women South Australia’s Department for Housing and Urban Development is investing in more housing options for vulnerable older women, with three significant projects underway or recently completed in Adelaide. Click here Ian Horswill 01 Sep 2025
Community Living Bendigo seniors’ housing rebuild kicks off with VIC Govt funding Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan has marked the start of construction on VincentCare Community Housing’s seniors’ living redevelopment in Bendigo, part of the State Government’s Big Housing Build and Regional Housing Fund. Click here Ian Horswill 01 Sep 2025
Housing Build to Rent booms on Govt largesse, while retirement living left behind Retirement villages remain “all intent and purposes” full – yet the sector continues to face massive hurdles with redevelopment and access to land for new projects. Click here Ian Horswill 25 Aug 2025
Housing News Aspen smashes FY25 guidance Aspen Group, led by Joint Chief Executives John Carter and David Dixon, has once again proved itself to be the unassuming hero of affordable housing. Click here Ian Horswill 22 Aug 2025
Housing Summerhill Village in West Footscray, Melbourne, for women over 55, opens Summerhill Village is an innovative, purpose-built social housing project designed for older women to live independently and age in place while enjoying the benefits of community living. Jointly owned by Not For Profit United Housing Co-operative... Click here Ian Horswill 25 Aug 2025
Housing Juniper drives 2,500km solution: modular homes for aged care staff in the Kimberley A convoy of trucks rolled into Fitzroy Crossing on Sunday, 10 August, carrying long-awaited modular homes that will provide accommodation for staff at Juniper’s Guwardi Ngadu Residential Aged Care Home. Click here Caroline Egan 20 Aug 2025
Housing News Uniting NSW.ACT secures $1.75M grant for social housing energy upgrades Uniting NSW.ACT has received $1.75 million from the Australian and NSW Governments to deliver energy-efficient upgrades – including hot water heat pumps, reverse-cycle air conditioners and solar panels – across 300 of its community housing units. Click here Ian Horswill 18 Aug 2025
Sector Moves & People Catholic Health Australia CEO Jason Kara resigns After two years leading the peak advocacy body for Australia’s largest non-government group of health, aged and community care services, Jason Kara has announced his resignation. Click here Ian Horswill 11 Aug 2025
Opinion RIP: We are seeing the death of the family-run aged care operator It feels like I am writing an obituary to family-run aged care facilities. Once the backbone of the sector, multi-generation operators are now selling out at a pace not seen before. The sell-off is accelerating, with three landmark deals in just two... Click here Lauren Broomham 11 Sep 2025
Opinion 200,000 village residents in assisted living and private aged care within 5 years? Yes Grant Corderoy tells our private aged care breakfasts that the DMF is likely on the way out and up front membership is the only way to be able to deliver the staff and services this new customer will demand. There will 200,000 of these customers swamping village ‘beds’ in the next 60 months. Click here Chris Baynes 08 Sep 2025
Opinion Between a rock and a hard place: more Packages won’t fix home care Aged Care and Seniors Minister Sam Rae and Health Minister Mark Butler have bowed to political pressure, announcing 20,000 additional Home Care Packages will be released before 1 November, with another 20,000 to follow by 2026. It makes for a powerful headline but the truth is uncomfortable. Click here Lauren Broomham 04 Sep 2025
Housing News Uniting NSW.ACT secures $1.75M grant for social housing energy upgrades Uniting NSW.ACT has received $1.75 million from the Australian and NSW Governments to deliver energy-efficient upgrades – including hot water heat pumps, reverse-cycle air conditioners and solar panels – across 300 of its community housing units. Click here Ian Horswill 18 Aug 2025
Government Policy 18,650 social and affordable homes funded as 370 homes repurposed The Australian Government’s flagship Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) has agreed to fund 9,284 social and 9,366 affordable homes through 279 successful projects under the first two funding rounds of the HAFF and National Housing Accord Facility... Click here Ian Horswill 04 Jul 2025
Funding Aspen Group aimed to raise $4M – but could have taken $18M The ASX-listed affordable accommodation provider, which has 10 active projects, announced a Security Purchase Plan (SPP) on Wednesday, 28 May, offering existing investors the opportunity to acquire up to $30,000 in Aspen Group securities without... Click here Ian Horswill 16 Jun 2025
Funding Land lease operator GemLife’s IPO to surpass Virgin Australia, with 3 July listing confirmed Adrian Puljich, his father Peter and Singapore diversified company Thakral Corporation opened talks on the possibilility of becoming a publicly listed business in April. A prospectus for the float will be lodged with the Australian Securities and... Click here Ian Horswill 16 Jun 2025
Government Policy “Development pipeline across sector not going to be sufficient for ageing population” “The development pipeline across the industry is not going to be sufficient for the ageing population,” Tony told the Property Council Click here Ian Horswill 20 Nov 2023
Aged Care Opinion: the next aged care crisis is here Read more about Australia’s ‘true’ occupancy rate – and the consolidation taking place in the residential care sector in SATURDAY – subscribe here Click here Lauren Broomham 26 Oct 2023
Development Only in SATURDAY – the real reason aged care beds are hard to find The Department of Health and Aged Care puts occupancy at 86.2%. Our investigations differ To find out why, subscribe to our premium digital magazine SATURDAY HERE Click here Caroline Egan 26 Oct 2023
Home Care Fiji PM hints at reducing PALM worker numbers The Prime Minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka, has indicated that the number of unskilled or semi-skilled workers that come to Australia through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme could be cut, which could limit an important source of... Click here Caroline Egan 26 Oct 2023
Community Living New Zealand needs more retirement villages to meet the demand A new report by real estate firm JLL on the sector across the Tasman Sea has found demand for places is outstripping supply. A total of 36 new villages were added to the development pipeline last year with 452 villages currently providing homes for... Click here Ian Horswill 28 Aug 2023
The Weekly SOURCE Will retirement living operators heed the call in Western Australia? The state government has said it seeks to collaborate with the property and construction industry to “increase the supply and diversity of social housing”. The Department of Communities states it is particularly interested in submissions that... Click here Ian Horswill 01 Aug 2023
Aged Care IHACPA releases Consultation Paper for aged care funding in 2024–25 The Independent Hospital and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA) has released its Consultation Paper on the Pricing Framework for Australian Residential Aged Care Services 2024–25 and asking for submissions from relevant stakeholders. The report... Click here Caroline Egan 26 Jul 2023
The Economy ONLY IN SATURDAY: Aveo Group CEO on making serviced apartments profitable Serviced apartments, or assisted living options in retirement villages, have been a challenge for the retirement living sector. Ageing village serviced apartments with relatively high weekly fees to cover the mandated meals and other services are... Click here Caroline Egan 25 Jul 2023
DCM Research DCM Institute survey: How long Village Managers think they will stay in the role The DCM Institute survey of 186 retirement village and community managers across Australia asked how long Village Managers intend to stay in the role and why they intend to leave. The survey found that 78% of Village Managers were generally... Click here Section Editor 13 Jun 2023