In New Zealand, operator Arvida doesn’t just talk wellness – it bankrolls it, budgets for it and lets residents take the lead.

At its Waimea Plains village in Richmond, Nelson, the company drops $2,000 every month into a residents’ account and lets the community decide what happens next. Former Retirement Villages Association CEO John Collyns (pictured top), now a resident, calls it the most genuinely resident-led model he’s seen – and it’s quietly changing the vibe, the participation rate, and the prevention mindset on the ground.

Arvida operates 34 communities across New Zealand under its Life Your Way philosophy – a model that puts wellness before compliance.

At Waimea Plains, the operator’s six pillars of living well – Move We