The New Zealand operator has experienced a setback in its plans to roll out more villages in Australia with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) rejecting plans for a retirement village and aged care facility in Mount Martha, 68km south of Melbourne.

VCAT knocked back Ryman’s plan to construct a three-storey building on the 19,547sm site, consisting of 70 apartments, 37 assisted living suites and 116 aged care rooms because of a belief the project was too excessive and would ‘detract’ from the feel of the area.

“We find that while the site may be suitable to provide some form of integrated residential aged care and retirement village, what is proposed is too big and overwhelming for an area that is a subdued low scale area,” presiding member Tracey Bilston-McGillen said.

It is unlikely to hold back Ryman’s plans however.

Plans for a similarly sized development in nearby Mt Eliza were revised last year following consultation with locals.

The operator also scraped in the end of last month to meet its target of five villages up-and-running in Australia by 2020 with a target of two villages a year.

As we reported here, Ryman is now on the hunt for an Australian CEO to further drive its expansion here.