Retirement Living Council comes out swinging at VIC Govt
- Consultation: RLC says operators were sidelined
- Timing: Industry is still implementing May reforms
- Position: RLC wants better, not less, regulation
- Deadline: Consultation closes 24 July
The Retirement Living Council (RLC) has accused the Victorian Government of shutting the sector out of consultation on its proposed Retirement Villages Code of Practice.
The peak body for retirement village operators says the draft reforms – released late last week – were developed without sufficient practical industry input.
Retirement Living Council Executive Director Daniel Gannon told The Weekly SOURCE the Government should explain how the draft Code was developed after claiming the reforms were shaped through extensive consultation.
“The Government says it consulted widely,” he stated. “If that is true, it should explain who it relied on, because the consultation paper doesn’t read like it was shaped by people who understand how retirement villages actually work.”
He said the Victorian Government’s approach to consultation had become a recurring issue throughout the reform process.
“The best results occur when governments consult and decide, not announce and defend, which is what we have seen consistently throughout the Victorian reform process.”
Daniel said the consequences were already evident in the draft Code.
“That’s what happens when government consults around the sector rather than with the sector,” he underlined. “You get proposals that may read neatly inside government, but are difficult, costly and uncertain to implement in the real world.”
Implementation concerns
He said the timing was also challenging, with operators still implementing the legislative reforms that commenced in May.
“Many operators are yet to finalise their new contracts, while inconsistencies and practical challenges between the new regulations and the Act are being uncovered every day.”
Daniel said the Retirement Living Council supported stronger consumer protections but wanted regulation that could be implemented in practice.
“The retirement living sector has never asked for less regulation,” he concluded. “We have consistently asked for better regulation – regulation that improves outcomes for residents while remaining practical, proportionate and workable for operators.”
As previously reported by The SOURCE, the proposed Code introduces mandatory standards covering governance, resident engagement, complaints handling, staff capability and elder abuse responses, replacing the industry’s long-standing voluntary code with enforceable obligations.
The consultation period closes on Friday 24 July 2026 before the Victorian Government considers feedback and finalises the reforms.
