User Profile

Ian
Horswill

Meet the two founders behind new land lease community operator Hamlet Living, chaired by Lifestyle Communities’ James Kelly

A new land lease business, aiming for two to four hectares of land for 50 to 100 homes, has been launched by newcomers Cecelia Hund and James E. Kelly, the nephew of the Co-Founder and former Managing Director of Lifestyle Communities.

Click here

Ian Horswill

30 May 2025

Retirement and Community Living

FY25: Ryman Healthcare lifts builds and sales, but vacancy rates rise

Christchurch-based continuum-of-care provider Ryman Healthcare, which operates villages across Australia and New Zealand, built 950 dwellings in the year to 31 March 2025 – comprising 591 retirement living units and 359 care suites – a 29% increase on the previous year. However, the number of unoccupied units rose to 1,239 (12.7% of the portfolio), following the opening of four new villages during the period.

Click here

Ian Horswill

30 May 2025

Funding

Aspen Group raises $70M, launches bid for additional $4M in capital raise

The ASX-listed affordable accommodation provider – known for owning all its properties and projects – announced a Security Purchase Plan (SPP) on Wednesday (28 May), offering existing investors the opportunity to acquire up to $30,000 in Aspen securities without incurring broker fees, commissions, or other transaction costs.

Click here

Ian Horswill

30 May 2025

Sector Moves & People

NSW Fair Trading announces new Commissioner for retirement living and land lease regulation

NSW Trading has appointed Angus Abadee as NSW Strata and Property Services Commissioner after having served as Interim Commissioner since December 2024. The Strata and Property Service Commissioner leads NSW Fair Trading’s oversight of the strat...

Click here

Ian Horswill

30 May 2025

Development

Stockland launch its 27th over 50s land lease resort on QLD’s Sunshine Coast

When Stockland CEO Tarun Gupta announced the diversified developer had bought Dr Bevan Geissman and Paul Melville’s land lease community business Halcyon Group in July 2021 it had six established land lease communities, four communities in...

Click here

Ian Horswill

30 May 2025

Sector Moves & People

John Hindmarsh AM: Retirement village pioneer and philanthropist leaves lasting legacy

John Hindmarsh, who passed away at age 84, was the Founder and Chairman of Hindmarsh, the company he created in 1979. A visionary builder, philanthropist, and entrepreneur, he built Hindmarsh into a national property and construction business...

Click here

Ian Horswill

30 May 2025

Retirement and Community Living

RetireAustralia sees $1M+ average new ILU prices and waitlists at 26 of 29 villages

The Brisbane-based retirement village operator, jointly owned by Infratil and NZ Super, has a development pipeline exceeding 750 units, with 187 units currently under construction across three active projects: Tarragal Glen, Erina, 81km...

Click here

Ian Horswill

30 May 2025

Legal Issues

Mandatory Code of Conduct introduced as major reforms to Victoria’s Retirement Villages Act pass

The Victorian Government has passed the most significant reform of the Retirement Villages Act 1986 to date, reshaping the economic and operational foundations of retirement villages across the state. The main details: 1. Standardised contracts and...

Click here

Ian Horswill

30 May 2025

Aged Care

Juniper CEO Russell Bricknell: two changes must happen now before aged care system collapses

The CEO of the Not For Profit aged care provider said the sector is on the brink of collapse as a new Aged Care Act comes into being on 1 July. Russell said government policy has made it impossible to achieve a 10% return to justify new investment...

Click here

Ian Horswill

29 May 2025

Opinion

Scape - the disruptor that will turn the retirement living sector on its head

“As we think about senior housing, that sector in itself is too fragmented and it needs a bit of leadership from someone to kind of disrupt,” Stephen Gaitanos, co-founder, Managing Director and Group CEO of Scape Australia told Mingtiandi’s...

Click here

Ian Horswill

27 May 2025

News & Issues

Villages evacuated, isolated, without power as floods hit NSW Mid North Coast

70 seniors from a flooded over 55s retirement village on the NSW Mid North Coast had to be evacuated by the SES, Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) and local fire fighters at Taree with their units inundated with water.

Click here

Ian Horswill

27 May 2025

Government Policy

RLC and StewartBrown lobbying sees retirement village operators’ proposed liquidity ratio cut from 10% to 2%

Daniel Gannon, Executive Director of the Retirement Living Council, said the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s proposal to make residential aged care providers operating independent living units (ILUs) and retirement villages retain 10% of ILU and retirement village refundable amounts as liquid funds from 1 July this year, has been reduced to 2%.

Click here

Ian Horswill

26 May 2025

Awards

Corporate Leadership finalists vying for Future Leader of the Year at National Retirement Living Summit

The Future Leader of the Year award at the Retirement Living Council’s annual National Retirement Living Summit, which take places in Brisbane from 18-20 June, is highly coveted. It recognises outstanding young professionals (35 years or under) in...

Click here

Ian Horswill

26 May 2025