ABOUT a fifth of Australians will be aged over 65 by 2030 – and experts say this is set to increase to one in four people by 2050.
With this explosion in retirement living, more seniors and baby boomers – many of whom led the charge to preserve the environment – are looking for “green” downsizing options.
But is sustainable retirement living a reality yet in Australia? And with about one in eight village residents receiving a pension, how many are prepared to fork out for environmentally-friendly alternatives?
According to a 2013 survey by researchers at Queensland University of Technology and the University of Adelaide, which questioned retirement village residents in South Australia about their attitudes to sustainability, 92 per cent of those surveyed believed it was important to protect the environment and 69 per cent were concerned about the impact of their energy consumption on the environment.
However, only 23 per cent of Sustainable Retirement Living: What Matters? survey respondents said they were prepared to pay for more environmentally sustainable options.
While energy efficiency is not high on everyone’s agenda in the retirement living sector, some operators are at the forefront, including Stockland’s Selandra Rise in Victoria.
The 202-home development was the first retirement village in Australia to be awarded a 4-Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.
Stockland Retirement Living chief executive Stephen Bull said the design considered energy, water, waste materials, transport options and the planting of trees that provide summer shade and allow winter sun.
Insulation, thermal glazing and orientation were all utilised in the design of the homes and apartments.
“It all combines to create a better way to live, while reducing the cost of living with lower energy and water bills,” Mr Bull said, adding that the green features can save residents as much as $700 a year on bills.
In South Gippsland, The Cape is a new energy-efficient housing development for “active retirees”. Developer Brendan Condon said the running costs of each of 220 new homes will be between 15 and 25 per cent less a year.
“Whereas your average home will chew up between $2000 to $3000 in energy inputs each year, your energy bills in these homes will be less than $500,” said Mr Condon
All homes, which start from $300,000, feature a raft of energy-saving features including passive solar design and electric vehicle charge points, while the community garden uses an innovative rainwater harvesting scheme.
The Cape resident Rhonda Renwick said her passion for the environment was a deciding factor when choosing where to live.
“Cost savings on utilities was also an important part of my decision to move to The Cape and hopefully many people will realise how valuable sustainable design is to our health, our environment, our wallet and daily living without such a constant dependence on air conditioners,” she said.
In the ACT, Lend Lease’s new Isabella Gardens retirement village was recently given a Gold Liveable Housing Design Quality Mark from not-for-profit organisation Livable Housing Australia.
The 122 energy-efficient architecturally designed independent living two- and three-bedroom villas, which start at around $400,000 have been given six stars under the ACT Housing Energy Rating Scheme.
From installing solar panels and rainwater tanks to planting vegie gardens, other established villages are also doing what they can, as a community, to reduce their carbon footprint and keep energy costs down.
Retire Australia’s Torrens Grove Retirement Village residents in South Australia have unanimously agreed to install 62 solar panels on the community centre roof in a bid to reduce their carbon footprint.
Torrens Grove finance subcommittee chairman Adrian Johnston said the $19,000 investment was a sustainable way to cut their community power bills.
“With an estimated annual saving of $5000 it’s only going to take about four years for the project to pay for itself,” he said.
