Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It was an absolute pleasure to be invited to open the final stages of Aveo Retirement Village in Sunbury when I returned home after the last sitting week. It was also a great pleasure to congratulate the staff and the management on 10 years of dedicated service to the care and comfort of their residents. The final stage of the development, which was unveiled last week, completes the vision of a village of independence and strong community spirit that is inclusive and welcoming. Not only that, it is a great place to live. The village is located close to the train station, shopping centre, golf course, bowling club, pool, football clubs and churches, and it offers a range of spacious and contemporary residences which are fully equipped with everything needed for self-sufficient living.

Research by the Property Council of Australia shows that most people living in an retirement village wish they had made that move sooner. They love the new residence, their lifestyle and the companionship of like-minded people. More than 180,000 Australians live in retirement villages, which means that almost six per cent of our over-65 population are experiencing these advantages. Supporting people as they age in our community is becoming more important than ever. We know that when our community members are isolated, either through health or other circumstances, this results in a decline in their wellbeing. We know that older people living alone, who have worse social cohesion and support around them than other people, generally suffer from both physical health and mental health issues, so it is important that we make sure that older people in our community are still engaged and connected. There are many organisations around, such as Men's Sheds, for example, that do that sort of work, continue to make people feel engaged and treat them as they should be treated: a very valuable part of our community. What we find, too, is that, when our community members are engaged with their peers and are involved in activities that resonate and pique their interest, there are some real community benefits that result. We know that engaging with a community of our peers is an incredibly rewarding experience, whether it is to catch up at the community centre, have a friendly game of bowls or darts, or even tinker away in a workshop.

The CEO of National Seniors Australia, Michael O'Neill, said that the importance of the environment we live in is that we can shape our health, independence and happiness into later in life. A sense of belonging and cohesion that arises from community living places like Aveo Retirement Village is linked to lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress for older Australians. We see a delay for these residents in entering into aged care or assisted living, as well as a reduced need for medical intervention due to the presence of support nearby. The benefits of residential options like Aveo Retirement Village for the whole community cannot be denied. They allow older Australians to continue exercising a choice in the direction of their care and the way they want to have a high quality of life. I can tell you from when they invite me there every pre-election to do a debate and talk about politics, there are some very intelligent and feisty people living in that area.

See this speech in context