Liberals to establish Retirement Housing Ombudsman

A Liberal Nationals government will introduce a Retirement Housing Ombudsman to ensure older Victorians living in retirement housing are treated fairly and honestly and can enjoy a comfortable and secure retirement.  It’s an initiative I warmly welcome.

Here’s the media release issued by Liberal leader, Matthew Guy, and Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs, Heidi Victoria, giving further details.

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Monday 25 June 2018

Retirement Housing Ombudsman

The Liberal Nationals believe every older Victorian deserves a comfortable and secure retirement.

A Liberal Nationals Government will establish an Ombudsman for Retirement Housing to ensure those older Victorians living in retirement and lifestyle villages feel safe and protected.

An Ombudsman for Retirement Housing will provide binding resolutions to eligible disputes in the retirement housing sector.

Currently there is no dedicated mechanism for dealing with retirement housing disputes, which can leave senior Victorians with no choice but to launch costly legal proceedings through VCAT, or seek assistance via Consumer Affairs Victoria.

Both these processes can be burdensome, expensive, and lead to non-binding outcomes, which create more insecurity for residents and don’t resolve the dispute.

There are currently more than 440 registered retirement housing operators in Victoria, housing approximately 45,000 residents. While the retirement housing sector is a highly respected industry in Victoria, there are some operators who seek to take advantage of their residents and the Liberal Nationals will not stand for that.

Comments attributable to Leader of the Opposition, Matthew Guy:

“Every Victorian deserves a comfortable and secure retirement.

There is a great saying that you can judge a society by how they treat older generations and I want to ensure those who have worked hard are well treated.

A Liberal Nationals Government will help protect the rights of older Victorians living in retirement housing so they can spend less time worrying and more time enjoying their well-earned retirement.”

Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs, Heidi Victoria:

“Older Victorians deserve to be able to resolve their disputes with retirement housing accommodation providers quickly, fairly and cost-effectively.

We will seek to rectify the current problems with the system to give older Victorians more security, certainty and peace of mind.

Daniel Andrews and Labor have had four years to do something to help older Victorians in retirement homes but have failed to deliver. That’s why we are going to make this initiative a priority.”