An ageing population in Northland has seen another retirement village under construction by 250 locals and the complex will employ up to 50 people once finished.
Summerset Group Holdings is behind the project and work has already started on 217, two and three-bedroom single level villa units and cottages, and a multi-storey building on Wanaka St in Tikipunga.
The main building will contain 56 assisted living suites, 43 hospital level care beds, 20 memory care suites, communal and recreational facilities including swimming pool, bowling green, commercial kitchen/cafe, gym, chapel, office and administration areas.
It's the company's first retirement village in Northland and resource consents for a range of works have been granted by the Whangārei District Council and the Northland Regional Council.
Summerset's application required consent due to infringements associated with residential intensity, building height, outdoor living courts, building (retaining wall) setback from internal and road boundaries, and use of a temporary construction access on to Puna Rere Dr.
In its decision, WDC said the application for consent did not require public notification under Resource Management Act as Summerset's project fell within the definition of residential activity.
The proposed activity was also not subject to any rule or national environmental standard that required public notification, WDC said.
Summerset general manager development Aaron Smail said the decision to build a retirement village in Whangārei was as a result of Northland's growing population of 75 years and over.
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Advertise with NZME."The number of people 75 and over is estimated to increase by 35 per cent in Whangārei over the next 10 years so there's demand for a retirement village up there, as is the case everywhere else in New Zealand."
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According to the 2018 Census figures, 7425 or 8 per cent of Whangārei's population was aged 75 and over.
Summerset is currently operating 32 villages from Dunedin to Warkworth.
In Whangārei, most of the earthworks consented to by NRC have finished and Smail said the first stage of construction that involved villas and cottages have started.
The first 22 homes would be ready for occupation by January 2022, he said.
"We have almost sold out the entire stage one that will have 41 villas. The second phase will begin next year and will take a couple of years to build. The opening is expected in 2024."
Smail said 250 people were being directly employed in the overall project, excluding sub contractors and others, and Summerset would employ between 40 and 50 people in the new retirement village.
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He said Summerset, like other health care providers across New Zealand, has had problems hiring staff from abroad due to Covid and hoped international borders re-opened by 2024.
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Advertise with NZME."We are really pleased how the village has been received by the Whangārei locals and we've had strong sales enquiries, probably the best in New Zealand, and the key for that is the continuum of care.
"There will be housing for people at all stages of their care needs, starting with fully independent needs to assisted living and rest home care. We'll also do memory care, offering small apartments which are more homely then institutional for people with dementia.
"The village's close proximity to Paramount Plaza and the golf club is a plus. A retirement village also frees up housing the community because those moving into the village are all selling their family homes," Smail said.
