‘Most powerful voting block’: Winston Peters courts retirees at Tauranga retirement village

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters attended Greenwood Park Lifestyle Retirement Village's 40th anniversary yesterday. Main photo / Bijou Johnson, inset / Sylvie Whinray

Winston Peters has told a crowd celebrating a Tauranga retirement village’s 40th anniversary that they “belong to the most powerful voting block in the country”.

The New Zealand First leader made his comments at Greenwood Park Lifestyle Retirement Village, which he opened on December 3, 1988, when he was the Tauranga MP for the National Party.

“I’m here today because they invited me back after 40 years,” Peters told the crowd yesterday.

The Bay of Plenty Times asked him after his speech what he would do for retirees. He replied: “If you know anybody who’s done more for retirees than me, go and find that person.”

When asked to outline what he had done for retirees, he said, “For example, we’re the ones defending superannuation.

“They want to move the age to over 65.”

National has campaigned previously on raising the superannuation age.

However, the NZ Herald reported in February that National had declined to comment on the party’s current stance on the matter, noting it was yet to unveil the policy it would take to the election.

Peters said the total cost of superannuation was 5.2% of GDP, which was half what it was in many European countries.

“It’s not the cost of it against GDP. It’s the lack of performance in the economy.

“Stop criticising the old people, the young people, the poor people, and get the darn economy right so it’s growing at 5.5, 6% per year, like it used to.”

Peters was in Tauranga five days earlier to deliver his State of the Nation speech to about 1000 people at Otūmoetai’s Atrium Conference Centre.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters addressed the crowd at Greenwood Park. Photo / Bijou Johnson

A total of 320 residents now live at Metlifecare’s Greenwood Park complex.

The village was the brainchild of Tauranga entrepreneurs Graham Rogers, Peter Craig and John Morton.

Metlifecare bought it in 1997 after a series of previous owners.

The 240th and final unit was built in 2012.

Denise Whitehead, the village’s manager from 1986 to 1999, now lives there.

She said there were no lifestyle villages for retirees when Greenwood Park was created.

“There were a lot of rest homes with a few units, but not lifestyle villages with tennis courts and bowling greens.”

She said residents over the years included 14 sets of siblings, 12 children of parents who previously lived there, one staff member’s parents, and three previous staff members.

Whitehead “couldn’t consider living anywhere else now”.

The challenge for her was remembering she was now a resident, not the village manager.

The crowd at the celebration. Photo / Bijou Johnson

Current village manager Charlie Vague, who has been in the role for eight years, said every day was different.

“You come to work, you’ve got a day planned, and it’s out the window because you’ve got this and that to do ...”

He said talking to the residents every day motivated him.

“You can learn so much from what they’ve done, where they’ve been, what their history is, and they’re just interesting people to talk to.”

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale attended the celebration and said the village had helped shape the city.

“As the first lifestyle village to open in our city, it’s special to see that legacy continuing for today’s residents.”

The Bay of Plenty MP, National’s Tom Rutherford, also attended.

Bijou Johnson is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty. She grew up in Tauranga and developed a love for journalism while exploring various disciplines at university. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Massey University.