Where to find Queensland’s newest and best retirement villages
Queensland now boasts the gold standard in retirement living options with some of the latest projects including cinemas, bowling alleys, hair and beauty salons as well as libraries. Check out our full guide to what’s coming across the state.
Regional News
Don't miss out on the headlines from Regional News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Swimming pools, bowling alleys, theatres, spas - they’re all things you’d expect to find at hotel resorts.
But they’re just some of the luxury facilities on offer at retirement villages across Queensland.
Across the state, there are about 330 registered retirement villages to cater for those looking to downsize and enjoy the leisures and luxuries of their retirement days.
Retirees are spoiled for choice with many luxury mod cons in the modern day retirement village.
Facilities including cinemas, pools, spas, hair and beauty salons and libraries - they have the lot.
Retirement Living Council executive director Daniel Gannon said Australia’s retirement living industry was the world’s gold standard, as evidenced by the highest score in the prestigious Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark in November.
He said there was big demand for retirement villages and that demand was only increasing.
Mr Gannon said the design, structure and form of age-friendly communities combined with good access to community and care networks provided the best way to significantly reduce two of the biggest risk factors leading to illness and hospitalisation (ie, falls and depression).
“There’s plenty of qualitative and quantitative research from around the world to show that age-appropriate-housing in age-friendly communities not only supports healthy ageing, but that it makes for the most economically sustainable health and wellbeing environment,” he said.
“The congregate housing model built into age-friendly community design can create economies of scale for more efficient delivery of community, health and aged care services. This means new models of care can be more easily integrated within age-friendly communities.”
Mr Gannon said another major benefit was the development of age-friendly communities in the places where people live can release home equity for cash-strapped seniors, while increasing the local housing supply for young families.
A number of retirement villages around the state were recently short-listed for the 2023 National Retirement Living Awards in June.
Mr Gannon said feedback from the judging panel was encouraging, with an overwhelming number of applicants and a consistently high standard.
“It is through the increasingly competitive professional standards in our annual industry awards program that the ‘best of the best’ are continually pushing and pulling the rest of us closer to world’s best practice,” he said.
“It’s always important to remember why we’re here, so our focus is on supporting residents in age-friendly communities and delivering outstanding built-form outcomes.”
According to the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute the top 10 most common facilities in retirement villages were community rooms (97 per cent), libraries (93 per cent), maintained gardens (92 per cent), organised social activities (86 per cent), swimming pools (81 per cent), organised social outings (67 per cent), other services (67 per cent), craft rooms and materials (63 per cent), community meeting rooms (63 per cent) and gyms (62 per cent).
Retire Australia (2022) said the top five reasons people moved into a retirement village were no home maintenance or gardening to worry about, planning for future care needs, safety and security, clear financial outcome (clear and transparent contract), and a caring community.
CAIRNS’ NEW RETIREMENT OFFERINGS
Retirement living isn’t just on the coast, with villages also popping up in the tropics of far north Queensland.
In Cairns, works on the $90 million Botanica Lifestyle Resort are expected to wrap up in 2023 or 2024.
The first residents moved into the village in late 2020, with the final stage to be complete either this year or next.
Botanica is located about 18 minutes from the Cairns Esplanade, offering resort-style living within 20 minutes of the CBD.
The high-end resort was considered “a first” for Cairns, with stage one including a country club, games area, library, cinema, bar and lounge, swimming pool, gym and tennis court.
There will also be a number of other facilities in the later stages of the development including a second country club, undercover bowls green, art and craft room, a heated indoor pool and sauna.
During construction of the resort’s first stage, the development attracted buyers that were mostly local but also from across the ditch with one buyer from New Zealand.
Starting next year there will be another retirement resort available to those looking to downsize and settle into retirement.
Cairns real estate agent and developer Renee Straguszi and her family unveiled plans last year for a stylish 150-villa retirement village at Gordonvale, calling it Casa Mia.
Still in its early days, plans for the facility so far include a piazza, swimming pool, restaurant, bar, cafe, gym, wellness centre, hairdresser, community garden, a man cave and a ladies shed.
Ms Straguszi said the amenities surrounding the piazza was a nod to her Italian heritage.
The new village will have ageing-in-place facilities and onsite respite care.
“It was important for us to create a community where residents have plenty of opportunity to be adventurous and remain independent, but then be able to call on help if they need,” Ms Straguszi said.
“Residents will live in self-contained villas but have access to on site care from one of Queensland’s leading home care providers and a separate on site respite centre.
“It means residents can continue to stay in their own homes, couples can stay together, and partners can have a trip to see the grandkids knowing their loved one is well cared for in their absence.”
WHAT’S COMING IN MACKAY
Construction on a major expansion for a Mackay retirement village is well underway with developers adopting the vertical village approach.
Plans for the expansion to the Kerrisdale Gardens were approved back in 2021.
The plans for the new stage of the retirement village included a four-storey building with a number of apartments between one and three bedrooms.
There were also plans for the building to include a ground-floor lobby and a men’s shed.
According to the Kerrisdale Gardens website, the village also includes a number of other facilities including daily activities, a hair and beauty salon, pharmacy, cafe and residents lounge.
The village also offers low-maintenance villas that are surrounded by “lush landscaped gardens” with walking paths close by.
The villas are also a short walk to the cafe, pharmacy, dining, and leisure facilities within the retirement village.
RETIRING IN ROCKHAMPTON AND YEPPOON?
Recent data has shown a growing number in the over 50s demographic on the Capricorn Coast.
According to an economic needs assessment, the age distribution for people aged between 55 and 64 is 15.1 per cent, with 20.2 per cent of people aged over 65.
But that number is expected to climb in the next 20 years.
Between 2021 and 2041, the 65 years and older population in Yeppoon alone is projected to increase by 4.3 per cent per annum from 4073 people to 9471 people.
According to the report there are currently about 312 independent living units or manufactured homes in the Livingstone Shire Council area.
In 2022 alone, there were two development applications lodged with Livingstone Shire Council for two new retirement villages on the coast.
In August a development application was lodged with council for a new retirement village on Tanby Rd at Taroomball.
The project is proposed to have 291 houses, with plans including a resort style gated community, central clubhouse and facilities such as a pool, tennis court and a bowls green.
Another application for a new village on Limestone Creek Road was lodged in December.
The development application proposes community facilities to support the homes in the village, including a clubhouse, pool, bar, library, games room, cinema, terrace and bowling green along with large expanses of natural, open spaces with picnic areas and pathways.
The village is proposed to have about 392 homes, with the potential for construction to start in 2024.
A popular choice for retirees in the Rockhampton and Yeppoon areas are the Oak Tree Retirement Villages, with a total of four villages in the area.
Oak Tree opened its first retirement village in the area at Park Avenue in 2008, consisting of 43 villas.
The villages include a number of facilities including bowling greens, billiards rooms, hairdressing and beauty parlours and community areas.
A spokesperson for Oak Tree Retirement Villages said their villages were home to both long-term locals and people from out of town.
“Most of our residents are long term locals who wanted to stay within the community they know but simply transition to an easier way of life. The coastal villages (Yeppoon) have attracted not only local but people relocating from further afield and interstate,” the spokesperson said.
“These people already had an affiliation with the area, either family, friends or had enjoyed vacations in the past and recall fond memories of the area.”
Other drawcards to the villages included the proximity to support services and amenities such as medical, retail and restaurants.
GLADSTONE’S BEST RETIREMENT OPTION
Demand for retirement living in Gladstone has grown, so much so an old hotel was given the tick of approval to be transformed into a retirement village.
In early 2022 Gladstone Regional Council approved a development application for the Palm Valley Motel in Tannum Sands to be transformed into a new retirement village.
Plans for the village include a swimming pool, barbecue area and 30 onsite car parks.
The existing rooms were also going to be used for accommodation.
The approval of the site came after data revealed soaring populations in Central Queensland following the pandemic.
One retirement living option in the Gladstone area is the Beacham by Teman village at South Gladstone.
The village has a BBQ area, hair and beauty room and a library.
WHY WIDE BAY IS LURING PLENTY OF RETIREES
The Wide Bay region is well-known as one of the state’s retirement capitals, with the coastal lifestyle attracting retirees from across the state.
Both the Bundaberg and Fraser Coast regions are home to numerous retirement villages to cater for the ageing population, and there are more on the radar.
In Bargara, the newest stage of the Palm Lakes Resort recently opened adding an extra 100 homes and a new activities and recreation centre.
The resort has a number of features including a four-lane bowling alley, luxury movie theatre, art and craft and pottery rooms and bar areas.
The resort also has its own undercover lawn bowls green with “Olympic standard” Greengauge woven surface.
Palm Lakes also has a resort in Hervey Bay with features including its own bowling green, tennis court, workshop and art classes to name a few.
But the demand for retirement living is only growing with development applications for new villages being lodged with both Bundaberg and Fraser Coast councils.
In December a development application was lodged with Bundaberg Regional Council for another retirement village at Bargara.
Town planners lodged the application on behalf of Seaview Road Developments for the project, which would transform vacant land on Seaview Rd into a retirement village, with the masterplan proposing a total of 232 sites.
The development proposes two and three-bedroom homes, with some to have extensions to accommodate caravans and RVs.
The application, subject to council approval, said the first construction stage would include 27 dwellings, with more to be built in line with demand.
There are also plans for amenities including a clubhouse, pool, bowling green and tennis court.
Meanwhile, at the Fraser Coast, a development application was recently lodged with council for an expansion to the existing Anchorage Lifestyle Resort.
According to the development application the expansion is proposed to include 116 dwellings, RV/boat storage facilities, recreation club, bowls club, community centre, pool, tennis court and bocce field.
“The proposed buildings will be constructed in a form and of materials consistent with the contemporary residential buildings being constructed in the coastal community areas,” the document says.
The resort is close to public transport services, bike paths and Urangan Central Shopping Centre and the Boat Club.
“The proposed development is being advocated as being a ‘high-end’ lifestyle village complex with considerable investment in the community,” the proposal says.
“The proposed development represents a transition of the site development from the original land use as short and long term accommodation to permanent residential development in the form of a manufactured home park.”
There are also new plans for a 153-lot retirement village complete with its own bowls green, two pools and theatre have been unveiled at Gympie.
CoreLogic RP Data records show the company behind the proposal, McGovern Development, bought the 7.3ha block for $1.87m in early 2022.
SUNSHINE COAST RETIREMENT LIVING
Hidden away on the edge of the Maroochy River, Maroochy Shores provides seaside living for hundreds of retirees and over 50s.
The retirement village, located within the Maroochy Palms Holiday village, boasts stylish homes and immaculate living with a clubhouse, pool and pet friendly homes.
Vice president of the homeowners committee Ken Sinclair was quoted on the Hometown Australia website as saying he moved into the area in May 2017 and hasn’t looked back.
He said he loved the location and the lifestyle at Maroochy Shores and enjoys the social gatherings and a game of table tennis in the multipurpose room.
Another retirement resort, GemLife, provides luxury retirement options.
GemLife Pacific Paradise Resort is described as having “luxurious over 50s living” surrounded by peaceful and natural bushland.
Located at 40 Menzies Drive, Pacific Paradise, the resort boasts numerous facilities for residents, including a theatrical stage and dressing rooms, a tenpin bowling alley, a cinema and a grand ballroom.
At the time of publishing, all properties at GemLife Pacific Paradise Resort were sold out.
But for those looking for a retirement village closer to nature, there are options further from the coast.
Surrounded by lush Buderim rainforest, Buderim Gardens is a hot commodity for over 50s living.
Residents at Buderim Gardens have the options of unique free-standing homes and apartments, as well as serviced apartments.
The 70 acre (28.32ha) retirement village was completed in 1989 with 400 homes and apartments, and since then has grown immensely - including with a newly established $5 million community centre.
VERTICAL VILLAGES ARRIVE IN TOOWOOMBA
Toowoomba is well-known as being the Garden City, with the southwestern town becoming popular with retirees for its comfortable climate and proximity to Brisbane.
According to recent census data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, people over the age of 65 make up the biggest portion of residents to the Garden City.
The proof is in the pudding, with a new retirement village opening late last year and another to be built not far from town.
Construction on the $30 million The Ninth Middle Ridge development began in August 2021.
The vertical retirement village opened in late 2022, offering retirees apartments of between two and four bedrooms in the vertical retirement village.
During construction it was revealed eight standard apartments were condensed into four ‘mega-apartments’ offering 215 sqm of living space.
The village has proven popular with Toowoomba’s golfing community, with the development having the Toowoomba Golf Club right on its doorstep.
The village also has a billiards room, library, bocce court, wine room and storage, gym and a BBQ area.
In February 2022, Aura Holdings director Tim Russell said The Ninth was delivering something “very special” to Toowoomba.
“Our future residents are really excited by the option to downsize somewhere with ease of access via lifts to all the communal facilities,” he said.
“Residents will overlook the manicured green space and trees of the golf course rather than the rooftops of dozens of small villas in the traditional style of retirement villages.
“The Ninth will have strong appeal to both golfers and retirees who want to live in such a beautiful, peaceful and secure community of friendly like-minded neighbours.”
Soon Toowoomba will have another new retirement village, this one being the first in the Garden City to have its own golf course.
Work on the Toowoomba Fairways Country Club is underway, after the $100m development was approved in March 2021.
The village will consist of 183 dwellings and, when complete, will be home to more than 250 people - with the first residents expected to move in this year.
As well as its own private nine-hole golf course and golfers club house, there are a number of other luxury facilities available to residents.
Facilities will include hobby workshop and craft room, theatre, a billiards room, hairdressing salon, croquet court, bowling green, pickleball court, hydrotherapy pool, an indoor lap pool, a library and community vegetable garden.
The village will also offer caravan storage and have a Country Club bus.
SKY IS THE LIMIT FOR BRISBANE RETIREMENT OPTIONS
Retirement villages in the big metro areas, such as Brisbane, can look a little different to those in the coastal and regional areas.
In fact, the state capital is home to what is said to be Australia’s first vertical over 55’s villages to be built on a racecourse.
Bernborough Ascot Retirement Living is located right next to the Doomben racecourse, boasting 360 views, a private cinema, library, Masters Club and lounge.
Construction of stage two of the vertical village is expected to get underway this year and will have more luxury mod cons for residents.
As well as new two and three bedroom apartments, when complete, the new tower will include facilities such as a bowling green, health and wellness studio, gym, a private rooftop terrace and restaurant.
The village is also a short walk to the new Racecourse Village which has shopping, dining and health services.
Another development which will bring luxury retirement living too the Brisbane area in the coming years is the new Village Manly.
The new vertical retirement living space will have both bushland and bay surrounds, with many boujee mod cons to keep retiree residents busy.
According to the development’s website, the village will have two and three bedroom apartments which will be pet friendly as well as space for the grandkids.
It also boasts “first class” living with facilities including a cafe/restaurant, deluxe cinema, beauty and hair salon, bowls green, medical and allied health suite, library, arts and crafts room and more.
GOLD COAST’S NEW OFFERINGS
The Gold Coast is popular with tourists, but its coastal beach lifestyle has also made it a popular place to retire.
Expressions of interest recently opened for stage three of GemLife Retirement Village at the Gold Coast.
The retirement village is located at Pimpama and has no shortage of facilities and extras for residents and once complete, the village as a whole will comprise of 365 homes.
As well as a bowls green, cinema and bowling alley, the resort has a cafe, hairdressing salon and wine cellar.
There’s also no shortage of things to keep residents active including a golf simulator, lawn bowl, bocce court and pickle ball court.
For the residents good at their craft there’s also an arts and crafts room and outdoor workshop, grand ballroom, dance floor, theatrical stage and dressing rooms.
Stage two of the Gold Coast village was released earlier than planned in April 2022.
More Coverage
Originally published as Where to find Queensland’s newest and best retirement villages
WATCH: Police block off roads after grain silo erupts in flames
A grain silo has caught on fire at the Mackay Port, with police blocking off roads for hours with a “substantial” exclusion zone.
Man rushed to hospital with gunshot wound to the head
A man has been shot in the head with police launching a manhunt for the alleged offender. LATEST