Summer’s here! It’s been a very busy year and everyone is looking forward to celebrating family gatherings and much anticipated vacations throughout the holiday season. A chance to relax and reboot that is well and truly earned. At Business View Oceania we hear every day from business owners and executives about the challenges they’re facing in industries across the board. No one has it easy, but that doesn’t diminish the determination to improve, to innovate and set a great example for the teams they employ. Indeed, the value of employees is a number one priority – from small to medium sized businesses to the largest corporate entities.
With the approach of a new year and new beginnings the importance of people is most keenly recognized and appreciated. Especially in the Aged Care sector, where staff members are a critical element in the success of rest homes and retirement villages. Like most of the developed world, New Zealand has an ageing population. According to the Office for Seniors which reports to the NZ Government on concerns of the elderly, by 2036, it’s projected that around one in 4.5 New Zealanders will be aged 65-plus. That’s 1,258,500 million people. An additional 547,300 over 65s, up from a total of 711,200 in 2016. Or a 77 percent increase. At the end of 2016, 711,200 people were aged 65-plus. Those aged 65 years and older will roughly double, from 711,200 in 2016 to between 1.3 and 1.5 million in 2046. Or 23 percent of the total population, up from 12 percent in 2016.
Already the urgency of the situation is being felt in the country, where a shortage of nurses is constantly on the mind of facility managers and owners. Many local rest homes are owned and operated by not-for-profit community trusts with limited funds to compete with rising wages and incentives offered by the ‘big corporates’. But what these small charmers do offer both staff and residents is priceless – an atmosphere of caring, compassion, and the feeling of family. “Being at home” for them is about the people and the greenspace and the sense of community that you’ll never find in a name-brand institution.
In this December edition of Business View Oceania it’s our pleasure to share heart-warming business success stories from Avonlea Rest Home, Sunrise Healthcare, Ropata Lodge Care Community, Napier District Masonic Trust, Hetherington House and Cairnfield House. Along with a research report from The New Zealand Retirement Villages Association (NZRVA) based on 213 villages across the country and the impact they have on housing supply, employment as well as their economic contribution both locally and nationally.
We also feature an in-depth profile on Grey District, New Zealand that’s in the midst of a visionary revamp of its Central Business District. The next phase is a look at “rewilding” to add vibrancy to the CBD. As well as working on getting their retirement houses up to scratch in compliance with the Healthy Home standards to meet the demand. Taking care of their elderly is definitely a priority. Planning for future opportunities is also top of the agenda in the City of Armadale – the third fastest growing local government area in Western Australia. With a current population of approximately 91,700 forecast to grow to a whopping 151,900 by 2041, Armadale is destined to become a major employment hub for the south-eastern metropolitan region.
This issue of BV Oceania wouldn’t have been possible without the many wonderful Facilities Managers and Owners, and City Representatives who shared their time and insights with us. A huge shout-out of thanks to them. We hope that you, our readers, are inspired and enlightened by the articles and images and we welcome your comments and suggestions for upcoming issues. Enjoy!
Lorie Lee Steiner
Editor-in-Chief
