Ease in to retirement

By Melissa Meehan
EMERALD’S retirees have had a win, with Cardinia Shire council supporting their push to make it easier for retirement accommodation to be built in town.
Last week councillors agreed to support the petition asking the shire to make it easier for land developers to build aged housing in the area.
Councillor Ed Chatwin said the council was already aware of the lack of retirement accommodation throughout Cardinia, especially in the hills.
“There is a lack of suitable land, as the land we’ve got is being developed because people want to make as much money as they can,” he said.
“But there has to be zoning in the area.”
He said it was important for retirees to be able to stay in their communities as they got older, as their friends, family and networks would be close by. “Council doesn’t provide retirement homes for our council, but maybe in the long term we can look for land that can be rezoned.”
His colleague Bill Pearson echoed his comments about retirees being able to stay in the area, but said it would be unwise for residents to expect the council to provide retirement accommodation and that Emerald should look to other communities, like Bunyip, which has built its own hostels and is going from strength to strength.