Things you should know

The range of services and facilities at Griffith Retirement Estate Retirement Estate includes:

• Community Centre with pool, dining area, games area, bar, library/meeting room, gym, hair salon, entertainment and lounge areas
• Meals available in Community Centre 7 days
• Community BBQ
• Community Gardens
• Upkeep of public gardens, lawn and landscape areas
• Cleaning, maintenance and repair of community facilities
• Exterior and interior maintenance of your residence
• Preventative maintenance
• Repair and replacement of provided appliances, fixtures and fittings
• Emergency call system monitored 24/7 by onsite staff

Assisted Living Apartment Residents receive:

• Daily meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Weekly Linen Service
• Fortnightly Assisted Living Apartment cleaning

We can also assist you in accessing additional support services such as clinical support.

Caravan and boat store is available at the Estate. Access will depend on availability. There is no fee for this service.

We recognise that pets are an important part of your life and welcome your well-behaved pets when you move into one of Villas.

Unfortunately our Assisted Living Apartments are not designed for pets.

Your family and friends are welcome to visit as they would in your previous home. You can also invite your family and friends to attend Estate functions or share a meal with you in the dining room. If you need some additional accommodation you can book the Estate’s accommodation room for your guest short stays.

The Estate Manager is your primary contact for any assistance that you require. They look after the day-to-day management of the Estate to ensure everything is running smoothly and that services are being provided in a friendly, effective and efficient manner.

Griffith Retirement Estate Retirement Estate is lucky to have a dedicated group of Residents who volunteer their time to be members of the Residents’ Committee. This Committee meets regularly with the Estate Manager and Gannon Lifestyle Group management to ensure that there is a regular flow of information and that resident proposals or concerns are addressed. The Residents’ Committee is also responsible for organizing a range of social activities and groups.

The Directors and CEO of Gannon Lifestyle Group are passionate about developing good relationships with all residents and regularly visit retirement village to attend resident functions and meet with residents. As part of our resident communications we hold 2 full resident meetings each year and meet with either the Resident Committee or a delegation quarterly.

The maintenance fee covers the communal costs of operating the Estate. These costs include Estate staff, Estate repairs and maintenance, insurance, communal utility costs including water, security and gardens.

Additional personal services such as meals, cleaning and laundry can be provided at an additional charge.

Assisted Living apartment residents maintenance fees include the cost of meals, cleaning and laundry services.

An Estate budget is prepared annually in consultation with residents. Maintenance Fees are increased on 1 July based on the budget costs. In setting Maintenance Fee increases we are mindful of resident incomes and work to ensure Estate costs are well controlled.

In addition to the maintenance fee you will need to pay electricity, gas, water and sewerage access charges, council rates and telephone.

We insure the Estate property including your villa or assisted living apartment. We do not provide contents insurance and strongly recommend that you insure your personal contents.

Griffith Bus Service has a pickup point at the Estates gates.

Within reason you can make alterations to your home. Common alterations including installation of additional powerpoints and ceiling fans, outside blinds, solar systems, back verandah enclosures and garden sheds.

Retirement Villages operated under state based legislation. In New South Wales this is the Retirement Villages Act 2010. The act provides a range of protections around the Lease agreement, resident consultation processes and resale entitlements.

You can seek further information about NSW Retirement Village legislation from:

NSW Office of Fair Trading 13 32 20

Council on the Aging NSW (COTA) 1800 449 102

NSW Retirement Villages Residents Association (NSWRVRA) 1300 787 213

The Estate has two funds: a Capital Replacement funds and a Long-term Maintenance fund.

We will pay up to 6% of the deferred management fee from each resale into the capital replacement fund. This fund will be used for replacing capital items, both within your home and the Estate’s communal areas, once they reach the end of their useful life.

The long-term maintenance fund is funded through a contribution from your maintenance fees. This fund will be used to cover the cost of major repairs to capital items.

You can stay in your home, usually as long as you can cope with it and can look after yourself, provided you qualify for occupancy under state laws and the terms of the Estate Contract. It can sometimes be a problem if the Estate contract is in name of the deceased resident only. For better protection, the Estate contract should always be obtained in joint names.

You will have to pay a departure fee when you leave this village.

You will have to share any capital gains received with the operator of this village.

The Deferred Management Fee (DMF) is the amount retained from the re-sale of your home when it is sold. The majority of retirement villages in Australia use this model. The DMF model allows for a portion of the entry premium to be deferred until you leave the Estate. While living at Griffith Retirement Estate Retirement Estate you enjoy the benefit of a range of community facilities which aren’t available to people living outside of the estate. In addition we maintain your villa or assisted living apartment, so you don’t need to worry about expensive home maintenance.

Yes. Under our standard contract if the home is sold for an amount that produces a capital gain, you will receive a share of the capital gain. For example, if a home is purchased for $350,000 and sold 10 years later for $450,000 the DMF will be based on the sale price ($450,000). The resident receives $450,000 less the DMF and other fees that may be applicable (any other fees, if charged, are clearly disclosed in the Contract and to the resident before signing a Contract).