Villages to house 40,000 by 2025

National Lifestyle Villages (NLV) has set its sights on establishing 100 self-contained villages across Australia that will house up to 40,000 people over the next 20 years. And it’s well and truly on the way to achieving that goal.

The villages are being designed to offer affordable resort-style facilities and are being located within easy reach of State capitals or major regional centres.

Common facilities include tennis and squash courts, bowling green, clubhouse, library and internet kiosk, heated indoor swimming pool and sauna. Western Australia already boasts two NLV villages, the first at Joondalup and another at Pineview, near Wanneroo.

Three more are currently being prepared and built, the first at Mandurah, another at High Wycombe, and one near Busselton.

And another three — at Glen Iris near Jandakot, Hocking near Baldivis, and Darch, north of Perth — are proposed with land under contract or subject to approval.

Point Cook, west of Melbourne and within easy reach of Geelong, is NLV’s first interstate venue for one of its new-style villages.

NLV has targeted the over-45 age group with a lifestyle that differs to that experienced in suburbia and offered by a traditional retirement village.

The typical NLV client will have lived within 25km of a village’s locale so residents are quite familiar with the village’s environs.

Such a resident would have previously owned a home valued at about $250,000; will be either of English or Australian ancestry; will be seeking to avoid, or drastically minimize, chores associated with suburban life; and will prefer spending time travelling, on hobbies or socialising.

The village concept also places a high premium on ensuring personal security, which means surrounding with perimeter fencing, and security video hook-ups between the village’s entrance and each home.

NLV homes are factory built so are transported complete to the village which means they are economical and can be relocated, recycled or deconstructed for their components.

Currently village home prices range from $135,000 to $235,000 with a median price of around $160,000 including GST which includes locating of homes within the village and being connected to village services.

Homes are sited on land leased for 60 years from NLV for $100 per week. This fee includes site rental, security services, common landscaping, and access to all village recreational and entertainment facilities.

NLV’s aim has been to create a new residential market, one not catered for by the traditional cottage or retirement village sectors.

The company was founded in 2000 by John Wood, now its managing director.

Mr Wood, formerly with Fleetwood Corporation, builders of transportable homes and caravans, opened his doors for business with one staff member.

Five years on NLV employs 55 staff which includes an in-house design team, headed by Curtin University academic Richard Hammond, and the same number of subcontractors. NLV also has an in-house planning, surveying and water engineering team.

Each village is planned and built by a company management team.

The village concept has been tailored to appeal to those who are too young to opt for a traditional retirement village but wish to avoid the costs and burdens of a suburban home. NLV’s turnover in 2003-04 was $14.4 million.

Before launching NLV, Mr Wood had spent more than a decade developing and refining the village lifestyle concept in conjunction with State and local governments and he incorporated ideas and practices from abroad.

The ideas were assessed and refined to ensure they were compatible with Western Australian conditions.

NATIONAL LIFESTYLE VILLAGES 

• Founded in 2000
• Offering economically priced homes in a village environment
• Security and a range of facilities are offered to village residents
• Two villages already inhabited north of Perth and three more now being prepared and built