There are a wide range of government and non-government organisations representing the rights of residents and villages, working to establish and maintain a sustainable, high quality of life .
Please find a list of those belonging to the private sector, state government departments and non-government organisations below.
Non-Government Organisations
NGOs have had a profound impact on the village community industry. Retirement living has benefited greatly from initiatives such as the establishment of self regulation, the funding of academic research and extensive government education and lobbying. The groups listed below are the most important bodies representing seniors or village communities in Victoria.
The Office of Senior Victorians (OSV)
OSV was established in May 2002 to provide a coordinated, whole-of-government, inter-sectoral response to the issues affecting older people. The activities of the OSV strongly reflect an emphasis on supporting older people to live independent, active lives in the community. This involves five key areas of interest:
- Positive Ageing Initiativ
- Healthy and Active Living for Seniors Initiative
- Elder Abuse Prevention
- Victorian Seniors Festival
- Seniors Card Program
Phone: (03) 9208 3333
COTA
COTA protects and promotes the well-being of all seniors, with individual members and seniors organisation members in all states and territories. COTA is independent and has been serving the interests of Australian seniors since 1951. Phone: (03) 9654 4443
The Retirement Villages Association (RVA)
The RVA is the peak national body for retirement village communities and represents the industry at both state and local levels. The RVA's main role is to provide one voice for the industry. Major initiatives undertaken by the RVA include:
- Providing structure to the industry via a central organisation, the funding of independent research and generating initiatives to enhance the quality of the product experience of residents.
- Developing strategies to assist growth and prosperity in the industry. An example is the recently developed accreditation scheme which promotes industry-wide quality assurance and good practice.
The RVA furthermore provides an industry - and resident - perspective to government. It is currently against a Government-initiated freeze on all new rural village developments, and is campaigning for legislation requiring mandatory accreditation for village communities. Phone: (03) 9629 4520
VAHEC
VAHEC is the amalgamation of Aged Care Victoria and the Victorian Bush Nursing Association. It represents the largely not-for-profit aged care sector in advocacy to government, presenting training programs for members and advancing care for the elderly. It is the Victorian member of Aged & Community Services of Australia.
