Consultation on the Retirement Villages Code of Practice 2008
The Department of Building and Housing seeks your comments on the content of the proposed Retirement Villages Code of Practice 2008.
The Retirement Villages Act 2003 (‘the Act’) requires a Code of Practice that sets out the minimum standards that all retirement village operators in New Zealand must meet. The minimum standards will also form the basis of the contract between the operators and residents.
The previous Code of Practice (the Retirement Villages Code of Practice 2006) underwent a judicial review initiated by the Retirement Villages Association of New Zealand Inc. As a result, it was declared invalid in the Wellington High Court on 19 December 2007. The Minister of Building and Construction and the Department have since tried to distinguish between intending and existing occupation right agreements held by residents. This is one of the drivers for the development of the proposed Code of Practice 2008.
The Retirement Villages Code of Practice 2008 has been developed by the Minister, taking into account the reasons that the Retirement Villages Code of Practice 2006 was declared invalid.
A key requirement of the Act is the need for both the Minister and the Retirement Commissioner to consult on the proposed Retirement Villages Code of Practice 2008. The Department will conduct the consultation for the Minister. The Retirement Commissioner’s and Minister’s consultation will run at the same time from 16 June 2008 to 15 August 2008. This consultation seeks stakeholder feedback on the proposed Code of Practice 2008.
Depending on the outcome of those consultations, the Minister will either declare the Retirement Villages Code of Practice 2008 the final document, or may conduct a second consultation, based on the feedback from the first consultation.
A full copy of the proposed Retirement Villages Code of Practice 2008 and a cover sheet explaining the consultation process are available below:
Closing date for submissions is 15 August 2008.
Submissions can be sent to:
Retirement Villages
Department of Building and Housing
P O Box 10729
Wellington
Email: info@dbh.govt.nz
Or fax: (04) 494 0290
And/or
Retirement Villages,
Retirement Commission,
Level 3, 69–71 The Terrace
(P.O. Box 12-148),
Wellington.
Facsimile: (04) 499 7397
Email: office@retirement.org.nz