Ryman Healthcare : New Pukekohe village gets consent

20 March 2015

Work set to start on $100 million village for retirees

Ryman Healthcare has been granted a resource consent to build a new $100 million retirement village in Pukekohe and there is already strong interest in the Valley Rd project.

Earthworks are under way on the 6.58 hectare green field site and Ryman's construction team is planning to hand over the first stage of the village early next year.

Ryman Healthcare managing director Simon Challies said gaining a resource consent from Auckland Council was an important milestone for the village.

"Since we announced that we'd bought the site last year we've had a huge amount of interest.''

"Close to 400 prospective buyers have been in touch with us already. We're excited to have a consent and to be able to crack on with building the village which will provide much-needed services for the older people of Pukekohe.''

The village will include two and three-bedroom independent townhouses, apartments and an aged care centre.  The aged care centre will include resthome, specialist dementia as well as hospital-level care.

The resort-style amenities will include a gym, a bowling green, a beauty salon, a chapel, a movie theatre, a bar and an indoor swimming pool.

Mr Challies said the strong demand reflected Ryman's research which showed there was a shortage of amenities in the region for retirees.

"The Auckland region's fastest growing retired population lives in the Franklin District. The number of retirees has grown by 50 per cent to 9000 in the past seven years alone.''

"The village will mean that people can stay in the place they love without having to move away if they need more help as they get older. It will also free up homes in the district for resale, and provide long-term sustainable healthcare jobs for locals.''

Ryman Healthcare builds, owns and operates retirement villages based on an integrated care model for those aged over 70. The model means that residents who move in will be looked after no matter how their care needs change over time.

As well as providing construction work the village will require more than 100 staff including managers, registered nurses, caregivers, housekeepers, activities coordinators and gardeners.

Ryman is expanding to keep up with demand as the population ages. Statistics New Zealand estimates the number of New Zealanders aged 75 plus will almost triple to 731,000 over the next 30 years. 

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About Ryman Healthcare:  Ryman was founded in 1984 and has become one of New Zealand's largest listed companies.  The company owns 30 villages and serves over 8,000 residents in New Zealand and Australia.  Each village offers a combination of retirement living and aged care.

Media advisory:  For further information, photos, interviews or comment please contact Corporate Affairs Manager David King on 03 366 4069 or 021 499 602.