Securing Our Future: Retirement in Residential Parks in Victoria

Our focus was on regional and rural Victoria, as these voices are not heard often enough. The forum came as a follow up to changes to legislation that came into effect 1 September 2011 where these matters were not specifically addressed. The forum provided a space for discussion acknowledging these concerns followed by a brainstorming session in the hope of improving these areas. Our guest speaker was David Michael Bunce from the University of Adelaide with a Masters by research in relocatable homes and undertaking a PhD in Housing co-operatives, including residential parks co-operatives. Mr Bunce presented different models of parks that present the idea of security of tenure in an alternative light. His presentation was followed by a panel discussion, with guest speakers from Vic Parks, Consumer Affairs Victoria and the Tenants Union of Victoria, speaking about "Perspectives around Park Management". This made for some really informative conversation in a key topic of interest for many parks residents. HAAG’s residents’ committee project was also presented, in the hope that residents’ committees can be one tool to improve relationships within parks. Residents made presentations throughout the day, sharing their stories in relation to the topics, as well as participating in panel discussions.