Retirement Living. Redefined.
03 June 2026
Why Australia's Retirement Living Sector Is Having Its Moment And Why We're Proud to Be Part of It
Demographer Simon Küstenmacher has a vivid way of describing how Baby Boomers move through society like a tennis ball through a snake. Wherever this generation goes, the world adjusts around them.
Right now, retirement living is where the pressure is building.
A Generation on Its Own Terms
By 2029, every Australian Baby Boomer will officially be of retirement age (The Demographics Group, 2026). But walk through any of the country's new premium retirement communities and you'll quickly realise this cohort isn't slowing down, they're upgrading.
Küstenmacher has noted that Boomers are, in many respects, ideal consumers at this stage of life: asset-rich, time-rich, and carrying high expectations built over decades of prosperity (Saxton Speakers, 2026). The retirement living sector is where those expectations land.
Daniel Gannon, Executive Director of the Retirement Living Council, has been direct about what this means for the industry: "The country is ageing, and we are in the midst of a housing crisis there has never been a more important time to ensure retirement living is front and centre when it comes to solving it."
The numbers reflect that urgency:
Australia's senior living market is forecast to grow at nearly 8% per year through to 2030 (Mordor Intelligence, 2024)
Retirement village occupancy reached 95% in 2023, with supply struggling to keep pace (Oxford Economics, 2023)
A record $3.85 billion acquisition of retirement provider Aveo confirmed the scale of institutional confidence now flowing into the sector (JLL, 2025)
Premium, design-led retirement communities are emerging across the country not as a niche product, but as one of the most compelling asset classes in Australian property.
Celebrating the Best of the Best
This is the context in which Stonebank Group is proud to sponsor the People's Choice Award for Best Retirement Community at the 2026 National Retirement Living Awards Gala Dinner in Brisbane, presented by the Property Council of Australia and the Retirement Living Council.
What makes the People's Choice Award stand apart is simple, residents vote. Not panels, not judges. The people who actually live in these communities decide who deserves recognition. In an industry built around the wellbeing of older Australians, that verdict carries real weight.
Our Work in This Space
Retirement living has been central to Stonebank's work for years. We have supported landmark projects including St. Clare, Kew and St. Francis, East Ivanhoe, a premium 57 apartment precinct developed in partnership with VMCH.
We bring senior-led advisory and project management expertise to some of Australia's most complex retirement living developments across strategy, planning, delivery and long-term asset performance. We know what operators need, what residents expect, and what it takes to deliver something genuinely excellent.
Sponsoring the People's Choice Award reflects that commitment.
Want to See What Best Practice Looks Like?
If you are developing, planning, or investing in retirement living, we would welcome the conversation.
Steve Rodd
Director, Stonebank Group
0421 078 383
Stonebank Group is a proud Award Sponsor of the 2026 National Retirement Living Awards, presented by the Property Council of Australia and the Retirement Living Council.