Ryman Healthcare is planning to build a new retirement village at Ringwood East in Melbourne.
New Zealand-based Ryman is a fast-growing new entrant into the aged care sector in Australia, building integrated villages that combine beautiful apartments and full-service care centres, including dementia care.The land on Mt Dandenong Rd is currently home to a tavern and a garden centre, and Ryman will combine both into a 2.2-hectare site.
It is a short distance from the Eastland Shopping Centre and other local amenities and is bordered by Ringwood Lake Park.
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Ryman Senior Development Manager James Weight said the site was in an excellent suburb with a large retired population and a shortage of living options.
“It’s a beautiful site in Melbourne’s green belt and we think it is a perfect place to build a Ryman village.
"There’s a significant retired population in the wider area and we plan to build a village with independent living and care on one site, so that people who love the area can stay, no matter how their health needs change over time.
“We’ll be talking to the local community about our plans. The $200m village will provide a significant number of construction jobs during the building phase and more than 120 permanent jobs once it is operating.’’
Ryman has been in business for 35 years and has been voted the Most Trusted Brand in the aged care and retirement sector in New Zealand five times.
Ryman opened its first village at Wheelers Hill in Melbourne in 2014 and now has more than 600 residents in Melbourne.
Ryman villages provide a full range of independent living options and aged care on one site, so that residents have the reassurance of knowing there is care on hand if they need it.
The Ringwood East village is likely to include a 120-bed care centre, with low, high and dementia level care. It will include serviced and independent apartments, an indoor swimming pool, movie theatre, café, hair and beauty salons and a bowling green.
Ryman Healthcare names its villages in honour of significant local people.
Other villages in Victoria include Weary Dunlop at Wheelers Hill and Nellie Melba at Brandon Park.
Ryman Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Debbie McClure said naming suggestions were welcome.
“There’s nothing like a bit of local knowledge and we’ve found over the years that the best suggestions come from the people who know the place well. We’d love to hear any suggestions and to name it in honour of a Melbourne local.’’
Ryman Healthcare has sites for new villages at Coburg, Burwood East and Aberfeldie in Melbourne. It also has sites at Mt Eliza and Mt Martha on the Mornington Peninsula, and at Geelong and Ocean Grove on the Bellarine Peninsula.
