Village offers luxury for retirees

A $16 million retirement complex in Lansdowne, which opens for viewing tomorrow, is breaking stereotypes for rest homes, a director says.

Lansdowne Park Lifestyle Village on Titoki St in Masterton comes equipped with a mini-hospital, spa, gym, pool tables, library and cinema.

Fifty of the 79 new units will be serviced by registered nurses 24 hours a day, while the other 29 units are serviced luxury apartments with views of the Tararua ranges.

The retirement village director, Trevor Marshall, said some people in the area had told him the development was too fancy for Masterton.

"I hear people say it's too flash for Masterton and I ask, how's that?

"If you've worked hard all your life for yourself and this country why can't you have this?"

He said there were few high-quality rest homes in New Zealand because there wasn't government support to build them.

"There's no incentive or rewards for operators to spend large amounts of money because it's not recognised. I could go out and build a barrack block and put 70 beds in it and get a contract.

"I built this complex and get absolutely nothing more from the Government."

Mr Marshall said the Government needed to pay more attention to the ageing population.

"In four years time there will be more elderly people than young people in the Wairarapa."

Director Suzanne Marshall said there was a simple reason for spending so much on the complex: "If I can't live in it why would I expect anyone else to live there?"

The village will put $6.5 million a year into Wairarapa every year through wages and salaries for 80 staff.

The first residents arrive on October 23 and the public can view the village from tomorrow until then.