Awards

Janet Fisher - Meadowvale Village Manager 

Meadowvale village manager Congratulations to Janet Fisher, Meadowvale Village Manager, for taking out the 2016 Property Council of Australia (PCA) National Manager of the Year award. 

As a passionate and outgoing person, Janet’s positive attitude, years of experience and ability to build personal relationships with the residents of Meadowvale has her receiving consistently high levels of customer satisfaction and placed her as a standout from other award finalists. 

Janet is a natural leader who is well respected amongst her peers, is a mentor for other village managers and always ensures her residents are at the heart of what she does. 

What sets Janet apart is that she never stops looking for new and innovative ways to evolve her village and make life happier and more comfortable for the residents who call it home. 

Janet was recognised for her contribution to the village for coordinating solar powered street lighting to reduce residents’ utility bills, establishing strong community connections with the Bunarong Men’s Shed to support men’s health, and changing the village’s pet policy to make it &ls quo;pet friendly’.  

Vicki Nielson - Elliot Gardens Manager  

Congratulations to Vicki Neilson, Village Manager of Elliot Gardens, for winning the 2016 Property Council of Australia (PCA) South Australian/Northern Territory Manager of the Year award. 

Vicki manages five staff members and close to 350 residents and has been acknowledged for providing exceptional customer service. Resident surveys indicate satisfaction levels increased from 7.4 to 8.7 out of 10 in the three years that Vicki has been overseeing operations at Elliot Gardens. Vicki’s attention to detail and ability to get things done has led to significant changes for the villages. 

She coordinated the installation of the NBN’s ‘fibre to the home’ network to all units, oversaw a significant improvement in the village’s gardens and grounds and instigated a changeover to LED lighting in all common areas. A strong believer in sustainability, Vicki organised for a contractor to visit every home in the village to offer professional advice to residents on how to implement resource saving strategies and save money. 

Vicki was also recognised for the new village maintenance tracking system she implemented as well introducing an Annual Market Day to the village for residents to easily connect with local businesses. “Vicki’s attention to detail in welcoming new residents, her interaction with existing residents and her general attention to all aspects of maintaining a vibrant village life is respected by all residents,” said Elliot Gardens Residents Committee Chairman Peter Darr.

Closebourne Village  

The award, presented at the UDIA Rivergum Homes Group Gala Dinner on Thursday 10th March showcases Keyton’s development capabilities and recognises our commitment to creating the best places for people of all ages. Located in the historic town of Morpeth, Closebourne Village sets a new standard in independent living communities for over 55’s, and is a truly unique village in Keyton’s portfolio, and for the retirement category. 

Situated within the grounds of Closebourne estate, the former home of E.C.Close in the 1800’s, the village incorporates the beautifully restored Morpeth House as its Community Centre. “From the beginning, the vision at Closebourne Village has always been to create a community that brings to life the heritage buildings, compliments the surrounding country environment and adapts spaces across the site to meet the social, health and wellbeing needs of our residents”, Simon Militano, General Manager – Development, Retirement Living. “Adding to this vision was our commitment to delivering outstanding community facilities and homes that residents would be proud of and this award demonstrates that we have achieved this”.

Keyton is committed to creating the best places and supporting the delivery of senior living communities for the ageing population. The development of Closebourne Village is a testament to this commitment and it is wonderful to have our efforts recognised by UDIA.

Keperra Sanctuary  

The redevelopment of the Community Centre at Keperra Sanctuary has won the Aged Care Design category at the International Green Interior Awards. 

The collaborative design process that included residents and the team from Keyton, focused on the use of stylish and sustainable products and features. Where possible, materials that featured a strong commitment to recyclability or renewability were used. 

A range of energy efficient products were utilised as well as recycled water, solar electricity generation and the selection of sustainable soft furnishings. 

As a developer, owner and manager of retirement villages, Keyton is committed to creating the right sustainable balance of social, environmental and economic conditions in our communities.

Brentwood Retirement Village  

The 2015 Keyton's Retirement Living Village of the Year Awards Night was held in October 2015 and recognizes outstanding village teams. 

The selection criteria is based on a number of factors including: excellence in village operations, people management, sustainability, EH&S, sales and marketing and financial performance. 

Brentwood Retirement Village, located on the NSW Central Coast, took out the national award and was recognised for the resilience and determination that the team demonstrated throughout the year. 

The following runners are to also be commended for their work during the year. Regional Winners 

• QLD - Allora Gardens 

• WA - Parkland Villas Woodlands 

• VIC - Meadowvale 

• VIC/SA - Elliot Gardens 

• NZ - Knightsbridge Village 

• NSW/ ACT – Brentwood Village

Closebourne Village  

Keyton’s Closebourne Village in the historical town of Morpeth in New South Wales has received the 2015 Award for Excellence for Seniors Living by the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA). 

The careful restoration of Morpeth House, a historic building within the Village, truly reflects Keyton’s commitment to creating the best places. Using materials and methods from 150 years ago, the historical relevance of the building has been retained and its use transformed into a vibrant and interactive community centre. 

Residents gather in the restored building for a number of activities but the thoughtfully designed separate areas have also provided a place to relax and unwind. The centre is the heart of the community and has created a wonderful sense of social engagement at Closebourne. 

Closebourne Village conveys a real country spirit and sense of community and is already becoming an important part of the Morpeth township. With the recent completion of the community centre, the resort-style facilities now include: 

• indoor heated pool 

• outdoor gardens with BBQ facility 

• library 

• historical grand tea lounge 

• sitting rooms 

• crafts room 

• history room 

• billiards/bar room 

• gym 

• chapel hall facility with semi commercial kitchen 

• cards room 

• alfresco decks and outdoor fire place.

Our submission showcased a number of sustainable initiatives and practices that have been adopted across the Retirement Living portfolio and highlighted our overall leadership and management efforts in this area. Sarah Kinsela, General Manager Sustainability, Property said: “It is wonderful to be recognised for our efforts and commitment in raising the sustainability benchmark within our business. 

We are very proud of our achievements and the work we are continuing to do in this space”. With a focus on environmental and social performance, our team have worked hard to embed Sustainability Management Plans within each Village that are already starting to deliver positive outcomes against our sustainability framework. 

These plans target improvements in areas such as energy generation and efficiency, delivery of social health and wellbeing programs, financial savings to residents through design practices and the protection of habitat and wildlife. In addition, the Live Well Passport has also been recognised as an innovative initiative in our industry. The social health and wellbeing program has been piloted at two of our Villages and has received positive feedback from residents.

The Property Council of Australia Rising Generation Award celebrates outstanding young individuals working in retirement living who display innovation, leadership, passion and a drive to positively impact the industry. 

In 2014, we had two shortlisted candidates for the award. National Sustainability Manager, Sarah Kinsela; and Marketing Manager for Keyton’s Victorian and South Australian portfolio, Deborah Nugent. Both have been recognised for achievements in their respective fields. Sarah has transformed sustainability within the Retirement Living business by delivering a sustainability strategy built on messages that resonate with our residents and stakeholders. 

She has also developed a holistic sustainability toolkit for each of our 70 villages. The toolkit enables staff to implement significant sustainability initiatives that result in positive economic outcomes for the business and residents. Deborah is dedicated to ensuring her marketing strategy and tactical programs educate customers on the intangible benefits of retirement villages. Central to this strategy is ensuring customers experience village life through a series of engaging on-site events. This has provided regular touch points with local communities and ensured strong customer engagement. 

We are very proud to have Sarah and Deborah as part of our team and we are thrilled to share their stories with you.

Our submission showcased a number of sustainable initiatives and practices that have been adopted across the Retirement Living portfolio and highlighted our overall leadership and management efforts in this area. Sarah Kinsela, General Manager Sustainability, Property said: “It is wonderful to be recognised for our efforts and commitment in raising the sustainability benchmark within our business. 

We are very proud of our achievements and the work we are continuing to do in this space”. With a focus on environmental and social performance, our team have worked hard to embed Sustainability Management Plans within each Village that are already starting to deliver positive outcomes against our sustainability framework. 

These plans target improvements in areas such as energy generation and efficiency, delivery of social health and wellbeing programs, financial savings to residents through design practices and the protection of habitat and wildlife. In addition, the Live Well Passport has also been recognised as an innovative initiative in our industry. The social health and wellbeing program has been piloted at two of our Villages and has received positive feedback from residents.

Martha’s Point  

Martha’s Point in Victoria has been crowned Best Retirement Development at the 2012 Property Council of Australia’s National Innovation and Excellence Awards. 

The awards showcase Australia’s finest projects across 16 categories, and celebrate innovation and leading practice within the property development and investment industries. Set in the heart of Mount Martha on the picturesque Mornington Peninsula, the premium retirement village has 125 independent living units and is developed and owned by Keyton and Joint Venture Partner Stern’s Textiles. 

It fended off three strong contenders from across the country to claim the award. Set on 6.1 hectares, the hub of the village is the impressive Community Centre which houses a range of exclusive facilities including an indoor heated swimming pool and spa, gymnasium, bowling green, tennis courts, library and craft room. 

Martha’s Point was pitted against strong competition in the retirement development category and we are thrilled for the Keyton team and residents that it has been recognised as the best retirement development in Australia.