Independent Living

Cunningham Downs Village

Independent retirement living in a caring, community environment

Cunningham Downs independent living units provide our senior community members with a safe, secure, comforting and caring environment to live full and healthy lives, as autonomously as possible. 

They are the perfect choice for senior residents looking to downsize from their family home, yet maintain their sense of freedom.

Light and spacious, the independent living units offer a choice in design to suit all needs and lifestyles, and adjoin either a single carport/garage or double garage (with room for a workshop). 

Cunningham Downs is located just minutes by car from the town centre of Echuca, and is set in tranquil, natural bush surrounds ideal for walking among the beautiful old gum trees, bird watching, or just quiet, reflective time by the lake.

Fees & Charges CDV
Current Vacancies – CDV

For those seeking like-minded friends and companions to enjoy their senior years with, Cunningham Downs offers a vibrant community environment, including a community hall, weekly activities, communal vegetable garden, men’s shed, caravan and boat storage, and a rotunda providing a peaceful setting for a group or family BBQ.

The village is serviced by regular visits from the town bus, and just across the bridge in Moama, residents have access to wonderful facilities including Rich River Golf Club, Moama Bowling Club, and the Moama RSL – all of which offer complimentary door-to-door bus services to and from their establishments. Echuca Moama also offers a wide range of churches, clubs and community groups including Lions, Rotary and four Probus clubs.

Maintenance fees and rent cover such items as rates, building insurance, gardening, lawn mowing and internal and external maintenance of buildings, fixtures and fittings.

Security of tenure is provided in the way of a 49-year lease/licence agreement.

For detailed, up-to-date information about our fees and charges click here.

Cunningham Downs Village – FAQs

The retirement village life is all about living in a secure home within a community of like-minded people. Our units are designed for easy living – even if your mobility decreases – and best of all, we take care of your maintenance!

The costs of living in the unit (rates, insurance, grounds & maintenance) are bundled into one easy, fortnightly fee and typically work out to be cheaper than living in your own home.

Your tenure in the home and your payment to occupy your unit are protected by the Victorian Retirement Villages Act which also protects your interests by imposing obligations and responsibilities that retirement village operators must adhere to.

Save Now or Save Later is new flexible pricing to make the most out of your retirement. 

It gives you the option to pay less when you move in and defer some of the cost of your new retirement home until it’s time to re-sell. You get to keep more savings in the bank and continue doing the things you love.

Alternatively, if you are considering income such as a pension, Save Later also enables you to pay more when you enter and receive a larger payment when it’s time to re-sell.

Purchasing a retirement village unit is quite different from purchasing a home in the residential market as the contracts, processes and costs are different. Usually when you buy a home it is on a freehold basis, which means you own the property. Most retirement village transactions are different because you are not actually purchasing the property – you are purchasing the right to occupy the property (at Echuca Community for the Aged you acquire a Licence to Occupy).

A Licence to Occupy entitles the resident to occupy the retirement village unit until they decide to leave. There is no stamp duty payable upon purchase and no registration fees associated with the title of the unit. In order to purchase a Licence to Occupy, you pay an amount to the retirement village, referred to as an Ingoing Contribution (this is the cost of the unit).

An Ingoing Contribution is the cost of purchasing the Licence to Occupy in the unit and the village.

An Exit Fee (sometimes called a Deferred Management Fee) is deducted from your Exit Entitlement when you vacate your unit. The Exit Fee is based on a percentage of the Ingoing Contribution (the cost of the Licence to Occupy).

The reason this payment exists is to allow the village operator to be compensated for their significant investment in the village and to fund ongoing capital investment into the site.

You will be paid your Exit Entitlement after you’ve vacated your unit and it has been re-sold to a future resident. We are required to pay the Exit Entitlement the earlier of 14 days after the Unit has been resold or six months after termination.

You will receive a Residence Agreement and a Fact Sheet that details all of the commercial arrangements regarding your purchase of the unit. After you sign the agreements you will have a 3-day cooling-off period if you wish to change your mind.

The cost of buying into a retirement village will depend on the payment option you chose for your unit.

The cost associated with living in the unit (for example, rates, insurance, grounds & maintenance) are bundled into one easy, fortnightly fee and typically work out to be cheaper than living in your own home. Retirement village occupants are responsible for the direct costs of their own power and gas and insuring their personal contents. Any telephone and internet services connected to the unit are the resident’s cost.

You will need to organise contents insurance for the things that you own. Building insurance is included as part of your daily fee.

Yes, of course! Notify reception if there are visitors planning to stay for more than a few weeks.

To make living easy Echuca Community for the Aged offers a Home Care Support Service that can be government funded or fee-for-service, depending on your situation.

Our minimum age of entry is 65 years. If a couple is looking to reside in one of our retirement village units, at least one person must be aged 65 years or above.

At Echuca Community for the Aged we take security seriously. Notify reception if you are going away for an extended period as an extra precaution. The advantage of retirement living is that you can shut the door and we can keep an eye on things while you are away.

Illoura – Rental Village

Independent living in a caring community environment in the heart of town

Our rental village is set in Echuca’s prestigious Francis Street, and offers first-class independent living in the centre of town.

Located adjacent to Echuca Regional Health and just 1km from the main shopping precinct, residents of Illoura have easy access to all the essentials, as well as the convenience of a heated swimming pool nearby. 

Boasting premium quality construction, the units in this village-style community provide a secure, peace-of-mind lifestyle for senior residents. A place where they can continue to enjoy full autonomy and freedom, but in a safe environment where everyone is looking out for one another. 

Illoura units are furnished with quality fittings, carpets, drapes, ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning, built-in robes, ceramic cooktops and electric ovens, as well as the security of a remote-controlled, lock up garage with direct access into the home.

Residents can also enjoy the privacy of sun-bathed courtyards and private gardens, perfect for enjoying a morning coffee and newspaper.

Illoura Village offers peaceful, low-maintenance living and many wonderful opportunities for social connections and companionship, giving residents new energy, purpose and an enhanced quality of life.

Vacancies at Illoura Village are listed through local real estate firm First National Charles L King & Co. To find out more please contact CLK Property Manager Deb Angove on 03 5482 2111.