Frequently asked questions

Sirovilla has been around for over 50 years, having been originally established in the early 1970s by the social club of the CSIRO in Belmont. The first 8 units were built on the Highton site in 1975, with the reaminder of the 64 units in total built over seven stages up until 2008 which is when the community centre and offices were added.  Sirovilla then purchased the Lions Club Village to establish Sirovilla Anglesea, and has more recently has taken on the management of Sirovilla Lorne and Sirovilla Point Lonsdale.

Highton (64 units), both one and two bedrooms – 32-52 Broughton Street Highton VIC 3216

Anglesea (18 units), both one and two bedrooms – 32-34 Murray Street Anglesea VIC 3230

Lorne (16 units), one bedroom only – 3 Clissold Street Lorne VIC 3232

Point Lonsdale (16 units), one bedroom only – 2 Nelson Rd Point Lonsdale VIC 3225

Sirovilla’s main office is located at Sirovilla Highton, 32-52 Broughton Drive, Highton VIC 3216. Phone (03) 5241 1517   Email info@sirovilla.org.au Open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday.

Staff also travel to and work from the other Sirovilla villages from week to week.

Sirovilla owns, manages and maintains Sirovilla Highton Village and Sirovilla Anglesea Village. Sirovilla manages and maintains both Sirovilla Lorne Village and Sirovilla Point Lonsdale Village under a long-term lease arrangement.

Social housing is typically government run or government funded.  Sirovilla is classified as community housing, so is not funded by the government and relies on rental income to meet all management, and maintenance costs.

Yes, Sirovilla Incorporated is a charity also refered to as a “not-for-profit” or “profit-for-purpose” organisation.  Sirovilla is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).  Sirovilla Incorporated is a registered Public Benevolent Institution with charity tax concession status and is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) under the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

Sirovilla does not offer urgent or crisis housing. We appreciate that many people are in need, offers are made based on the next person on the list for that village.

Sirovilla is not an aged care facility. Sirovilla villages are retirement villages comprised of one and two bedroom units, all designed to accommodate people who are able to live independently in individual units.  Sirovilla does not provide nursing care, medical care, assistance buttons, laundry services, cleaning services, in home care or meals.  Our residents arrange access these supports themselves either via family and friends or via their My Aged Care provider.

To provide and further develop affordable housing for independent low-income seniors in connected village communities. We will do this by acting in accordance with our values. Our governance will reflect integrity and transparency. We will be respectful in all our interactions. We will ensure that our residents are supported equitably and empowered by being engaged and informed.

Sirovilla recognises that pets contribute to the health and wellbeing of residents. There is extensive research which proves that pets have a positive effect in responsible households.  Residents may request approval from Sirovilla to keep one small pet in units that have a courtyard that is suitable for pets. Approval for pets is subject to the Sirovilla Pet Policy.

Sirovilla Highton 32-52 Broughton Drive, Highton, Geelong, Victoria 3216, just off the Colac Highway across the road from The Geelong Christian College Preparatory School.

Sirovilla Highton Village is located on a beautifully landscaped three-hectare property in inner Geelong. The village offers 64 well-designed one- and two-bedroom units, all enjoying a desirable northerly aspect. Thoughtfully positioned to balance privacy with supportive neighbours, our units provide a peaceful and secure environment for seniors able to live independently.

Sirovilla Highton Village contains 64 units –  45 one-bedroom and 19 two-bedroom units

There is a striking, architectually designed Community Hall at Sirovilla Highton that was constructed in 2008.  This building is attached to the Sirovilla main office building in the centre of the village.  It can be accessed by residents via a door with a pin code, and houses the library, main function space, a fully equipped kitchen and bathrooms, as well as an outdoor BBQ and eating area.  The Sirovilla Highton Social club utilises this space for many events and casual get togethers, along with weekly bowls, darts, tai chi and craft groups.

The village is ideally situated a five-minute walk to the Belmont Bowls Club and Medical centre as well as being close to  Leisurelink Fitness and Swim Centre, Waurn Ponds Library, Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre, Reading Cinemas, Aldi, Radius imaging, as well as the Belmont High Street shops and services.

Sirovilla Highton Village has a dedicated mini bus that can be booked if residents wish to go on outings. We have volunteers that are willing to help with transport. The outings are usually organised through the Sirovilla Highton Social Club.  Public buses run regularly to both Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre and central Geelong. In addition, Sirovilla provides a private weekly shuttle service for residents to access Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre with ease.

Highton has onsite parking, this varies from garages, carports and general outside parking. The garages and carports are allocated based on a waiting list.  The parking is not attached to the unit but will most likely be near by.  Resident parking is solely for residents and a parking area has been allocated near the Sirovilla Office for visitor parking.

There is a free village library space at the Community Centre, where residents can settle in to read the daily delivered newspaper and borrow books as when they wish.

Yes, there is a Community Vegetable Garden area at Sirovilla Highton. Individal residents work their own allocated plots and enjoy the spoils of their labour.  All residents may request their on plot when they join the Sirovilla villa community.

Residents currently enjoy weekly Tai Chi sessions, indoor bowls, weekly take away nights, Sunday BBQs and weekly “stitch and knit” craft sessions.

Sirovilla’s main office is located at Sirovilla Highton, 32-52 Broughton Drive, Highton VIC 3216. Phone (03) 5241 1517   Email info@sirovilla.org.au Open 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday.

Staff also travel to and work from the other Sirovilla villages from week to week.

Sirovilla Anglesea is located at 32-34 Murray Street, Anglesea VIC 3230 in the heart of Anglesea, just moments away from the beach.

Sirovilla Anglesea Village is home to a warm, welcoming and close knit community housed in 18 units set amoungst well established gardens across a 1.28 acre site.

Sirovilla Anglesea Village contains 18 units – 13 one-bedroom and 5 two-bedroom units

Sirovilla Anglesea has a central open lawn and BBQ area next to a Community Hall with fully equipped kitchen, free wifi (in the hall) and a comfortable communal lounge area with large smart TV for enjoying the Melbourne Cup or the weekly footy games together.  The residents organise regular get togethers, dinners, happy hour drinks and games afternoons, along with weekly exercise classes and craft groups in the hall.

Sirovilla Anglesea is ideally positioned next to key community facilities including the Anglesea Community House, Community Garden, Historical Society, Men’s Shed, and Medical Centre. Within easy walking distance, residents can also access the senior citizens centre and other local amenities.

4 Clissold St, Lorne

Nelson Rd, Point Lonsdale on the Bellarine Community Health (BCH) site.

Residents need to be 67yrs of age at time of admission, however you can apply from the age of 62.

You can apply before you are on the aged pension, but residents need to be in receipt of a Centrelink Aged Pension income at the time of admission.

Yes, you can as long as you still qualify for a Centrelink Aged Pension as well.

Yes, you must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident at date of admission.

No, you do not have to be from Geelong or the Surf Coast to apply, however you must either have connections to the area such as you immediate family living near by if applying for our Anglesea, Lorne or Point Lonsdale Villages.

Yes, most of our residents have been assessed by My Aged Care and receive different levels of support to help them to continue to live independently.

Yes, all residents must be capable of independent living and all Sirovilla units are designed as such.  At Sirovilla you have the comfort of knowing you are part of a community of people who are at a similar life stage as you and are there for you if you wish to connect with them.

You can apply to live at Sirovilla if you still own your own home, however at time of admission you must have sold your home, continue to meet Centrelink’s criteria to receive the aged pension and meet the maximum assets test.

Yes, most of our residents have little to no assets and this has no bearing on them being offered a unit if they are next on the register of interest (wait list).  New residents may have total assessable assets of $200,000 or less per person, at time of admission into the village. (This does not include personal items and furniture etc.)

All residents of Sirovilla must meet the age requirement of being 67 years of age and be in receipt of the aged pension at the time of admission.

No, many of our residents don’t or no longer drive.  Our villages are on bus routes, are often only a 5-10minute walk to local shops and medical services, and Highton has it’s own weekly bus to the local Shopping Centre. Alternatively residents make use of taxi vouchers or have carers to do shopping etc through their My Aged Care package.

You can fill in an online form right now by clicking here. You will receive an email confirmation from Sirovilla when you application has been received and added to Sirovilla’s Register of Interest (wait list).

Yes, you can download and print a copy of the Sirovilla Application Form and Facts Sheets for each village by clicking here.  Please hand in your form in person or post your completed form to our office – Sirovilla Retirement Village 32-52 Broughton Drive, Highton VIC 3216

No, it is free to apply to be on Sirovilla’s Register of Interest (wait list).

The wait time varies but it is helpful to know that Sirovilla is a long-term option, you can expect to wait around 3-4 years for a unit to become available.

Anyone can apply to become a resident at Sirovilla Highton.  Sirovilla Anglesea, Sirovilla Lorne and Sirovilla Point Lonsdale play important community role by helping local residents afford to stay in the area when they retire as they are often priced out of the market.  You are able to apply to become a resident at Sirovilla Anglesea, Sirovilla Lorne or Sirovilla Point Lonsdale, as long as you have a connection to the area such as history as a resident or close/immediate family living in the area.

Yes, you may apply to be placed on the Register of Interest for up to two villages, but must have a connection to the surround area of those villages, such as being a resident or having close/immediate family living in the area.

Two bedroom units are reserved for couples or anyone wishing to share – an individual can not apply to live alone in a two bedroom unit.

It is important that if some reason we can’t get in touch with you to offer you a unit, that we have an alternative person to call or email.

The provision of a Fact Sheet to a new applicant in a set format for each village is a requirement under the Retirement Villages Act.  You can request a copy of this Fact Sheet at any time.

Sirovilla does not offer urgent or crisis housing. We appreciate that many people are in need, offers are made based on the next person on the list for that village.

It is important that if any of your details change please let us know straight away, either via email info@sirovilla.org.au by phone (03)5241 1517 or via the contact us section of the website.

No, Sirovilla provides housing on a “lease-for-life” basis where you pay rent fortnightly to live independently in your unit for as long as you are able.

Rent is paid fortnightly and comprises of two amounts. Firstly, an amount equal to 25% of your total fortnightly income plus 100% of commonwealth rent assistance (CRA).

Rent = 25% of Total Income + 100% Commonwealth Rent Assistance

Example

Total Fortnightly Income = $1,200

(Centrelink aged pension plus any other income such as shares or superannuation)

25 % of $1,200 = $300

Plus 100% of Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) per fortnight = $212

Total Rent = $300 + $212 = $512 per fortnight (or $256 per week)

Currently rent at Sirovilla (July 2025) is on average at 69% of market rate.  Sirovilla tracks rental prices of one and two bed units in all areas surrounding our current villages.  We benchmark our rent to ensure it remains at 75% or less, of current market rate.

Sirovilla rents are reviewed once a year and will only increase if your total income has increased since the previous year.  Usually your income will only increase when the Centrelink Aged Pension increases, but rent wil never exceed 25% of your income.

Your rent is deducted fortnightly from your Centrelink Aged Pension payment via Services Australia’s Centrepay portal. The remainder of your Centrelink Aged Pension is then paid into your nominated bank account as per usual.

Yes, a bond equivalent to 2 weeks rent is required. This is refundable upon exit.

The rent covers the operating costs of the village including:

• Repairs and maintenance to the interior and exterior of your unit
• Management and administration of the Village
• Council rates – land
• Building and public liability insurance
• Utility payments for any communal areas
• Staff wages and related costs
• Legal and auditing fees
• Grounds maintenance

No. It is based on a person’s ability to pay.  We determine your ability to pay based on the hardship limit set by Centrelink. This is currently (Oct 2024) $29,024.80 for singles and $43,752.80 for couples. If you have less than this amount in assets there is no in-going contribution to be paid.

The in-going contribution is calculated at 40% of total assets and is capped at a maximum of $60,000.  Whilst this is paid as one lump-sum amount, it is amortised over 10 years, so if a resident leaves after 5 years, 50% of their in-going contribution is refunded, however after 10 years there is no refund.

 

Example 1:

A new resident has $25,000 in total assets.

No in-going contribution is required as this is below the hardship limit set by Centrelink of $29,024.80

 

Example 2:

If a new resident has $100,000 in total assets.

They would be required to pay an in-going contribution of $28,390.08 which is calculated as follows.

Total assets = $100,000

Less single person hardship limit = $29,024.80

Remaining assessible assets = $70,975.20

40% of remaining assessible assets = $28.390.08  in-going contribution

 

Example 3:

If a new resident has $200,000 in total assets.

They would be required to pay the maximum in-going contribution of $60,000 which is calculated as follows.

Total assets = $200,000

Less single person hardship limit = $29,024.80

Remaining assessible assets = $170,975.20

40% of remaining assessible assets = $68,390.08

Maximum in-going contribution cap is applied = $60,000 in-going contribution

The in-going contribution is amortised over 10 years, so if a resident leaves after 5 years, 50% of their in-going contribution is refunded to them upon exit, however after 10 years there is no refund.

Example:

If a resident who paid an in-going contribution of $28,390.08 left after exactly

• 2 years they would receive a refund of $22,712.06 (80%)
• 5 years they would receive a refund of $14,195.04 (50%)
• 8 years they would receive a refund of $5,678.02 (20%)
• 10 years+ they would not receive a refund

No, there are no out-going payments or refurbishment fees.  If there has been excessive damage beyond normal wear and tear or unauthorised modifications the resident will be responsible for the cost of rectifying the unit back to it’s original state. Exiting residents are responsible for ensuring the all belongings have been removed from the unit, the unit has been cleaned to the same level as upon entry and the carpets steam cleaned.

Your application is received by the Sirovilla Operations Team, checked for completeness and assessed for eligibility.  Approved applications are added to the register of interest in order of application date. Please ensure you complete all sections of the application as an incomplete application can not be added to our register of interest until the outstanding information is provided, thus delaying the date your application is added to the register of interest.

When you apply online via our website www.sirovilla.org.au you will receive an auto generated email saying your application has been submitted.  When your application has been added to Sirovilla’s register of interest (wait list) you will receive an email confirmation. Please ensure you complete all sections of the application as an incomplete application can not be added to our register of interest until the outstanding information is provided.

Once your hard copy application has been received, it will be checked for completeness and assessed for eligibility. Approved applications are added to the register of interest in order of application date.  When your application has been added to Sirovilla’s register of interest (wait list) you will receive an email confirmation. Please ensure you complete all sections of the application as an incomplete application can not be added to our register of interest until the outstanding information is provided.

When a unit becomes available it is offered to the next eligible person on the register of interest. If they do not accept, it is offered to the next person on the list. There needs to be a valid reason to decline the offer. If an offer is not accepted again the applicant will not retain their position on the register of interest.

Yes, you are welcome to phone us on (03) 5241 1517 or email us at info@sirovilla.org.au to check on the progress of your application.  We do not tell people their position on register of interest however we can give you an indication if you are nearing the top of the list.

Sirovilla will make contact with applicants as they near towards top of the list to reconfirm their interest in remaining on the Register of Interest. You can assist by making sure you always let us know if your circumstances change and keeping your Centrelink asset and income information current.

You are invited to apply to be placed on the Sirovilla register of interest from the age of 62 years, however you must be at least 67 years old and receipt of a Centrelink aged pension at the time of admission.  If you move to the top of the list but are yet to fill this criteria you will continue to hold your position on the list, however you will not be offered a unit until you do.

The wait time varies but it is helpful to know that Sirovilla is a long-term option, you can expect to wait around 3-4 years for a unit to become available.

It is important that if any of your details change please let us know straight away, either via email info@sirovilla.org.au by phone (03)5241 1517 or via the contact us section of the website.

Please always keep your Centrelink aged pension details up to date by ensuring you notify Centrelink if your income or value of assessable assets changes.

Sirovilla does not offer urgent or crisis housing. We appreciate that many people are in need, offers are made based on the next person on the list for that village.

When Sirovilla receives notice that a unit will soon become available, the Services Coordinator will contact the next applicant on the register of interest (wait list) for that village to discuss the applicant/s’ interest in accepting the vacant unit and will invitye the applicant/s to view the unit.  The Services Coordinator will make a verbal offer to the applicant/s.  Following verbal acceptance the applicant/s will receive a formal offer.

If an applicant refuses the offer of a unit the Services Coordinator will move to the next eligble applicant on the register of interest (wait list).   Applicants who refuse one (1) offer for admission to a Sirovilla unit due to circumstances beyond their control will maintain their priority on the register of interest.  However, if it is a matter of personal preference (for example wanting a different unit at the same village in a different position or orientation) the applicant will not retain their position on the register of interest.  All applicants who refuse two (2) offers for admission to a Sirovilla unit will not retain their position on the Register of Interest.

Sirovilla provides housing on a “lease-for-life” basis where you pay rent fortnightly to live independently in your unit for as long as you are able. We have some residents who have been living at Sirovilla for over 25 years.

Yes, many of our residents have their grandchildren for sleep-overs regularly.  You are welcome to have someone stay for up to 28 days.  If your guest would like to stay longer you are required to seek the permission of Sirovilla management.

Sirovilla recognises that pets contribute to the health and wellbeing of residents. There is extensive research which proves that pets have a positive effect in responsible households.  Residents may request approval from Sirovilla to keep one small pet in units that have a courtyard that is suitable for pets. Approval for pets is subject to the Sirovilla Pet Policy.

Residents are responsible for maintaining the small gardens attached to their units. Sirovilla maintains all communal areas.

Residents are responsible for keeping their units, outside areas, windows and gardens clean and tidy.  If the unit requires maintenance of any kind, residents (or the carers or family) can report maintenance either via our Maintain X Maintenance App, the Maintain x portal accessed via provided QR code, email the office, phone the office during business hours or via our emergency maintenance phone number outside hours if urgent.   We also help out with little things like changing light globes or accessing high cupboards, to ensure our residents are not risking climbing up ladders.

Sirovilla villages are  designed to accommodate people who are able to live independently in individual units. Sirovilla does not provide nursing care, medical care, assistance buttons, laundry services, cleaning services, in home care or meals.  Our residents arrange access these supports themselves either via family and friends or via their My Aged Care package providers.

Each situation is unique, and we appreciate this can be a difficult time for some. Sirovilla will work with you and your family to assist you during your transition.