MEDIA RELEASE
DATE: 16 June 2026
Lifestyle Living Village Investigations Underway for Robe
The District Council of Robe has endorsed, in principle, the further investigation of a Lifestyle Living Village on Allotment 72 Hateley Crescent (Casuarina Lodge) as Council's preferred strategic direction for the future use of the site.
The decision follows extensive community engagement, including the Planning for Robe's Future Community Survey, a Community Discussion Paper, community drop-in sessions and written submissions. The resolution was unanimously supported by Council at its meeting on 10 June 2026.
Mayor Lisa Ruffell said the decision represented an important milestone in Council's ongoing efforts to address housing diversity and choice within the community.
"The Planning for Robe's Future survey highlighted strong community interest in a broader range of housing options and reinforced the importance of planning for Robe's future housing needs," Mayor Ruffell said.
"Council has listened to that feedback and I am pleased to see us taking a significant step forward in investigating what could become an important project for our community.
A Lifestyle Living Village has the potential to provide greater housing choice, support community connection and create opportunities for residents to transition into lower-maintenance housing, freeing up existing homes for families, workers and others looking to establish themselves in Robe
"This is not the end of the conversation, but it is an important milestone. We know housing remains one of the biggest challenges facing regional communities and I am excited to see Council proactively exploring practical solutions that could benefit current and future generations of Robe residents.
"The community has consistently told us they want Council to take housing seriously and this decision demonstrates our commitment to doing exactly that."
Chief Executive Officer Nat Traeger said Council was now entering the investigation phase and was keen to hear from a broad range of people and organisations.
"Council does not pretend to have all the answers and one of the key objectives of this next stage is to better understand what a Lifestyle Living Village could look like in Robe and how it might be delivered," Ms Traeger said.
"We are interested in hearing from community members who are excited by the concept, but equally from developers, community housing providers, investors, funding bodies and organisations with experience delivering innovative housing projects.
"The reality is that projects like this are rarely delivered by a council acting alone. Partnerships, expertise and innovative thinking will all be important as we continue our investigations.
"We know there is community interest in greater housing choice, and we also know there are organisations across Australia successfully delivering projects of this nature. We would welcome the opportunity to start those conversations."
"One of the things that stood out to me during the community drop-in sessions was hearing directly from residents about the challenges they face in finding housing that better suits their current lifestyle," Ms Traeger said.
"I spoke with several people who told me they love living in Robe and have no desire to leave the community but feel there are limited options available if they want to move to a smaller, lower-maintenance home."
"In particular, I heard from a number of women living alone who spoke about the appeal of downsizing whilst remaining connected to a community environment, rather than living in isolation on a larger property that no longer suits their needs."
"Those conversations reinforced for me that this is about more than housing. It's about providing choice, maintaining community connections and ensuring people have options that allow them to continue enjoying the lifestyle that attracted them to Robe in the first place."
Council's resolution does not commit to a specific development proposal. Rather, it provides direction for further investigations into delivery models, partnerships, governance arrangements, funding opportunities and financial feasibility.
Council is also inviting community members who are interested in the Lifestyle Living Village concept to make contact and register their interest in receiving future updates.
Whilst investigations remain in their early stages, Council is aware through the Planning for Robe's Future survey and subsequent community engagement that there is significant interest in greater housing choice within Robe.
Registering interest does not commit individuals to anything but will assist Council in better understanding community interest and ensure interested community members can remain informed as the project progresses.
Community members interested in receiving updates, or organisations interested in discussing potential partnership opportunities, are encouraged to contact Chief Executive Officer Nat Traeger on 0429 799 526 or via email at ceo@robe.sa.gov.au.
ENDS
Contact:
Mayor Lisa Ruffell
0474 581 595
Chief Executive Officer, Nat Traeger
0429 799 526