Australia’s first Indian Culture and food based retirement apartment concept launched

Neha Kolape

 21 Apartments out of 84 Jeevan Dhara apartments already reserved by Indian seniors over 55 years

 Australia’s first retirement living plan to cater Health, Transport, Food and entertainment needs of senior

 Sustainable development aiming to reduce car use and reduce carbon foot print

 Jeevan Dhara is new retirement option for active seniors notneeding nursing care

After many decades of living in Australia, the first generation of Indian- Australians are retiring and finding itself in a quandary. They are looking to further enhance their life style to enjoy curries with no worries.

Although many have the resources to live comfortably in retirement, some still depend on their children and suffer from social isolation as they navigate old age. Most Indians have focused so much on building their careers and educating their children that they never really planned anything for their retirement like many Australian do.

There are numerous organisations emerged to provide retirement villages for Australians and other ethnic based communities such as Greek, Polish, Italian, Chinese but no decent option exists for Indian or South East Asian communities. Recognising the problem, Dr. Rekha Kumar (MBBS, FRACGP) and her husband Mr. Sunil Kumar (B.Tech from IIT Delhi) developer of many medical, dental, radiology and allied health clinics and real estate have taken initiative to establish Australia’s first Indian food and culture based community living establishment as part of over $250 million Tarneit Junction 10 miniute walking estate.

This retirement community is for healthy active living and developed specifically for lovers of Indian food as part of Tarneit Junction Project.

This community is called “Jeevan Dhara” or “Life going steady” or “Friends in need is Family indeed” or simply ” Curries with No worries.”

The India-born Sunil Kumar saw retirement housing communities mushrooming all over Australia but none of these are catering to specific health and lifestyle needs of Indians. He also understood that Indian- Australians could feel out of place in many retirement communities.

Their need for Indian food, prayer rooms or even companions, who can speak their mother tongue, could pose potential challenges. So Mr. Sunil Kumar bought 10-Acre prime land at corner of Leaks and Derrimuit Rd next to new Tarneit station and proposed shopping/Town Centre in October 2012.

He is inspired by Indian Retirement community living developments around the world and call from Indian community to build Jeevan Dhara concept originally published by Pravin Vaghani. Jeevan Dhara would be run on cooperative style management on No profit basis by its residents.

84 apartments are planned which comes with common hall for dining, separate vegetarian and non-vegetarian kitchens, meeting room and luxury recreation facilities such as yoga, games etc. Jeevan Dhara Tarneit is a haven for seniors of Indian and SE Asia origin. 21 (25% of 84 apartments) people have already completed registration to buy Jeevan Dhara.

Some of them as young as 38 year old doctor couple. Many fear that number of apartments build are not enough to cater for increasing Indian population. There are over 200,000 Indians living in Melbourne with estimated over 70,000 seniors are 55 year and older. 84 Apartments represent approx 1 person per 1000 senior to take this new concept of living to make this a success. Some seniors, who may regret later, if they miss out no other such conveniently located project would be build in their life time.

Everything at the complex is unique, starting with the Indian food offered to the cultural and entertainment activities organised on the premises. Jeevan Dhara buildings are planned to reduce cost of living, energy costs and enables its residents to reduce its carbon footprint impact on planet.

Every thing of daily needs are walkable distance of less than 10 minutes from Jeevan Dhara such as Indian groceries, fresh fruit and vegetable, Medical Centre, Dentist, Pharmacy, Radiology, Specialists, Hair dresser, Food Court, Travel agent, Library, Bus Stop, Station, Gym, Hotel, Tarneit Junction Club etc. This walkable developent would not only make its residents healthy and help in reducing need to own or use a car.

There is even BMW Electric Cars proposed for personal use for its residents as car share scheme. “Jeevan Dhara is the first retirement community in Australia targeting Indian food and culture in the country,” said Sunil Kumar.

“Tarneit is only 25 Km away from Melbourne in West. It was the obvious choice because of its affordability, convenient location, which is well connected and close proximity to Werribee Hospital, two Sikh temples, Durga Mandir and Mosques.

There are plenty of opportunity for children and grandchildren to live close to Jeevan Dhara or visit their parents in Jeevan Dhara.” One and two-bed 7 star energy rated luxury apartments with one-bath, kitchen, laundry and balcony are estimated to costs approximately $339,800.

This pricing includes provision of common facilities. Food and cultural / entertainment expenses would be managed by co-operative society of residents. Options to get freshly cooked meals, housekeeping and Laundry services would be available at extra cost to make it true king’s living with no maintenance issues.

Many ladies would be able to enjoy true retirement from kitchen and household chores and live life to the fullest. Jeevan Dhara would have a several opportunities to keep its occupants engaged and entertained with healthy and tasty meals, yoga, music, poetry, Bollywood dance classes, going on local and overseas group excursions and watching Bollywood movies or serials.

One could celebrate all Indian festivals with their friends and families. After daily activities, its residents can enjoy privacy in their apartments or just sit and chat with friends every day that could only happen in Jeevan Dhara.

Developers plan to include few small multiplex cinema theaters to cater for very large Indian population in western suburbs. The project master plan draft permit and zoning required for project has been approved and signed. Concept buildings designs are getting finalised now. Construction would start in January 2016 with Jeevan Dhara residents getting the keys to their new home by end 2016.