The responsibilities are as diverse
as the residents, and every day is
refreshingly different –Koorootang
Court VillageManager,
Kathy Devitt, shares an insight
into her job–a rewarding role in a
spectacular location.
There’s not a single day at Koorootang
Court that doesn’t bring surprises and
new challenges. I’ve been here since
March 2016, and I’m always learning
something new. I don’t have any
older people in my life anymore, so I
really enjoy connecting with the other
generations.
My job involves a multitude of
things. We have 89 two-bedroom
villas and 33 serviced apartments,
which are ideal if you still want to live
independently but would like extra
help. The Serviced Apartments include
all meals, cleaning, and laundry once a
week. I handle everything from looking
after residents’ needs, working with
the staff on any maintenance issues,
and hosting open for inspections if we
have vacancies. Before I know it, the
day is over and I think, what on earth
did I do today? There’s always so much
going on!
Koorootang Court was built in 1984
and we have a great mix of people
here. There are the veterans who’ve
lived here since our inception and are
now in their 90s – they’re a sprightly
bunch who run a lot of the social
activities in the village. Then there are
those who have lived here for the last
10 or 15 years and tend to be in their
70s and 80s. We also have a lot of
young residents in their late-50s and
60s, some of whom still work. People
move in for a variety of reasons, but
there’s no denying it’s affordable–
especially if you’re downsizing. If you
sell a property for $900,000 then
buy a unit here for $400,000, that’s a
nice bit of change to live on–and a
wonderful lifestyle to go with it.
The village is perfectly situated. The
grounds go from one end of the
street to the other, which ends up at
an esplanade on the beach. We have
beautiful gardens that we’re constantly
revamping and reshaping, and we
have irrigation from a water tank that’s
part of our sustainability plan. All of
the rainwater goes to watering the
garden beds.
We’re located on the cusp of the
magical Mornington Peninsula and
Mount Martha–a quaint village
with local shops that have been there
for years.
There are nice cafés, the lifesaving
club and the yacht club. You can walk
to the beach as well. We have a large
shopping centre nearby and our village
bus takes people to the shops every
day.
At the moment there are lots of
exciting things happening here. We’re
undergoing a few upgrades, and
we’re getting new lighting around
the village. Even more exciting is
that we’re starting refurbishments of
the Community Centre which also
includes the kitchen and the foyer.
Next door we have another Lendlease-
owned village that’s only 10 years old
and it has this magnificent bar. We’ve
redesigned the kitchen around a bar!
Our residents don’t drink a lot, they
might just have a sherry, but they love
it –and who wouldn’t?
My aim is to make life as easy as
possible for the residents and to
always be compassionate and caring.
If I can do anything to assist them, no
matter how small, I feel I’ve done my
job–and I’ve done something for the
community. I look at the people who
live here–and the fulfilling lives that
they lead, and I feel so lucky to be a
part of it.
Behind The Scenes.
VIC Market Guide
29
Discover your new
home by the water
on pages 30 and 31
