A DEVELOPERS' lobby group has voiced its opposition to any changes which would impose more restrictions on the booming number of retirement villages and seniors' complexes planned for the Tweed.

The Sydney-based Urban Taskforce group says places in retirement villages are in high demand but high land costs in many existing urban areas are preventing new villages from being built.

Taskforce chief executive Aaron Gadiel said it would be worrying if a review of planning policies announced by the NSW Government last week led to harsher planning rules restricting the developments.

Tweed Shire Council has seen a number of applications for seniors living complexes in the last month, with one company seeking approval for a $12.5million, eight-storey complex in Tweed Heads.

Another has lodged plans for a $5million seniors living complex of 32 homes less than 800 metres from the retail heart of Murwillumbah.

Construction and sales are also continuing on the Serene Living project opposite the Tweed Heads Bowls Club

Mr Gadiel said local councils and planning panels still had the power to block new retirement villages but the existing State Government policy was aimed at increasing the supply and diversity of residences that meet the needs of seniors or disabled people.

“A council or panel is still able to refuse approval based on environmental impacts and a site's suitability for development,” Mr Gadiel said.

“The need to increase the supply and diversity of seniors' housing is only one factor for a council to consider, and can be weighed against other factors, such as environmental issues.

Earlier this month research released this week by PRDnationwide showed 38% of Australians would consider moving in to a retirement village.

Retirement expert Stan Manning said developments such as Serene Living “and other similar style vertical villages” were designed to “offer the target market the opportunity to downsize from their family homes whilst maintaining their independence”.