mmg.com.au

The private clubhouse of a new lifestyle village in Shepparton has not yet started to thrive.

Wait another 12 months and the clubhouse should be standing room only.

Lifestyle Communities will officially open the $45million village on Channel Rd today.

Company director Dael Perlov said the village already had 37 residents and 30 houses built.

‘‘(The clubhouse) won’t get full use this year because there is not enough people, but at the end of the next year, when there is more than 100 people, it will get used a lot,’’ Mr Perlov said.

The finished village will feature 220 houses for people older than 55.

The $2.5million clubhouse includes a bowling green, cinema, gymnasium, library, indoor swimming pool and spa.

Mr Perlov said the former orchard land offered more space to build the village.

‘‘We can do things like a big tennis court with great gardens, a four-rink bowling green,’’ he said.

‘‘We can actually make things breathe a little bit more.’’

Lifestyle Communities started building the village in October last year.

Village house prices start at $169900.

The company has villages in Chelsea Heights, Cranbourne, Hastings, Melton, Tarneit and Warragul.

Mr Perlov said Shepparton village residents had the best clubhouse.

‘‘It’s the biggest and the best (clubhouse),’’ she said.

‘‘Every time we do a new one, we get feedback from all the people who move in and the community managers who run these.

‘‘We learn every time and will do things slightly differently next time.’’

The Shepparton development is being built opposite Kensington Gardens, another lifestyle village.

Kensington Gardens, which also features a clubhouse with a restaurant, library, swimming pool, licensed bar, cinema and gymnasium for residents, will house 500 people on 312 lots when finished.