ANOTHER upmarket seniors housing development is expected to spring up on the edge of Woolooware Bay.
The project is planned for a former industrial site adjoining the Anglican Retirement Villages (ARV) Woolooware Shores development.
Because of the enormous popularity of Woolooware Shores, ARV had its sights on expanding the village or establishing a sister village by acquiring the three-hectare property to the south-east.
However, ARV told the Leader a deal had not yet been done and discussions were continuing with the property owner.
ARV was instrumental in having the zoning of the property, which is vacant land, amended in local environmental plan (LEP) 2015 to include seniors housing as an additional permitted use.
A planning consultant acting for ARV sought the modification in a submission to the independent review of the LEP.
The submission said there was great demand for seniors housing in the shire and potential existed on the site to provide 90 independent-living units and a minimum of 28 dementia beds.
When the change was included in the final version of the LEP, it was expected ARV would move quickly to develop the land.
However, ARV’s general manager governance and communications Ross Pendlebury said discussions were continuing with the vendor.
‘‘We haven’t acquired it, so there is no proposal [at this time],’’ he said.
Trent Gallagher, of Colliers International, who sold the land to the present owner, said the intended purpose was for seniors housing.
Mr Gallagher said while that would still be the outcome, it was not clear who would develop the land.
The submission to the LEP review said there were more than 500 applicants on a waiting list for a unit in Woolooware Shores.
Census data estimated that by 2031, 20 percent of the shire’s population would be aged over 65.
‘‘Based on the current population being approximately 220,000, a further 44,000 people are likely to require seniors housing accommodation,’’ it said.
‘‘Council’s Housing Strategy 2012 identified housing for the aged as being in high demand with a clear desire for ageing residents to relocate to or downsize within the Sutherland LGA.’’
The submission said allowing seniors housing on the adjacent site would ‘‘generate significant employment opportunities when compared with the site’s long-term status as vacant industrial land’’.
"ARV envisages that approximately 150 direct full-time jobs will be created and a further 100 positions would also be created for contractors, carers and other healthcare workers in the locality [similar to Woolooware Shores]."
A Sutherland Shire Council spokeswoman said an additional permitted use for "seniors housing" was included in LEP 2015 for the site in Bay Road, Taren Point.
"Any development for this site would be the subject of a detailed development application, through which the merit of any specific proposal would be assessed," she said.
■ Would you like to see more seniors housing next to Woolooware Bay?
