Woolooware Shores Retirement Village is set to spread further around Woolooware Bay with the first steps being taken to develop adjoining former industrial land.
Anglicare has lodged a development application (DA) to construct a two lane road with a path and a bridge across a canal to provide vehicular and pedestrian access to the new site.
The proposed expansion could provide a further 90 independent-living units and a dementia unit with at least 28 beds.
At present, the village, in Alexander Avenue, Taren Point, includes 228 units in eight four-storey residential “apartment style” buildings, an aged care facility and a range of facilities, including an indoor, heated swimming pool.
An Anglicare spokeswoman said, “We look forward to commenting when the DA process has been completed”.
Preliminary works proposed in the DA to Sutherland Shire Council include demolition of an existing workshop / shed, paths and roads and clearing and trimming trees and other vegetation, including salt marshes and mangroves.
The DA said rehabilitation works would occur within the existing canal and on the immediately riparian adjacent land areas to restore existing vegetation including native trees, mangroves and salt marshes.
The proposed road and bridge was intended to provide vehicular and pedestrian access to residents, staff and visitors for the existing retirement village and to a proposed extension of the seniors housing development, which would require submission of a separate DA in the future.
Anglican Retirement Villlages (ARV), which merged with Anglicare last year, was negotiating to buy the adjoining three-hectare property in 2015.
ARV said at the time 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 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.
At that time there were more than 500 applicants on a waiting list for a unit in Woolooware Shores, the submission said.
Census data estimated that by 2031, 20 per cent 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,’’ the submission 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’’.
