A proposed $70 million aged care and seniors’ living facility at Terrey Hills, 40km north of Sydney’s CBD, has been firmly rejected by the NSW Government’s Sydney North Planning Panel.

In May 2019, Sydney North Planning Panel rejected Tolucy Pty Ltd’s development application to build a 94-bed residential aged care centre for dementia and respite care patients and 60 seniors independent living units on the site. Tolucy appealed to Commissioner Tim Horton and received permission to build.

Northern Beaches Council successfully appealed Mr Horton’s decision on the aged care facility in the NSW Land and Environment Court in August last year. The court agreed with the council that Commissioner Horton had erred in his decision to allow the development by prejudging that the risk of bushfires had been satisfactorily addressed in the development application.

Tolucy took a new plan – a 90-bed residential aged care facility providing beds to dementia and respite care patients and 48 serviced self-care housing lots – to Sydney North Planning Panel earlier this year.

In a written determination this week, Sydney North Planning Panel said Tolucy had been unable to resolve the defence of the development and evacuation of residents in the event of a major bushfire. It also felt the proposed development is incompatible with the surrounding environment and land uses.

Terrey Hills Progress Association, which has opposed the development, said it did not believe the issue was over.