As we covered here in May last year, the village operator had entered into a partnership with the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay to redevelop its Our Lady Help of Christians Church and School at Epping, 22km from the CBD.

Now Stockland has lodged the development application – and at its centre is a 95.9 metre tower with a 132-bed aged care facility and 205 independent living units, plus a two- to three-storey primary school for 210 students with a second stream school planned.

Designed by Architectus, the site also includes a 200-seat parish hall, offices, retail and landscaped public areas.

“As part of the plans, the existing, heritage-listed church will be preserved and celebrated, with the church’s position as the site’s focal point further enhanced throughout the precinct design,” a Stockland spokesperson told us.

The picture above really says it all however – as Architectus says in its design report: “an extraordinary proposal for an extraordinary site”.