Clubs in NSW looking to stay financially afloat and serve their ageing members with senior living accommodation are facing an almost impossible task because they generally sit in a RE2 land-use, zoned for private space or recreational purposes.
The Hills District Bowling Club’s two-year bid for a $50 million redevelopment on its 1.34ha site in Baulkham Hills, 30km northwest of Sydney’s CBD, that would have kept at least two bowling greens, built a new clubhouse, up to 196 apartments and 32 senior living units was, as The Weekly SOURCE reported last Tuesday, refused by Hills Shire Council. Now it has been denied by the NSW Government’s Sydney City Planning Committee.
Bruce van Niekerk (pictured), Macroplan’s General Manager for Projects and Development Manager for The Hills District Blowing Club, admitted the RE2 land zone is inflexible.
“So you have to go and convince council that it’s appropriate to put housing - whether it’s regular apartments or seniors apartments - in an RE2 zone. You have to convince them that the loss of what is just normally RE2 to become some sort of residential land can be supported,” he told Urban Developer.
Macroplan is acting for two service and sporting clubs looking to develop their facilities with residential development for seniors.
A golf club in Sydney’s west has plans for over 200 Independent Living Units for Over 55s to help them build a new club house. In Sydney's south, an RSL club is looking at housing for seniors.
Bruce said there needs to be support from a planning point of view to help clubs grow.
“Seniors living alongside the clubs’ social assets provides a convenient and safe community, allowing people to live in and around what they’ve been doing for a long time,” he said.
“It’s natural to provide housing within these locations.
“And if clubs get the business model right, that’s where we will all end up gathering eventually.”
