Uniting’s biggest project: $450M Waverley Estate approved after eight years
The DA covers the demolition, site works, and the construction of 231 independent living units, a 105-bed residential care facility, and the reuse of heritage buildings.
In February 2024, Simon Furness, Director of Uniting’s Housing and Property, bemoaned the lack of activity over its plan for their War Memorial Hospital site in Waverley, 7km east of Sydney’s CBD.
Simon told the Property Council Retirement Outlook Forum in Sydney that had been seven years and not even a development application had been achieved.
A DA was finally lodged with the NSW Government as a State Significant Development and the plans went to public exhibition from 13 March 2025 until April 2025.
On 11 December, the $450 million proposal for a staged seniors housing development was given the green light.
The DA covers the demolition, site works, and the construction of 231 independent living units, a 105-bed residential care facility, and the reuse of heritage buildings. The project also includes community facilities, a basement car park and landscaping.
“The proposed built form achieves appropriate bulk and scale with design excellence, delivering high internal and external amenity for ILU and RCF residents while remaining compatible with the established streetscape character, reinforcing existing patterns of form, setbacks, and amenity without adverse impacts,” said the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.
Uniting NSW.ACT now has three State Significant Developments:
- Waverley;
- the $233 million Uniting Kingscliff redevelopment in the NSW Northern River region; and
- the $300 million 400-bed continuum of care development in Charlestown, Lake Macquarie.
