Gaming operator in plan to build two towers for seniors
MELBOURNE: A gaming club is to use its land footprint for two apartment towers aimed at seniors.
Dee Why RSL has revealed its plans for two towers of up to 10 storeys tall, along Pittwater Rd to keep up with the growing demand for seniors housing on the peninsula.
An application for the proposed $120m expansion of the RSL’s retirement living complex has been lodged with the state government.
The club wants to add another 103 units to its popular Oceangrove seniors living village by constructing two 9-10 storey buildings on its campus along Pittwater Rd.
Local building height limits will have to be amended to allow the new towers to be built on the northern edge of the Dee Why CBD.
An RSL club spokesperson said there was massive demand for retirement accommodation on the northern beaches and it had a waiting list of 240 parties for Oceangrove’s current 76 units.
A previous Planning Proposal application to Northern Beaches Council to rezone the land to allow greater building heights attracted about 90 submissions from locals in 2024.
While dozens of those submissions opposed the redevelopment, others backed the club’s move to provide more independent living retirement units.
Ian Hardy argued that other buildings in Dee Why were “already considerably higher” — including the 17-stortey Meriton Lighthouse apartment complex just 400m away.
“The zone should be used for more seniors accommodation, and the RSL should be praised for this initiative,” Mr Hardy wrote.
But in her submission opposed to the application, Glenda McIntosh wrote that it was “another example of overdevelopment in Dee Why”.
And Caroline Harmen believed that the development would increase traffic congestion and neighbours would lose their views.
“Northern beaches residents and ratepayers do not want Dee Why to become a Chatswood, with hemmed in skyscrapers that do not represent or reflect the northern beaches community.”
A scoping report prepared by the RSL club’s planning consultants stated while the land had the potential to be developed for high-density apartments, the club wanted to build accommodation for seniors instead.
It also said the development would be near essential services, shopping and public transport in the Dee Why Town Centre.
An existing childcare centre next to the club, which would have to be bulldozed, would be rebuilt in a new three-storery building within the new complex that would also house a gym.
“The existing Oceangrove seniors living development is operating at full capacity, demonstrating strong and ongoing demand for independent living accommodation within the locality,” according to the report.
“The proposed expansion will increase the availability of age appropriate housing, enabling the development to respond to demonstrated market demand and provide additional housing choice for older residents seeking to remain in appropriate housing within their community.