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Not-for-profit aged care provider BaptistCare is celebrating approval of its state significant development application for an intergenerational community in Macquarie Park, in Sydney’s north.
Planning for the $2.5 billion project has been ongoing since 2020 and will deliver accommodation for an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 people.
The approved masterplan includes accommodation and care services for around 600 seniors – including residential aged care and independent living units.
The intergenerational community will also provide approximately 950 residential apartments with affordable housing options, student accommodation and access to public green space – all key challenges Sydney is currently grappling with.
It is estimated that the development will support 1,900 jobs per year throughout construction and approximately 1,550 ongoing jobs once operational.
BaptistCare chief executive officer Charles Moore said the approval marked the beginning of something genuinely exciting.
“We have been part of the Macquarie Park community since 1962, and this is a proud new chapter in our story here,” he said.
“This is not just a development. It is a demonstration of what happens when you hold firm to a vision, listen deeply to your community, and have a determination to persist.”
The site – which BaptistCare said reflected its mission to create strong, connected and resilient communities – will also feature public open spaces anchored by a one-hectare park. There will also be an urban square that provides easy connections for pedestrians, cyclists and cars to the wider community.
BaptistCare chief property and development officer David Cowdery said they had been deliberate about every aspect of the design, including how the buildings meet the street, how green space flows throughout the site and how it “connects to what is already great about this part of Sydney.”
“The community, council and department shaped this with us, and that shows in the result. This is what thoughtful, well-located density looks like,” he said.
The approved design reflects a great outcome for a high-density urban environment and encapsulates what the community wants, Mr Moore said.
“Each piece of feedback we received through the consultation process was essential to creating the plan we have today. The approved design is better for it, and the community should feel proud that their ideas and voice have been central to the final plan.”
BaptistCare said there woudl be no immediate changes on site for residents or employees of existing aged care homes and that it would continue to engage openly with residents, families, employees and neighbours as planning progresses.
Have we missed a refurbishment or expansion? Send us the details and an image to editorial@australianageingagenda.com.au
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