West Pennant Hills: Sales about to begin for Mirvac homes on former IBM site
Empty nesters are poised to buy homes at a controversial northwest Sydney development surrounded by bushland as environmentalists continue to fight for ‘substance’ over style.
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Almost a decade after contentious plans for a project on a forest in Sydney’s northwest emerged, more than 400 homes are ready to be sold off the plan with empty nesters expected to be the most common inhabitants on the former IBM site.
Baby boomers seeking to downsize from “1000sq m, five-bedroom houses” without wanting to leave the suburb are expected to snap up abodes at the Coonara Ave development, to be called Highforest, flanking the Cumberland State Forest.
Mirvac has reported “thousands” of calls have flooded the display centre with queries and appointments with potential homebuyers begin on Friday.
Three thousand trees will be culled to make way for 414 homes – 165 houses and 249 apartments in blocks ranging from six to eight storeys.
A one-bedroom apartment will be $725,000 and a three-bedroom house will set buyers back $1.93m.
Unit blocks stand furthest from the street and are designed so only one floor will be visible from Coonara Ave.
A tour of the display dwellings takes us to spacious kitchens, master bedrooms with ensuites and two walk-in wardrobes and backyards ranging from 200 to 500sq m.
Kitchens are equipped with walk-in pantries and Smeg appliances, a brand Mirvac chose following a canvas with homeware retailers about locals’ spending habits.
Dwellers in one and two-bedroom apartments will have one parking spot while occupants in three and four-bedroom units will have two each. House residents will have a single garage and a space in the driveway.
The first block of apartments up for release will be called Ironbark and will host the first residents mid to late 2025.
A $8.7m recreation centre with a swimming pool, children’s playground and basketball half-court is planned to replace a former IBM multideck carpark. A gym has been scrapped from the original plans.
The entire project is expected to house 1000 residents and be completed in late 2027 or early 2028.
At the site, the hum of birds have mixed with the sound of bulldozers operated by tradies in high-vis for the past 11 months.
The clearance of 3000 trees and the threat of fauna has been the chief concern for residents.
The 26-hectare land is home to rosellas, the endangered powerful owl and Dural land snail.
Mirvac has pledged to hand over 10 hectares of blue gum high forest and Sydney turpentine- ironbark forest to the state government.
For every tree razed, Mirvac plans to replace it with 1 ½ trees.
Green thumbs moving into the site will also have to comply with those rules for backyard gardening, where the native-only rule will apply.
Fierce opposition from engaged community groups including the West Pennant Hills Valley Progress Association and Forest in Danger are keeping Mirvac accountable to see promises such as the 10-hectare handover come to fruition.
Forest in Danger spokeswoman Jan Primrose said critically endangered Sydney turpentine-ironbark forest and the blue gum high forest was still under threat from being culled for a mere four houses.
“We’re still trying to reduce the impacts of this development on Cumberland State Forest, on the surrounding residences,’’ Ms Primrose said.
She slammed the units’ design which she said showed “style over substance” and called for Mirvac to ditch dark charcoal roofs for lighter shades that won’t trap the brutal Sydney summer heat.
“Having this sea of black roofs is going to have a heat-island effect in the middle of the forest,’’ she said.
“Yes, we know it’s in vogue at the moment but that’s not what you should be considering.’’
A Mirvac spokeswoman did not answer questions about the loss of endangered trees or roofs but dwellings will be electric and each house and apartment block will be fitted with solar rooftop panels.
Ms Primrose is one of 12 members in a community relations group that meets with Mirvac but wants the meetings to be held more regularly than every six months.
She did commend Mirvac for taking some environmentally-sound steps such as handing over two dams that provide food and a habitat for the endangered powerful owl and southern myotis bat to the state government.
She said Mirvac also agreed to replace the black metal fence at Coonara Ave with tall vegetation.
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