Plea to throw out $16m northern beaches aged care complex over environmental concerns

Residents and conservationists have pleaded for a planned multimillion-dollar luxury aged care facility in Allambie Heights to be thrown out.

The centre would include swimming pool and gym facilities.

• Northern Beaches Council’s Roslyn Harrison wins top award
• Decision time for controversial St Luke’s School expansion plan

Residents and conservationists have pleaded for a $16 million luxury aged care facility to be thrown out.

Objectors spoke at the Northern Beaches Planning Panel meeting on Wednesday afternoon to say they fear the Allambie Heights development will result in “serious and irreversible” damage to the environment.

The panel voted to defer the matter to give the developer more time to address concerns.

The application was submitted by Allambie Heights Village Ltd in October last year.

The plans are for two rectangular-shaped two-storey buildings housing 21 luxury independent living units.

Adjacent there is a swimming pool building which is proposed to house a pool, gym, hair salon, lounge and function room.

The facility will have 21 luxury units.

There are also plans for a putting golf course, gardens and a car park.

The development is proposed just off Allambie Rd near to the junction with Mortain Ave and stretches into the bushland to the west.

Within weeks of submission the council was inundated with 43 emails from concerned locals — a number of who spoke at Wednesday’s planning panel.

Anne Sharp, of Curl Curl, said the development would have far reaching impacts.

“The protection of Manly Dam and Curl Curl Creek are dependent on the protection of surrounding natural areas within the catchment,” she said.

Malcolm Fisher, of Manly Vale, described the local environment as “ultra sensitive”.

“I am a member of the community who puts tremendous value on Manly Warringah War Memorial Park and Manly Dam environment,” he said.

“It is the very last place in the city where it is still safe to swim in unpolluted fresh water.

“It is also home to treasured plants and wildlife, hence its reason for its other name, Sydney’s Kakadu.”

The two blocks will both be two storeys high.

He said the development would have “a serious and irreversible impact on the rare biodiversity of Manly Dam” and that it will also “threaten the social heritage and water quality.”

Anne Collins, of the Save Manly Dam Catchment Committee, said she feared for what she described as a “place of beauty” while ecological researcher Jacqui Marlow said the disruption to the area would have knock-on effects for the local wildlife.

She said of the 85 trees to be felled for the development, many provide vital food for the endangered swift parrot species.

She also spoke of her fears for the area’s possums, goannas and galaxias fish.

The panel also heard concerns had been raised given the development is on bushfire prone land.

Benjamin Black, of town planning firm Planning Ingenuity, spoke on behalf of the Allambie Heights Village Ltd.

Concerns were raised for the endangered swift parrots. Picture: Geoff Dabb

“The applicant is a not for profit organisation and applications like this come at a significant cost,” he said.

“I’d just like the panel to be aware of the intention of the applicant is to do a development not as a developer but as a not-for-profit organisation to provide a community here.”

Addressing the concerns raised about the local flora and fauna, the applicant said the development would actually improve the local habitat.

He explained by cleaning the land and implementing a fire management plan the habitat could be enhanced for local wildlife.

“The development will positively contribute to the quality and service levels of the existing seniors housing development and will manageable impacts on both the environment and the amenity of the local area,” the applicant said in a written submission to the panel.

There are also fears for the local ringtailed possums. Picture: Peter Valentine

In making their recommendation to the panel, council officers praised many aspects of the proposal.

However, they urged the panel to refuse the development and said it would “directly and indirectly impact native vegetation and fauna habitat, including threatened species” adding it had “potential for a serious and irreversible impact” on the environment.

The panel voted unanimously for the matter to be deferred and called on the applicant to provide more details particularly regarding the environmental impact and risk from bush fires.

The panel set a deadline for submissions of July 20.

IN OTHER NEWS