Queenscliff Community Health Centre into housing for cash poor older woman still on track

It’s been three years since a plan to transform an abandoned public health centre into housing for struggling older woman on the northern beaches was floated. See what’s happening now.

An artist's impression of the proposed redevelopment of the former Queenscliff Community Health Centre at North Manly that was bought by Landcom to be transformed into 37 studio apartments and home units. Picture: Landcom

Claims that $11 million plans are on hold for a controversial northern beaches housing project targeting cash poor older women and key workers, have been rubbished by its developers.

Questions have been asked why a push by Landcom, the state government‘s property development arm, to transform the former Queenscliff Community Health Centre into apartments, appeared to be dormant.

The 52-year-old facility shut in 2018 when the new $50m Brookvale Community Health Centre opened. Blue Landcom fencing has been erected around the abandoned site for more than three years.

A fence has been around the former Queenscliff Community Health Centre at North Manly that was bought by Landcom to be redeveloped into 37 studio apartments and home units, for three years. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

But Landcom confirmed on Thursday that its proposal to transform the facility into a total of 37 studio apartments and one and two-bedroom home units, was still on track.

Two development application for the project — described as an “affordable and diverse housing development” — are set to go before the government’s Sydney North Planning Panel — on a date to be fixed.

This comes after two DAs — one to subdivide the site and another to allow the building to have residences and add a third level — were lodged with Northern Beaches Council in October 2021. Landcom bought the site on Pittwater Rd, North Manly, from the NSW Health Ministry in October 2020.

What the formeer Queenscliff Community Health Centre looked like on Thursday. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

And an artist's impression of what Landcom wants it to look like in the future. Picture: Landcom

What it looked like when it was opened in 1971. Picture: Supplied

Neighbouring residents have been lobbying for the three-storey development to be knocked back because they feared it would crate too much traffic, be too noisy and not fit in with the neighbourhood’s quiet character. It is close to Manly Lagoon.

The council is not opposed to the subdivision DA, but is opposed to the residential DA due to concerns about flooding from nearby Manly Lagoon.

An artists’ impression of the 37 residential unit development by Landcom at the former Queenscliff Community Health Centre that it said would provide 25 homes for financially strguggling older women. Picture: Supplied

Landcom said as part of its proposal, in partnership with community housing provider Link Wentworth, at least two-thirds of the units, including ownership options, would be allocated to women aged over 55 at risk of being homeless due to their poor financial situation.

The other units would be set aside for key workers such as nurses, retail staff and teachers, who work on the northern beaches, but would struggle to pay the local rents.

In February 2020, Landcom CEO John Brogden said there were 1,500 women aged 55 and over on the northern beaches “who are in housing stress and at risk of homelessness due to family breakdown, underemployment and a lack of superannuation”.

An artist’s impression of the proposed redevelopment. Neighbouring residents say the existing building it already “in the wrong spot”. Picture: supplied

“The project is not on hold,” a Landcom spokesman said on Thursday.

“A DA for the project was lodged with Northern Beaches Council in October 2021. Landcom has been working collaboratively with council over this time to explore the opportunity for affordable housing for women aged over 55 in a way that responds to the unique characteristics of the site and the area.”

We have recently received notification that the DA will be placed on a future agenda of the Sydney North Planning Panel. At this stage we are not sure when the meeting to assess this application will be scheduled.”

The former Queenscliff Community Health Centre at North Manly on Thursday. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

Last month the independent Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel, which was examining the subdivision DA, referred it to the Sydney Planning Panel North due to the uncertainty around the future if the housing development.

Sean Fry, a resident and spokesman for about 60 locals living near the site, said their main objection was the adding a third level to a building that was “already out of character in the local area”.

“It’s already a building in the wrong spot,” Mr Fry said.

“At the end of the day it’s all about Landcom making a profit. It’s not about affordable housing.”