Uniting Wins Approval for Downsized Seniors Living Project

The Uniting Church in Australia has won approval for an aged care facility on the Central Coast of New South Wales after bowing to local pressure to cut back on the size and scope of the $148 million project.

The Hunter Central Coast Regional Planning Panel has given the green light to 180 new retirement and independent living apartments and a 160-place residential aged care home in Bateau Bay, about 18km north of Gosford.

But it eas not before hundreds of residents objected to the size and scale, loss of vegetation, traffic and lighting associated with the original plans, first filed in August of last year.

The plans call for the demolition of the existing 62, single-storey buildings which house 114 independent living units in what is known as Uniting Nareen Gardens Village, on Bias Avenue and Harbour Street.

The facility has operated in Bateau Bay for more than 40 years.

In the development application to the Central Coast Council, town planning consultants City Plan said Uniting sought to redevelop the site to accommodate the growing demand for high quality seniors’ housing in accessible locations.

▲ The redeveloped Nareen Gardens Village is the second approval for Uniting in a month.

“Redevelopment of the site has been pursued due to the ageing nature of the existing facilities and so that new facilities could more appropriately deliver services sought by residents,” the submission said.

“The limited supply of contemporary seniors’ accommodation and aged care in the area is a large driver for intensification and better utilisation of a significant land asset.”

But in February this year, and after receiving public submissions, Uniting filed fresh plans for the 3.7-ha site, cutting the number of buildings from six to five, and revising the maximum height down to three-storeys on two of the structures.

Under the original plans the redevelopment of Nareen Gardens Village would have removed up to 133 trees. Uniting has now agreed to keep the bulk of trees on the boundary, while pledging to plant 249 more.

Uniting director of property and housing Simon Furness said the aged care provider revised its plans following the community feedback.

▲ The existing aged-care facility is 40 years old and needs upgrading.

“Uniting values the well-being of all our residents and community and that is why we are working towards a redevelopment plan for Uniting Nareen Gardens that will benefit the broader community,” Furness said at the time.

“Community consultation is an important part of any redevelopment project and we welcome community members to have their say.”

A spokesperson for the church said it had yet to set a date for the start of construction, but expected to name a builder shortly.

“We will work closely with the residents and the community to minimise any disruption during the construction period,” the spokesperson said.

“Residents who currently own their own home within the village will have an opportunity to move into a new apartment once construction is complete, should they wish to stay at the village.”

The Uniting Church is a significant player on the Central Coast with two other aged care facilities in the area, including 100 high-care and more than 120 low-care places (including dementia support.)  Both facilities are in Yakalla Street, about a kilometre from the proposed redevelopment.

Uniting’s Simon Furness welcomed the regional planning panel's decision.

“Across the next decade, Uniting will be focusing on delivering excellent community services, designed to support people to age in place with comfort and dignity,” he said.

The latest approval caps a good month for Uniting which earlier was granted permission to reconfigure accommodation layouts in an $86-million, 16-storey aged-care facility in Sydney’s west.

The Uniting Church in Australia, founded in 1977, counts more than 200 aged-care services and about 14,000 clients in residential and community care programs, mostly in Canberra and New South Wales.