Mulpha’s $3bn Norwest Marketown Approved

Mulpha Australia will finally be able to overhaul an entire shopping centre in Sydney’s north-west, creating a multi-billion-dollar development in its place.

The group has won approval from The Hills Shire Council for its plans for the Norwest Marketown Shopping Centre at 4-6 Century Circuit, Norwest.

The high-density project is expected to take 15 years to complete on the 4.65ha site, which includes the shops as well as the adjoining Carlile Swimming Centre overlooking Norwest Lake.

In redeveloping Norwest Marketown, Mulpha said its vision is to create a mix of retail, commercial, residential, hotel and community spaces.

The plans by FJC Studio architects show 854 apartments, 200 hotel rooms, 117,330sq m of retail and commercial space and a 5700sq m park on the lakefront.

There would also be a 3000sq m community facility including a council-operated library.

The buildings across the site ranged from 5 to 36 storeys, according to the latest plans, which were unanimously approved by the council “subject to resolution of a small number of site specific issues”.

It was a big improvement for the developer compared to its 2017 attempt to build 1056 apartments across towers up to 40 storeys by rezoning the area.

▲ Mulpha acquired the property in 2015 in a $120-million deal with plans to create a project that would exceed $3 billion.

That plan was deferred by the council, and that decision backed by Sydney West Central Planning Panel at the time due to overshadowing and demand on local infrastructure.

Mulpha head of development Tim Spencer said they would collaborate with the council to create a space which the community would “want to visit daily”. 

“We have introduced the potential for a diversity of apartment types with sizes that are suitable for individuals as well as families, while ensuring density is concentrated in taller towers close to Norwest Metro Station.”

▲ FJC Studio architects designed the overall vision for Norwest Marketown which will be subject to further staged designs.

Meanwhile, construction had begun on another of Mupha’s developments, the Norwest Quarter in the Hills, comprising eight residential towers with a focus on sustainable design and practices.

This has been funded by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, who has contributed $80 million to the project, which was matched by an $80-million green loan by ANZ.

And Mupha’s cross-laminated timber commercial building and health and medical centre The Bond at Norwest has completed.

The 64 strata suites were all sold prior to completion to a mix of owner-occupiers and investors.

Norwest, in Sydney’s economic growth corridor, has one of the city’s largest masterplanned business parks. Its centre is expected to support 22,800 homes and 64,200 jobs by 2041.