Commission Approves Wahroonga Health Campus

HammondCare will move ahead with its $82-million hospital and seniors housing development after the NSW Independent Planning Commission stepped in.

The commission was called in to make a decision on the application after the Ku-ring-gai Council objected to the proposed development. 

The Neringah Hospital plans show the demolition of the hospital building and kiosk on the east of the site and the construction of two buildings up to five-storeys at 4-12 Neringah Avenue South, Wahroonga, 18km north-west of the Sydney CBD.

Bickerton Masters drew up the plans for 57 self-contained units, 12 aged-care beds and 18 palliative care beds for the site, which were submitted in December 2022.

The council’s key issues with the plans were around a lack of land-owner consent for the upgrade of Archdale Walk, building height, floor-space ratio, design aspects, excessive carparking and a lack of information.

In a statement of reasons for approval, the commission found HammondCare was consistent with the existing strategic planning framework for the area.

“It will provide services and infrastructure to meet the needs of an ageing population and create opportunities for further establishment of health and support networks,” the commision said.

The issues raised by the council were acknowledged and would be managed through the conditions of consent.

▲ The three-member commission panel met key stakeholders, conducted a site inspection and received a written submission from Ku-ring-gai Council.

The facility was built in the 1960s and HammondCare announced the long-term contemporary, integrated health campus in 2022 when the plans were submitted.

Neringah Hospital was deemed no longer fit for purpose, so the new facilities could provide additional housing and specialist care to the area.

Stage 1 of the redevelopment was approved in 2012 and completed in 2016 on the western side of the site, creating 54 aged care beds and a specialist dementia-care facility.

These Stage 2 plans would create a health campus and seniors housing to meet the needs of the aging northern Sydney population—the number of people living in the region aged over 80 years is expected to double by 2036.