Essential workers like nurses, paramedics, teachers, police officers and firefighters provide invaluable services to people across NSW. Without them, NSW would grind to a halt.

Why we need housing for essential workers

Many essential workers can’t afford housing in the areas they serve.

Commuting long distances adds stress, time and costs to already demanding jobs. On average, a community based key worker spends 1.5 hours per day in their car while a residential based worker (e.g. a home care nurse) spends 2.3 hours per day on public transport (Source: Orchard Talent Group, 2024).

Hospitals, schools and emergency services are struggling to retain staff because housing is unaffordable in the areas where they are located. Without local housing options, we risk understaffing critical services.

The map below shows the percentage of people living in different Sydney areas who are essential workers.

Why essential worker housing in Chatswood?

The project is conveniently located near shops and services in Chatswood's bustling city centre, as well as schools and hospitals, with easy access to train, metro and bus services. The map below shows some of the essential workplaces around the site.

Our plans for rental homes for essential workers

We are planning to deliver a 25-storey mixed-use building with:

• 180 build-to-rent homes for essential workers to rent at a discount, with a mix of studios, 1-bed, 2-bed and 3-bed units
• communal areas for residents to socialise and foster community connection
• ground-floor shops and work spaces
• secure underground parking, bicycle spaces and future provisions for electric vehicle charging, with two car share spaces located outside the building.

The building will remain in NSW Government ownership, with tenancies managed by a suitable operator.

Homes NSW is supporting Landcom to develop an operational model and determine processes for tenant allocation and rental subsidies. This work will firm up essential worker ‘eligibility’. Further information will be made available closer to project completion.

A range of technical studies are being prepared to support our planning for the site to address:

🏘️ Housing needs
🚍 Access, traffic, parking and transport
🛍️ Amenity and social impact
🔊 Noise and air quality
⚠️ Hazardous materials
🏛️ Heritage
🌳 Urban design and landscape design
⚙️ Civil engineering
🌱 Environmental considerations.

Technical studies will form part of our applications to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, and can be viewed during public exhibition.

Traffic, parking and transport

Many households in the Chatswood area don’t own a car or have only one car, with more people walking, cycling or using public transport for their commute than elsewhere in Sydney. This is especially common for households living in apartments, which tend to have fewer people.

Initial assessments show that local roads will have capacity for traffic generated by the proposed development. As the site is well-located, future residents are likely to rely less on cars as they can walk, cycle and use public transport to reach work, nearby shops and services.

The build-to-rent building will include secure underground parking, bicycle spaces and future provisions for electric vehicle charging, with two car share spaces located outside the building. The number of parking spaces will be confirmed as planning progresses.

Heights and visual amenity

To support the NSW Government’s efforts to tackle the housing crisis, we are planning to rezone the site to enable buildings from 25 to 56 storeys (up to 180m).

Demonstrating how surplus government land can be used for public good, we are optimising the well-located site to deliver a significant number of much-needed homes near transport, jobs and services, and fund new high-quality public open spaces and restoration of Mowbray House for community use.

Proposed setbacks, landscaped public spaces and pedestrian laneways between buildings will help to reduce overshadowing, while providing future residents adequate privacy and sunlight.

The proposal aligns with long-term plans for major transformation in the Chatswood CBD and is in keeping with taller buildings and future potential developments in the area.

Heritage

Local heritage building Mowbray House, which operated as a boarding school from 1906 to 1954, is located in the site's southeast corner and there are other heritage buildings near the site.

We will restore and repurpose Mowbray House for community use, with potential for a ground-floor café facing the central park and opportunity to highlight the building’s local history.

We are consulting Willoughby City Council and government agencies, including Heritage NSW to minimise impacts of the proposed development on the neighbourhood and nearby heritage buildings. We will also consult Council, local community heritage groups and interested parties about future uses for Mowbray House.

We aim to showcase design excellence and high quality public domain in keeping with long-term plans for the Chatswood CBD's transformation.

These principles are guiding our design approach:

• a new community close to the heart of the Chatswood town centre
• landscaped public amenity at the heart of the site
• high level of connectivity, with walking, cycling and public transport access
• private, communal and public amenity
• recognition of local history, with restoration of Mowbray House for community use.

Connecting with Country

We recognise our projects fundamentally transform Country forever and we can deliver our projects in a respectful and considerate way to celebrate the uniqueness of each place.

The site is on Gamaragal land. We are consulting with local First Nations stakeholders to inform design principles to guide project design and development.

Sustainability

Sustainability measures for the project include:

• building setbacks and public spaces that support an increase in tree canopy cover, helping to provide shade and cool the air
• landscaped public and private spaces featuring native plants, supporting urban biodiversity
• buildings oriented to maximise solar access and cross ventilation, reducing reliance on air conditioning
• water sensitive urban design principles, including rainwater collection for use in landscaping
• façades, roof treatments, materials and colours that reflect local character and are less likely to attract heat.

Demonstrating our commitment to delivering sustainable and resilient places for future generations, we are targeting two Green Star ratings through the Green Buildings Council of Australia:

• 5 star communities rating for the new neighbourhood, focused on creating a healthier, more liveable and future-ready neighbourhood
• 4 star buildings rating for the build-to-rent apartment building, with the design enabling energy efficiency, use of renewables, improved indoor air quality and reduced upfront carbon emissions.

Concept masterplan - prepared for consultation

Proposed development will contribute to Chatswood's amenity and vibrancy with new shops and services, laneways, landscaped outdoor spaces including a village green, walking and cycling links to the wider area, and future community use of heritage-listed Mowbray House.

Shops and services

The proposal includes shops and services alongside public spaces to activate the area.

We envisage future tenancies would be suitable for food and beverage, convenience and other specialty retailers, complementing shops and services nearby.

We are preparing a retail strategy to assess current local amenities and provide recommendations for what could be included in future development to help meet the daily needs of local residents, while creating a vibrant destination for people to visit and support the local economy.

Creating an urban oasis

Publicly accessible green and open spaces are central to the proposal, providing places for people to meet, relax and socialise. Landscaping will feature native plants to support urban biodiversity and increase tree canopy cover to provide shade and cool the air.

Artist's impression of central village green, Mowbray House (left) and mixed-use residential buildings (right and rear). Image is subject to change and approvals.