Vicinity Centres is one of Australia’s leading retail property groups. It owns and manages some of Australia’s most recognised retail destinations, including Chadstone, the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) and Chatswood Chase.

Vicinity is committed to carefully managing potential impacts on Chatswood Chase tenants and visitors through a comprehensive planning and design process that identifies issues early and incorporates mitigation measures from the outset. Ongoing communication, regular project updates, and stakeholder consultation will ensure tenants, visitors, nearby businesses and the broader community remain informed throughout the planning process, with feedback considered as the project design continues to evolve.

The proposal will deliver a range of public benefits that support Chatswood’s continued growth as a commercial, civic and cultural centre.

Designed by internationally renowned architects FJCstudio (Havilah Street site) and Bates Smart (Malvern Avenue site), the developments will provide high-quality design outcomes that will contribute positively to Chatswood’s evolving character and urban environment.

The proposal will contribute to the delivery of additional housing in a highly accessible location, close to public transport, jobs, services and community facilities and provide 10% of the buildings Gross Floor Area (GFA) as affordable housing for 15 years.

The proposal also includes public domain improvements at street level, including landscape upgrades along Malvern Avenue and Havilah Street. These enhancements will feature new landscaping, tree planting and additional public seating. Together, these improvements will create a greener and better-connected public realm for residents, workers, and visitors.

In addition, each residential building will include a resident-only connection from the podium level into Chatswood Chase, supporting greater integration between the development and the surrounding town centre.

An SSDA is assessed by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) for projects with significant economic, environmental, or social importance to the state. SSDAs are:

·   Assessed under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, and typically include major infrastructure, industrial facilities, hospitals, schools, large housing precincts, energy projects, or key site developments

·   Classified as SSD based on scale, location, capital investment value, or potential impacts

·   Assessment considers environmental effects (noise, land use, biodiversity) and impacts on local communities

·   Local councils review SSDAs, but assessment is by NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI)

·   Decisions made by the Minister for Planning, Independent Planning Commission, or their delegates.

The Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) pathway is a planning process established by the NSW Government to support the accelerated delivery of new housing across the state. It was introduced as part of the Government’s commitment to delivering 377,000 new homes in NSW over five years, in alignment with the National Housing Accord.

This pathway enables eligible residential and mixed-use developments to be assessed as State Significant Developments (SSD) with the added benefit of a concurrent rezoning process, where appropriate.

While it provides a more streamlined and coordinated planning pathway, it does not reduce the level of scrutiny applied to proposals. The assessment process under the HDA pathway follows the same rigorous standards as a standard SSD application.

Affordable Housing is intended for people on very low, low, or moderate incomes, including essential workers including nurses, teachers and healthcare workers. It is generally provided at below-market rents. Affordable housing is different from social housing, which is government-subsidised housing for people on very low incomes or with complex needs.

The proposal includes 10% of residential Gross Floor Area (GFA) as affordable housing for 15 years.

Feedback received during this consultation process will be considered by the project team as the proposal and design continue to evolve. Community feedback, along with feedback from government agencies and other key stakeholders, will help inform the ongoing development of the proposal.

Feedback will also be summarised in a Consultation Outcomes Report, which will be submitted with the detailed SSDA and supporting technical reports.

Following lodgement, DPHI will undertake a formal public exhibition process. During this stage, community members and stakeholders will have a further opportunity to make submissions, which the proponent must respond to.

Willoughby City Council is not the consent authority for State Significant Development (SSD) applications; however, it plays an important advisory role in the assessment process.

Council is consulted by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) and provides input on key matters such as local planning controls, urban design, traffic, and community impacts. Council may also make a formal submission during the public exhibition period.

The final determination of the application is made by the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, following DPHI’s assessment and consideration of all submissions, including those from Council.

The target is to lodge the SSD and concurrent rezoning application in the second half of 2026. Commence of construction will be dependent on several factors including timing of the planning approval and detailed project planning.

It is currently anticipated that construction will commence in 2028.