Originally promised as a housing free zone, the former site of Manly Hospital is now proposed to include 120 senior living apartments, including independent retirement living and affordable housing, and a residential aged care facility.
Importantly, however, the land will remain in public hands with public access to continue.
In 2014, prior to the closure of Manly Hospital, the former Manly Council fought (and won) for the land to be zoned for health and environmental conservation uses only. At the time, ideas like a nursing home or a rehabilitation centre for young people who had suffered critical injuries and needed full-time medical care were floated. The latter has come to fruition via the Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice.
But what of the rest?
Aveo, was selected by the NSW Government as a preferred tenderer in late 2024. They are an Australian retirement living provider, and they came up with a concept plan for the site.
Aveo has begun the process of a State Significant Development Application for seniors housing, a residential aged care facility, public open spaces, a health and wellbeing centre, community and retail spaces (including food and drink premises) and a childcare centre.
“A wellbeing precinct that will bring together integrated activities and building uses to promote live-work-health-leisure-learn in a vibrant hub – a natural extension and development of its surrounding communities,” Aveo said in the SSDA.
According to the indicative building height image, the seniors living will be housed within three buildings between six to eight stories.
The SSDA will seek consent for the first stage of early works, including the demolition of all buildings that are not being kept for their local heritage significance, earthworks to establish site levels including excavation to support three future basement car parks and necessary tree removal.
Manly MP James Griffin said it was a win for the community because the land itself has not been sold off.
“There was a real prospect that this site would be sold off,” Mr Griffin said.
“I am delighted that the government has identified a partner to help bring to life the long-held vision of the community and I look forward to it being delivered in full by Aveo.
“The next chapter of the former Manly Hospital site will in many respects be a continuation of the health services provided on the site for over a century.
“The creation of public open spaces, alongside various health and wellbeing services will breathe new life into this historic space.”
Cathy Griffin, the Chair of the Manly Community Forum, which is essentially a progress association for the eastern hill (a former Greens councillor for Manly and yes, the mother of Liberal Manly MP James Griffin), posited that the community is supportive of the addition of seniors living to what’s being called the Manly Health and Wellbeing Precinct.
“Late last year, Northern Beaches Council approved to rezone the land from special hospital use, to allow for other uses of the grounds,” she explained.
“What the community didn’t want was for the site to be sold off to private developers and then sold off as housing.”
According to Cathy, no one thing can take up more than 50 per cent of the site.
The total site area is 46,545m2. Within the planning documents, 14,818m2 (31 per cent) will include seniors housing and the residential aged care facility, while 14,912m2 (31 per cent) will include health and wellbeing uses. Combined these will use 63 per cent of the total land, leaving the 37 per cent remaining for landscaping/bush.
In May 2025, Aveo began due diligence investigations such as inspections, drilling and testing of ground conditions, and fauna studies. This is expected to take five months. Aveo will then prepare a concept SSDA which will set out the proposed plans for the site and be subject to community consultation before it goes on public exhibition.
According to studies, it’s covering what Northern Beaches is lacking
The Scoping Report outlines that the Northern Beaches experiences an under-supply of several types of community facilities.
The first is addressing health, social and aged care services for our aging population. Today, 21 per cent of Northern Beaches residents are over 60 (compared to Sydney’s average of 19 per cent). By 2036, the number of residents aged over 85 is forecasted to increase by 85 per cent.
The second is the lack of larger scale, integrated multipurpose community facilities on the Beaches.
Finally, in the Children’s Services Strategy (November 2019), Northern Beaches Council recognised a childcare service gap in Manly, in addition to Balgowlah and the upper Northern Beaches. The Strategy found Northern Beaches will see an increasing number of children aged zero to four in the next decade which will result in a greater demand for children’s services.
What about the idea of a rehab facility for young people with critical injuries?
In November 2018, the NSW Government committed $2 million to developing a hospice for young adults and announced the Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice would be located on a portion of the former Manly Hospital site.
It opened its services in March 2023 and it’s Australia’s first dedicated service for young people with life-limiting illness. It caters to 16- to 30-year-old patients and offers respite care, symptom management, end-of-life care and care coordination support in the transition from children to adult services.
Bear Cottage, which provides paediatric palliative care, is down the road from the Hospice.
Read more development news on the Beaches:
Four years on from the Frenchs Forest Strategy… where are all the apartments?
