Hundreds of Narrabeen locals took to Ocean Street this afternoon to protest the proposed development of a retirement complex with fears it could mark the beginning of an unwanted precedent.
From 10 am, the streets were flooded with furious pickets detesting a State Significant Development Application from Retirement by Moran; the owner of the proposed development which looks to build a five storey seniors housing development in replacement of the former Wesley Taylor retirement facility.
Local community group Better Planning for Northern Beaches led the protests, spouting grievances with perceived liberties taken on the DA which go against the suburb’s development conduct.
“They’re going up to six storeys… it’s too big, “Better Planning for Northern Beaches member Michelle Cudmore told Manly Observer among protesters, “They’re knocking down all the Norfolk pines that are at the back of the site they’re building right out to the setback. It’s just not fair that they can do it and nobody else can.”
Other community members – some donned in black and white to show depth of local opposition – had issues with how their life will be disrupted by development.
“There’s just no parking now, and when it’s all the bill the workers are here, it’s just going to be deadlocked,” one woman shared.
“Today has just been a show of force of what we as Narrabeen locals don’t want and don’t need on our Ocean Street, it’s already difficult parking here, you know the overcrowding the six stories. That’s a tower across the road, and that’s four stories,” Another man said.
Even the youths got around the protest, prophesying a drastic change to the Narrabeen lifestyle if the developments were to go forward.
“It’s just disgraceful that they’re ruining everything, ruining the community, ruining the people. It’s just ruining the area, the Narrabeen culture, bro,” the young man expressed.
Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby was also present advocating for the State Government to stick by their original assessment of the area not being appropriate for mid to high level rises, “21 meters when the planning limit says 12.3 it’s just too much,” she said.
Northern Beaches Councillor for Narrabeen Ward Vincent De Luca too aired his distaste for the development, warning if the complex are built it “sets a precedent for the future,” inviting similar developments to erect across the beaches.
The community was given just 14 days to respond to the proposal, the standard length for exhibition periods. However, protesters say the government portal was down during some of this time, meaning some responses were impossible to send.
“Half the time the website was down for the State Government portal… With the website being down, we weren’t able to get our submissions in. A lot of people gave up,” Ms Cudmore said.
The owners of the proposed development, Retirement by Moran, said they would not apologise for the development and were quick to denounce claims by Better Planning Northern Beaches, stating the group was spreading misinformation.
“We are extremely proud of our application and make no apologies for seeking to provide much needed seniors housing in Narrabeen. We note that none of the local elected representatives that attended this event today had contacted us at anytime to raise their concerns with us – and we wonder how they intend to explain their opposition to our retirement village and care facility to the 60 per cent of the local Northern Beaches population aged over 60 who are desperate for new seniors housing in the area…?” A representative told Manly Observer following the protest.
“We cannot respond to an anti-development group that continues to perpetuate misleading and false information about our project in order to cause fear and anxiety in the local community and to further their own agenda – and we seriously question their credibility.”
The company stated that the claims of the development being 70 per cent higher over local height limits is misleading as the height only refers to 0.05 per cent of the structure, being a lift above the roof terrace, while the rest of the building is approximately 15 meters.
It also resented the idea the development will cause a dramatic reduction in care services as it will be made accessible to 250 residents. It further took a stand against the location of the protest as the development is currently a temporary and crisis accommodation to women and families from the Northern Beaches Women’s Shelter and Bridge Housing.
“We have been taken aback by the toxicity and aggression shown by a number of the people who are objecting to our retirement village proposal,” the Retirement by Moran representative wrote.
“There are more than 600 local residents who have registered interest in our new retirement village and more than 150 persons who have already made an appointment to reserve a concept floorplan – which demonstrates the extraordinary need and demand for more seniors living in the Northern Beaches.”
The Backstory
Better Planning for Northern Beaches, a local community action group, is expecting a large turnout at their Saturday protest with “hundreds of residents wearing black and white in solidarity to show the depth of local opposition” to the retirement development set to dwarf Narrabeen dwellings.
The group is protesting the State Significant Development Application (SSDA) to replace the former Narrabeen Wesley Taylor Aged Care facility with Indigo by Moran – a five-storey seniors housing development with 149 Independent Living Units and a 10-room residential care facility.
The protest scheduled for Saturday, 8 November, at 10am (156 Ocean Street, Narrabeen) will call on the NSW Planning (who has the authority for the determination of the application) to refuse the SSDA or require substantial redesign.
Retirement by Moran, the owners of the proposed development, has expressed concern over the protest due to the current residents who occupy the buildings of the former Wesley Taylor facility. They’ve explained that they do not occupy the site (and won’t do so until mid-2026), instead, Northern Beaches Women’s Services and Bridge Housing women and families who are seeking temporary and crisis accommodation live at the site.
“Both of these housing provider organisations have expressed their serious concerns to Moran about the impact of such an event being held out the front of their residents’ homes – and we understand they have had discussions with the organisers and other local leaders about relocating the event,” a spokesperson for Moran said.
“Our position is, if they want to hold an event, then by all means go ahead – but why hold it at a location that is accommodating vulnerable women and families?”
Better Planning for Northern Beaches said locals were furious they were given only 14 days to respond to over 2,100 pages of documentation. The SSDA was on exhibition from 23 October to 6 November 2025 – a standard length for exhibition periods.
They added they were outraged that under recent NSW planning legislation reforms no independent review panel will be consulted before the determination. They said this effectively silenced community voices and ignored local planning controls.
The proposed development, which is set to cost around $150 million, will be 21.1m in height, which is 70 per cent over local height limits.
Within the SSDA lodged by Retirement by Moran/Provectus Care, a Clause 4.6 Variation Request has been submitted. In short, they’re asking for permission to exceed the local height limit (which is 12.3m) as the development will deliver much-needed seniors housing. They also outline that the five-storey development would be in line with the Norfolk Pine trees that line Ocean Street, wouldn’t harm neighbours due to set backs and nearby apartment buildings are already taller than the zoning allows (however, none are as tall as the proposed development).
The community group fears this development would set a precedent for overdevelopment across the Northern Beaches and raises concerns about developing on a flood- and erosion-prone area.
“This is not just about our backyard – it sets a precedent for everyone’s backyard and how these new planning reforms will impact communities all over NSW,” a spokesperson for Better Planning for Northern Beaches said.
They added the former Wesley Taylor facility provided the community with 55 aged care beds and 35 assisted living units, and therefore Indigo by Moran’s plan is a dramatic reduction in these services.
“This doesn’t cater to the housing crisis for young families, nor does it provide affordable retirement options for locals,” the spokesperson explained.
Local members of the community who made submissions have strongly opposed the development, calling for “genuine community consultations” to take place.
They told Manly Observer that residents were purposefully excluded from consultations, and the consultations that were held were sales events where participants were told they could not ask questions about the scale of the development.
“Residents recognise the urgent need for more housing options for older Australians,” the spokesperson said.
“But this proposal is not about meeting community needs – it’s about exploiting planning loopholes to build a luxury complex that completely disregards the character, environment, infrastructure and community of Narrabeen.”
However, a spokesperson for Moran said they were taken aback by the “toxicity and aggression” shown by some members of the community against the proposal, as well as the misinformation being spread through the community.
They explained more than 600 residents had registered their interest in the new retirement village with 150 people (many of whom live within a 5km radius of the Narrabeen site) making an appointment to reserve a concept floor plan.
“This demonstrates the extraordinary need and demand for more seniors living in the Northern Beaches,” they said.
Indigo by Moran is Retirement by Moran’s largest development. They have an eight-storey 37-apartment at Sage by Moran in South Cronulla, and 33 apartment complex in Wahroonga called Rose by Moran.
In its promotional material, Indigo by Moran promises “an extensive range of social and wellbeing amenities for the residents to enjoy as part of this inspiring, over-60s community, including an indoor, heated 25-metre pool, resident cinema, temperature controlled cellar, fitness centre, library, extensive communal landscaped gardens, and a wonderful rooftop pavilion for entertaining and social activities.”
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