Ever feel you might as well live at the Mall because you’re there so often? Well, you just might be able to.
Scentre Group (who owns and operates Warringah Mall and 36 other Westfields across Australia) is in talks to seek a rezoning approval with the NSW Government’s newly established Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) to potentially build up to 1,500 homes at the Mall.
“Our Westfield destinations are strategically located close to transport and existing infrastructure, and where millions of people live and work,” Scentre Group Chief Executive Officer, Elliott Rusanow told Manly Observer.
“Governments recognise the value in locating housing close to existing urban centres and have earmarked locations close to transport infrastructure for additional housing supply.
“At Westfield Warringah, we have been collaboratively participating in state and local planning processes to potentially add housing. We are pleased by the NSW Housing Delivery Authority’s recommendation [on 7 March 2025] that Westfield Warringah be declared a state significant development, with the potential to create up to 1,500 residential dwellings.”
Brookvale, where Warringah Mall is the epicentre, is one of the nine town centres NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure have identified in its Stage 2 new planning controls to increase housing supply through its Low and Mid-Rise (LMR) Housing Policy. More on that policy and how it affects the Northern Beaches next week.
However, the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure confirmed Warringah Mall is currently zoned as E2 Commercial Centre and is not subject to LMR. Therefore, they would be going down a different pathway, bypassing Council controls by being declared a State Significant Delivery.
“The Department is willing to work with any landowners to solve the housing crisis,” a spokesperson for the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) told us.
“Scentre Group is interested in developing additional housing on its land and we will continue to work with them to deliver results.”
Westfield Tuggerah on the Central Coast is also being assessed for rezoning with the capacity to deliver 2,100 homes. Both applications are expected to be finalised in the coming months.
This is not Scentre Group’s first application – last year, part of the Westfield Hornsby site was rezoned to deliver a possible 2,100 homes adjacent to the train station.
No clarity was provided as to whether the residential dwellings would replace any part of the Mall, be on adjacent land (see land map above) or be built above the shops in multi-storey apartments.
“This is another significant long term growth opportunity for our business,” Mr Rusanow added.
“We look forward to continuing our work with all stakeholders on the future of Westfield Warringah.”
While HDA’s rezoning approval is a separate planning instrument to Council’s own Brookvale Structure Plan, it does fit in with Council’s 15 year vision for that section of Brookvale. As this would be ‘state significant’, it would not be subject to Council scrutiny and may also mean no requirement for developer contributions. However, when pressed, Council said it was committed to working with the HDA and Scentre Group to ensure the structure plan vision is realised in the future development of Warringah Mall.
You can read more on the Brookvale Structure plan here.
Northern Beaches Mayor, Sue Heins, shared her concerns on the need for the NSW Government to invest in transport and services in the region to match any growth in housing and population on the Beaches. There currently exists a bus and bus driver shortage on the Northern Beaches causing major interruptions for commuters.
This is part of broader issues with the rezonings now approved for the Northern Beaches, which Manly Observer has covered here.
