Dee Why RSL is pushing ahead with a major $120 million expansion of its Oceangrove seniors’ living village, lodging a State Significant Development (SSD) application to help meet local demand. The proposal seeks to add two new residential flat buildings to the campus, addressing a long waiting list at the popular Northern Beaches facility.
High demand drives vertical expansion
The application proposes constructing two buildings rising between nine and ten storeys (up to 32.4 metres) on the site bounded by Dee Why Parade, Clarence Avenue, and Pittwater Road. The expansion will add approximately 103 independent living units (ILUs) to the campus, a mix that includes 34 two-bedroom and 69 three-bedroom dwellings.
The club has set aside 10 one-bedroom apartments specifically for affordable seniors’ housing, along with two two-bedroom units for on-site support staff, such as a nurse.
This major development comes as the existing 76-unit Oceangrove village operates at absolute capacity. In initial planning documentation, the club’s consultants noted a residential waiting list of more than 240 parties.
While the land holds the zoning potential for generic high-density apartments, planning reports state that the club explicitly knocked back that route, choosing instead to prioritise dedicated, age-appropriate accommodation for seniors.
New community hub and amenities
Beyond the new residential wings, the master plan completely updates key community services on the site. The club intends to demolish the existing childcare centre to make way for a brand-new, modern centre-based childcare facility and a fully equipped gym.
To accommodate the influx of residents and visitors, the project incorporates extensive basement car parking servicing the new apartments, the gym, and the childcare centre. The expansion will also feature new communal facilities, landscaping, and open spaces for residents. Planners intend to undertake the construction in multiple stages to minimise disruption to the independent living residents currently occupying the village.
Next steps in the planning process
Because the project was granted State Significant Development status, the proposal will bypass local council assessment and be assessed under the State Significant Development process. To allow the project to move forward, planning authorities will need to amend the Warringah Local Environmental Plan 2011 to increase the site’s maximum building height limit from its current 12-13 metres up to the proposed 32.4 metres.
The project is currently in its early stages and will head to public exhibition for community feedback before any final determinations are made.
Published 20-June-2026
