Wilga Wilson Planning Proposal for 536 Dwellings at Ingleside: feedback Closes September 24
The Feedback period, which opened on Wednesday September 10 this week, and closes on Wednesday September 24, was submitted to the council on August 5, following a pre-lodgement meeting held with the council in December 2024.
The webpage lists 22 documents for residents to read.
The documents tabled state that at completion of the rezoning process, it is anticipated that the land will contribute 536 new dwellings, comprising 133 detached dwellings along the perimeter, 210 terrace and manor houses, and 193 apartments across four lots.
The Planning Proposal was prepared on behalf of Mirvac Homes (NSW) Pty Ltd (Mirvac) and Ingleside Wilga Developments Pty Ltd (Truslan) in relation to a landholding within the 'Wilga Wilson Precinct' (the Site). Truslan controls 3 sites, Mirvac 4, alongside 11 others, privately owned, and one owned by Serbian Orthodox Church St Sava. Out of the 28.8ha in the Precinct, Mirvac and Truslan control a combined area of 14.248ha.
Mullet creek traverses the site from west to east.
Current land uses o the site are a variety or rural and horticultural uses as well as the St Sava Church on Wilson street and seniors housing at the south-western perimeter.
The Planning Proposal submitted to the council to accompany the request to amend the LEP, 'in accordance with Section 3.33 of the EP&A Act', includes a summary of the proposed amendments to the LEP as Amendments to the LEP maps:
- Land Zoning Map - To apply the R3 Medium Density Residential zone to the developable areas, the RE1 Public Recreation zone for open space areas to be dedicated to the council and the C2 Environmental Conservation for land to be protected and rehabilitated for biodiversity conservation and along Mullet Creek.
- Minimum Lot Size for Subdivision Map Amended to delete the minimum lot size for subdivision of 2ha from the Site.
- Urban Release Area Map – Designate the Wilga Wilson Precinct as an Urban Release Area as requiring the preparation of a Development Control Plan (DCP) prior to development consent being issued for the purposes of clause 6.2.
- Biodiversity Map Amended to refine the extents of land identified as having biodiversity value.
- Amend Clause 4.5A Density Controls for Certain Residential Accommodation – Include specific provisions to apply to R3 (Medium Density) zoned land in the Wilga Wilson Precinct only to adopt revised lot sizes for different dwelling types specific to the Precinct, as follows:
- Attached dwellings – A maximum of 1 dwelling per 180m2 of site area.
- Multi dwelling housing A maximum of 1 dwelling per 180m2 of site area.
- Semi detached dwellings A maximum of 1 dwelling per 180m2 of site area.
The proposed LEP amendments will be accompanied by a Site-specific Development Control Plan (DCP) which the proposers state will be prepared in consultation with the council. The proposal states the DCP would be prepared post receipt of a favourable Gateway Determination, and would progress during the ongoing consideration of the Planning Proposal with adoption shortly after the gazettal of the amendment to the LEP.
Mirvac has long had an interest in the 'Wilga Wilson Precinct' having secured an interest in this 'Precinct' idea and this land. In 2010 it was seeking a Site Compatibility Certificate to enable a seniors housing development of 850 independent living units, but did not proceed with that as Pittwater Council, which was For, About and By Pittwater, was in charge then.
In late 2016 a proposal for close to 3,400 new homes was canned due to the high and unacceptable bushfire risks with no suitable route out for the thousands that would need to be evacuated in seconds.
The scheme was revisited in 2021, this time to rezone a smaller portion of Ingleside of approximately 980 lots, 420 of which were located within the 'Wilga Wilson Precinct', however, past records show the bushfire risk was still too high and the then Planning Minister announced in mid June 2022 the plan would not be proceeding.
The current proposers have stated this then devolved any decision making onto the council, that the Ingleside Growth Area formed part of the then DPE’s approval of Council’s LHS in 2021.
Background and more on the 2016 to 2022 PP in Pittwater Online report: Ingleside Place Strategy will NOT proceed
The council has an old webpage available on this too - visit here to read up on their approach of then.
There has been a bit of noise of late that the current NSW Government is contemplating canning not allowing new homes to be built in flood and bushfire zones, as instituted under former Minister for Planning and then Pittwater MP Rob Stokes, and after successive disasters and thousands of citizens questioning the state government putting profiteers ahead of residents, even to the point of risking lives and expecting unpaid volunteers and emergency service personnel to risk theirs to help them.
Three councillors have submitted a Motion about this mooted 'insider knowledge' to the Tuesday September 16 2025 council meeting this week, while current Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby tabled a Notice of Motion in the NSW Parliament on Tuesday September 9 on the NSW Government’s as yet unconfirmed decision it will ignore advice of emergency services in planning decisions.
“Planning decisions in high-risk areas must be guided by experts, not developers or Ministers. To do otherwise would put communities at unnecessary risk.” Ms Scruby said recently
“Here in Pittwater residents have double digit home insurance or can’t afford to insure at all. We can’t continue to replicate the mistakes of the past by building in these areas.”
“The LA fires were a stark reminder that we can’t build in areas of extreme risk nor underestimate the impacts of a broken insurance system.”
“Our emergency services, many of whom are volunteers, are on the frontline of fires and floods. They know what is safe and where it is not. Housing supply must never come at the expense of basic safety.”
However, as the council is allowing just 2 weeks for residents to go through the lengthy 22 documents (around 1500 pages) to provide feedback, and 5 days have already passed before this report comes out, residents may want to hop to it and visit the DA webpage to dig in to what is proposed before throughout the documents is passed by the council without a peep from residents.
Application Number: PEX2025/0001 closes for submissions on Wednesday September 24 2025.