Uniting Belrose Seniors Housing

The long coming proposal by Uniting Belrose Seniors Housing and auxiliary services being incorporated in this redevelopment are greatly needed in the wider area as they provide to the demographic that is often overlooked by the more focused private service providers located within these adjoining suburbs. Having first hand experience of locating accomodation for elderly parents within their affordable and social circles of the NBC area is a must and should be defended by all planners of infrastructure. Thank you.

We request that the details relating to submitter name and company (Thirza Bean at Gyde Consulting, etc.) be withheld from the list of submitters.

The adjacent landowner being the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (MLALC) supports the purpose of the proposal, however commentary has been provided in the relevant attachment regarding the interface between the proposed site and the immediately adjacent MLALC owned land.

Thank you for notifying Sydney Water of SSD-71378958.
Please see attached response, Information Sheet (For proponent’s use) and Growth Data Form.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] if you have any enquiries.

The updating of Independent Living and Residential Care in the Uniting Belrose Senior Housing is an asset for the region. As a member of the Belrose Men's Shed which currently uses facilities made available within the Uniting complex, I appreciate and am very thankful that the current plans provide a similar space for the continuous use of a Men"s Shed within the new development. Uniting have been very accomodating to allow and provide a suitable space for the continuation of the important mission of a Men"s shed within this Local area.. I support this Project.

I am the Treasurer of the Forest Community Men's Shed so I have a keen interest in Shed matters. The shed has been supported by Uniting Care since the shed's occupation of the facility, which they provided to us over 10 years ago. They have now committed to providing a replacement workshop within the proposed redevelopment, conditional upon the required planning permissions being granted.
The men's shed has had an active membership of 65 to 75 participants since it opened. Is open five days a week for any retired or semi retired gentlemen of 55 and and over who wish to come and socialise with other men who simply want to chat or take part in the woodworking facilities which the shed provides. The primary motivation for Uniting Care providing support to men's sheds such as The Forest Community Shed, was to allow retired men to have a venue in which they could meet, away from home, when they were facing the isolation which could occur when following retirement, with no external interests, having stopped full time work.; with the possible detrimental effect on their health and well-being. Several members have commented, over the years, that they couldn't see a future without the social interaction which shed provided.
The shed is self supporting and self financed by its members. The generosity of Uniting in providing a workshop space, at no cost to the Shed members, is fundamental to its survival. Should we, a group of elderly retirees, be required to start searching for a new venue, the present location took 4 years of investigation in the Forest area to find, it is unlikely to survive. There is no similar "Men's" facility close, into which the present membership could transfer.
Regards

Hi All,
I am a very enthusiastic Forest Mendshed member for 2 years now. It is the place and space where I can express my creativity. Sometimes in an individual project, other times in a community project like the other weeks in making toys for the Steiner School. The presence of experienced supervisors have really upscaled my woodworking. Now and then I meet Uniting Staff with a question to repair or just glue together a play tool and it is a pleasure to use my skills to them happy. Next to the parking at the back is a bench where residents can sit and enjoy the beautiful view over the hills to Narrabeen to the ocean. Meeting them and talking about the weather and projects we are doing is nice and part of the fact of us being there. I am pleased with those moments where social interaction not only works but also create smiles on faces. And where you can see the reciprocal ends of the bond with Uniting. These are a couple of examples of my experiences in the relation between the shed, myself, Uniting Staff and residents. I Support the Uniting proposal wholeheartedly.

As a proud member of the Forest Community Men’s Shed, I’m fully behind the redevelopment of Uniting Aged Care in Belrose. This site has been more than just a place to live for many—it’s been a community, a support system, and for us at the Shed, a second home.

The Men’s Shed isn’t just about woodworking or fixing things (though we do plenty of that). It’s about mateship. It’s a place where men—especially older blokes—can come together, share stories, keep their hands and minds busy, and support each other through the ups and downs. It’s made a real difference in my life, and I’ve seen it do the same for others.

Including a space for the Men’s Shed in the new plans means that this sense of community won’t be lost—it’ll be strengthened. It shows real vision and heart from Uniting, recognising how important social connection is as we get older. We’re not just building or repairing woodwork here—we’re building resilience, friendships, and purpose.

This redevelopment isn’t just about better facilities—it’s about supporting people to live well, stay connected, and keep contributing. And I reckon that’s something we should all get behind.

The Men's shed is an excellent project.

I am very pleased that Uniting plans to incorporate a Community Men's Shed within the proposed development.
There has been a Men's Shed operating at the current Uniting Aged Care facility in Belrose since 2007 and this facility provides an invaluable health and social service for older aged men of the greater Frenchs Forest and Northern Beaches geographic area. The benefits of men's sheds is now well recognised as providing positive outcomes for men. It would indeed be a great pity if as part of the redevelopment of the current Wesley Gardens site if a Men's Shed were not included.

I am a member of the Forest MensShed that operates out of space generously provided by Uniting. The Mens Shed is an organisation that provides essential support to senior and retired men in the community, enabling them to get together on a regular basis, provide emotional and physical support when necessary, and give many members a purpose once their formal working lives are behind them. I utlise the services regularly and am very grateful to Uniting for the services that they provide to us and, more broadly, for the community as a whole. Their aged care services are excellent and I fully support their proposed development of the site.

The Forest Community Men's Shed has a membership of 65 and we have 200 visits per month from members from all areas of the Northern Beaches. We are located on the Uniting Site and Uniting have kindly agreed to construct a new and improved Men's Shed for us at no cost to ourselves in the new development. Uniting have incorporated us in their Staging Plan in a way which will cause minimum disruption to us.

The Shed is a registered charity and is run by unpaid volunteers for the benefit of the mental health of older men in our community. We also assist members of the community and other community groups by completing various projects for them, details are on our website at forestmensshed.org.au.

The Mens Shed could not have started in 2008 without the enthusiastic support from Uniting both in terms of monetary grants and the provision of a workshop area for us.

Our Committee wholeheartedly supports this development and looks forward to a continued partnership with Uniting which will enable us to provide support for mental health and comradeship in the community for years to come.

Martin Rogers
President
On Behalf of the Committee
Forest Community Men's Shed Inc

This is my personal submission. As President of The Forest Community Men's Shed I am also part of the submission from that entity.
Uniting have historically been very generous to our Men's Shed and have included us in the scheme which is the subject of this Planning Application at no cost to ouselves. Our Shed does much good work for the community both in terms of projects for the community and providing a friendly place for older men to gather and share friendship. Our members are overwhelmingly in support of this project but please bear in mind that many will find the process of creating an account and making an online submission challenging.

I fully support this development.
Having a Shed in the development will allow many older men to participate in social activities.

I am delighted that the project includes the provision of a Mens Shed

I reside in Oates Place and am interested in the entrance to the paddock carpark. Will this carpark have a boom gate to regulate who can and can not enter the carpark?
Also, how do you propose to manage the traffic flow entering and exiting Oates place with the addition of the carpark? As there will be a carpark driveway and an entrance/exit to the private estate there is potential for traffic related issues.