I strongly oppose the proposed Indigo by Moran seniors’ housing development at 156 Ocean Street, Narrabeen. I am a local Narrabeen resident and I use the streets around the area daily. I respectfully request that the NSW Department of Planning refuse the current application or require a comprehensive redesign to ensure compliance with local planning controls and alignment with community expectations.

Coastal and Flooding Risk

The proposed site lies within a known flood-prone and coastal erosion hazard area, as outlined in the EIS Appendices E & F (Flood and Coastal Hazard Reports). The development footprint extends into zones identified as high hazard under the Northern Beaches Council Flood Study and Coastal Zone Management Plan.

While the EIS acknowledges these risks, it fails to provide adequate mitigation strategies beyond basic floor height adjustments. These measures do not sufficiently address Narrabeen’s increasing exposure to coastal erosion, sea level rise, and storm surge events, rendering the proposal inconsistent with sustainable coastal planning principles.

Traffic, Parking and Access

The Traffic and Parking Assessment (EIS Appendix J) significantly underestimates vehicle movements and parking demands generated by residents, staff, service vehicles, and visitors. Ocean Street and Lagoon Street are already under pressure from high traffic volumes, particularly during weekends, holidays and local events. I am concerned about the safety of my children and others walking or riding their bikes to and from the beach along these roads.

The addition of a large seniors’ living complex will further exacerbate congestion, reduce pedestrian and cyclist safety, and impede emergency vehicle access. There is a kindergarten present in the area and the surrounding narrow streets are not designed to accommodate the anticipated increase in traffic and parking demand.

Height, Scale and Visual Impact

The proposed building substantially exceeds the height and bulk envisioned for this sensitive coastal setting. The Visual Impact Assessment (EIS Appendix L) confirms the development would dominate the low-scale residential character of Ocean Street and obstruct key public view corridors.

The five-storey design is inconsistent with the existing built form and surrounding natural environment, creating a sense of enclosure, visual intrusion, and loss of open sky for neighbouring properties and public spaces. I am particularly concerned about the loss of light in the area and the eye-sore that this building will create.

Vegetation Loss and Biodiversity

The Arboricultural Impact Assessment (EIS Appendix H) identifies the planned removal of over 30 mature trees and established vegetation. These trees play a vital role in maintaining local shade, biodiversity, and coastal resilience. Their loss will degrade wildlife corridors, reduce canopy cover essential for urban cooling, and further erode the area’s ecological integrity.

Replacement landscaping cannot compensate for the loss of mature specimens, nor restore the environmental and visual values currently provided by existing vegetation.

Overshadowing, Privacy and Amenity Impacts

The building’s excessive height and footprint will cause substantial overshadowing and privacy loss for adjoining properties. As demonstrated in the Architectural and Shadow Diagrams (EIS Appendix – Figures 5.3–5.5), shadowing extends beyond site boundaries between 9am and 3pm in winter, severely impacting private open spaces and living areas of nearby dwellings.

This contravenes solar access requirements under Clause 6.9 of the Pittwater LEP 2014.
Furthermore, elevated terraces and balconies will overlook neighbouring yards, directly breaching Residential Flat Design Code (RFDC) visual privacy objectives.

Additional Localised Adverse Impacts

Construction disruption: Extended excavation, piling, and increased traffic will significantly impact nearby residents and park users.

Wind tunnelling: The building’s large scale and coastal exposure may create wind turbulence, posing risks to pedestrian comfort and safety.

Infrastructure strain: Flood-prone drainage and sewer systems may become overwhelmed.

Emergency access: Narrow streets and limited exit routes increase risks during flood or storm events.

Cumulative precedent: Approval would set an undesirable precedent for further oversized developments in Narrabeen’s fragile coastal corridor.


The Indigo by Moran proposal is fundamentally incompatible with the principles of sustainable, context-sensitive development for the Northern Beaches. It presents excessive bulk, unacceptable amenity and environmental risks, and long-term consequences for the community and local ecosystems.

Against high rise development on the beaches

We do not want this development in our area. It’s will spoil the community and open up to more developers changing Narrabeen. We do not want this.

Secretary, DPHI : Objections to SSD-76220734 - 156 Ocean Street, Narrabeen.
I live at 44-50 Ocean Street, Narrabeen and I am totally opposed to this project due to its huge size, the impact the traffic generated by it will have on the adjacent streets and Narrabeen in general. A project such as this will completely change and destroy the character of Narrabeen especially the area between Pittwater Road and the beach.
This planned project would create a huge danger to the many pedestrians, young and elderly, who currently use Ocean and Lagoon Streets for exercise and access to the School, shops and beach. In addition the danger would be extremely heightened for the number of vehicles, cyclists, e-bikes etc that currently use all the surrounding streets.
And what of all the huge Norfolk pine trees that surround the property? Will they all be demolished in the name of greed by the developer?
The scale of the proposed development is totally out of proportion to anything else in the neighbourhood - it is a total overkill where the developers have obviously gone for 'bigger the better' and buggar all the current Residents of Narrabeen.
DO NOT APPROVE THIS PROJECT - LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS!

This is proposed development is too large for this coastal community and sets a dangerous precedent in allowable size and scale. Narrabeen is set on a fragile coast line that is already impacted by the environment and poor infrastructure management. I say No to all 6 stories.

This is such a packed residential area already with limited parking and narrow streets.
This is too much for this area and should stay the quiet residential family friendly area it is.

Refer Written Submission

A development of this magnitude is not in keeping with the rest of Narrabeen. This is not a Major Town Centre as listed by Northern Beaches Council and height restrictions should still apply. There are very few high rise developments higher than two/ three storeys above street level. The few high rise such as Marqueses and Flight Deck in the area were built many many years ago and these brought about a height restriction for the area. If this property is approved I hate to think what could happen in the future. This proposed development will also impact on surrounding properties, with loss of sun and privacy, but this has obviously not been taken into consideration. This is a money-grabbing exercise although I do not know how much Moran paid for the property. It was reported not long ago after the Minns Government brought in high rise developments near transport hubs, that Narrabeen would not have high rise because it was a flood plain. If this building was to be approved it will set a precedent and that would open the flood gates to more and more high rise. There is not enough parking areas, the road systems are already clogged with the Wakehurst Parkway flooding every time we have heavy rain and the Mona Vale Road project has been put on hold by the State Government for another few years. The B1 cannot cope now with the people from the area. There is no public parking around this project for any visitors to come.

I do not agree with 5-6 stories building in Narrabeen