This development is completely out of character and far too large scale for this area. The development in the surrounding area is 2-3 storeys and already the roads are clogged and there is limited parking in this beachside suburb especially during the summer months. Recently the local council submitted plans to limit traffic flow and implement a number of one way streets to help ease traffic flow so this added enormous development will greatly impact local residents. There is not enough parking for the proposed number of units. The impact of light availability on surrounding properties will be extremely detrimental to existing local residents as well. Overall the size of this proposal is totally out of proportion and will negatively impact the amenity of the local area. What the state government fails to see is that the Northern Beaches local council area is a limited geographical area with only three main roads in and out - one of which continually floods and is closed. Emergency access is already limited and public transport insufficient to support the proposed population increase the state government is forcing on this area.
I strongly object to a development of this size in this area.

Narrabeen was never part of the 9 projects that had increased heights. 6 storeys will impact traffic and overall feel of Narrabeen as a whole.
149 units is a lot and we weren’t asked and consulted if we wanted this to happen. This is only going to disturb the neighbours with the sole purpose of greed.

Completely blocks the sun for the whole of Loftus Street and should be illegal. You should not and can not take away residents northerly sun. Narrabeen does not need a 6 story unit block, that is absolutely outrageous. We do not have the infrastructure to withhold that many more people in narrabeen and completely disregards the livelihood of the residents on Narrabeen. Absolutely opposed against this and it should not go ahead

I’m writing to raise serious concerns about the Indigo by Moran development at 156 Ocean Street, Narrabeen. The new structure has completely blocked sunlight to my sister-in-law’s home, as well as to much of the surrounding street.

This kind of large-scale, high-density build is not what Narrabeen needs. Our area has always been defined by its natural light, ocean breeze, and sense of openness — all of which are being overshadowed, quite literally, by this development. The building’s scale and positioning are totally out of step with the character of the neighbourhood, impacting residents’ access to sunlight, privacy, and overall quality of life.

Local homeowners and families deserve to have their environment respected, not compromised for the sake of overdevelopment. I urge council and the developers to take accountability for the impact this has had — and to reconsider the precedent it sets for the Northern Beaches community.

Narrabeen deserves better planning, better design sensitivity, and a stronger voice for its residents.

I strongly object to the Indigo by Moran Seniors Living proposal as it stands. The 5–6 storey height is far too tall for our low-rise neighbourhood and will negatively impact traffic, parking, and the local character. I urge the Department to reduce the building height to no more than 2–3 storeys and lower the overall density to better fit our community.
Narrabeen was assessed in 2024 and did not meet the Department of Planning’s own criteria for mid and high rise development. Therefore Narrabeen was not one of the 10 areas identified for mid and high rise development on the Northern Peninsula. What has changed in the last 10 months?

6 stories is not what Narrabeen community want, there is no other building of this size. The streets are not suitable for a building this big and the traffic will increase dramatically. Narrabeen does not want high rise buildings in our neighbourhood

Dear Secretary,

I am writing to formally oppose the proposed development at 156 Ocean Street, Narrabeen (SSD-76220734) by Indigo by Moran. As a concerned Northern Beaches resident and active community member, I strongly object to this proposal on the grounds that it represents overdevelopment, lacks local benefit, and poses significant environmental, visual, and safety impacts to our beautiful coastal community.





1. Excessive Height and Overdevelopment





The proposed six-storey, 149-apartment complex is completely out of character with the surrounding Narrabeen area, which is zoned R3 with a height limit of 8.5 metres. At 21.5 metres, this development more than doubles the existing height controls, setting a dangerous precedent for future high-density projects along our low-rise coastal strip. Narrabeen has always maintained a strong village feel and locals wish to preserve this unique identity. The size of development is much better suited to a Pittwater Road site, away from the low rise feel of Ocean Avenue.





2. Lack of Local Benefit





This proposal offers no affordable housing or community benefit. It is a private luxury retirement development targeting the cashed up over-60s market. Such exclusivity contributes nothing to local housing diversity or affordability and excludes the broader Narrabeen community. I understand housing is priority for State Significant Developments but this is not an appropriate scale for the area. I strongly oppose the idea that development of this size will bring any benefit to our street.





3. Traffic and Safety Hazards





The addition of 300+ vehicles entering and exiting via Lagoon Street will worsen already congested local roads and reduce safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and nearby residents. I regularly drive these roads as a local resident and parking is already a large problem around these streets. The area around Ocean, Lagoon, Loftus, and Octavia Streets is already under significant traffic strain. I often have to circle the block many times in order to find a park.





4. Visual Intrusion and Overshadowing





The bulk and scale of the development will overshadow neighbouring homes, surely the houses on Loftus street will be hugely impacted by the 21.5m height and have significant loss of sunshine. The size of this building will visually dominate the local skyline. Nothing in Narrabeen is of this size and it will not fit in with the causal local feel of this area. This intrusive form will erode the coastal character that defines Narrabeen and detract from the amenity of existing residents.





5. Environmental and Coastal Risks





The proposed site sits within a flood and coastal erosion zone, making it unsuitable for such a dense and tall structure. The deep excavation (11.5 metres below ground level) and coastal proximity pose serious risks to the local water table and stability of the dune system.





6. Destruction of Native Trees and Wildlife Habitat





The removal of mature native pine trees and other coastal vegetation will destroy habitat for local wildlife, including sea eagles, kookaburras, and native bird species, as well as eliminate the natural screening that provides aesthetic and environmental value.





7. Insufficient Community Consultation





Local residents were not adequately consulted in the planning or design stages of this proposal. The notification period was shortened from 28 days to 14 days. A development of this scale, should have to oblige by the standard rules in place and not use loopholes to duck and weave from what is standard practice. If they really wanted to know how the community felt- give us the standard time to respond. The community feels blindsided and excluded from meaningful participation in decisions that directly affect our neighbourhood’s character, safety, and environment.





8. Precedent for Future Overdevelopment





Allowing this proposal to proceed would open the door to further high-density, high-rise development across the Northern Beaches Peninsula, irreversibly changing the character of Narrabeen and threatening its fragile coastal balance. We need to protect Narrabeen and fight the overdevelopment. Our area has charm & we intend to keep it that way for generations to come. Change and development we accept, but not of this scale.





For all of the reasons outlined above, I respectfully urge the Department to reject or significantly scale down this proposal so that it aligns with the existing planning controls, local character, and environmental constraints of Narrabeen.



Thank you for considering the concerns of local residents who are deeply invested in protecting our coastal community.

Thank you again, for your time in reading my submission,

Brett Raphael
Northern Beaches Resident

Submission of Objection – SSD-76220734

156 Ocean Street, Narrabeen

To:
The Secretary
Department of Planning, Housing & Infrastructure (DPHI)

Re: Objection to SSD-76220734 – 156 Ocean Street, Narrabeen

I am a resident of Narrabeen and live at 190 ocean st Narrabeen, in close proximity to the proposed development at 156 Ocean Street. I use the surrounding roads, beach access and public domain daily and am directly affected by the proposal.

I wish to lodge a formal objection to SSD-76220734 on the grounds of inappropriate scale, land-use incompatibility, and unacceptable impacts on traffic, pedestrian safety, and local amenity. My objections are outlined below.

1. Incompatibility With Local Character

The proposed development is inconsistent with the existing built form and desired future character of Narrabeen.

The building scale and bulk significantly exceed the surrounding low-rise coastal fabric that characterises Ocean Street and nearby residential pockets.

The proposed height and massing would adversely impact the existing neighbourhood’s visual cohesion, introducing a dominant built form foreign to the area.

The structure will likely create excessive overshadowing and visual intrusion, particularly for properties along Ocean Street and for pedestrians on public domain pathways.

The proposal conflicts with planning intent that emphasises human-scale development and protection of the village-like coastal character.

As someone living within direct view of the site, I am concerned the proposal would permanently undermine the established visual qualities that define Narrabeen.

2. Unsuitability of the Site

The location is unsuitable for development of this density and typology.

The site is constrained by narrow road frontage, limited manoeuvring areas, and sensitive residential interfaces.

Immediate proximity to the beach environment necessitates development that respects environmental exposure, coastal hazards and evacuation vulnerability—this proposal does not appear to sufficiently respond to those constraints.

The building scale does not provide adequate transition to adjacent low-rise buildings, resulting in material privacy, overshadowing, and visual impacts to nearby residences.

The site’s position along an already constrained coastal corridor makes it an inappropriate setting for large-scale intensification.

The proposal is fundamentally incompatible with the physical and environmental characteristics of the site and surrounding residential context.

3. Traffic and Accessibility Impacts

The proposal introduces significant traffic and safety challenges in an area already facing congestion and limited access capacity.

Ocean Street and surrounding local roads are already under pressure from beach-related traffic, pedestrian activity, and recreational users.

Increased vehicle movements (including service and waste vehicles) will worsen congestion and queueing, particularly during peak coastal periods.

The proposal raises safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists travelling between residences, recreation areas and beach access points.

The constrained road network makes safe vehicle ingress/egress challenging, with limited tolerance for additional traffic load.

As a resident who regularly walks or drives through this corridor, I am especially concerned about increased conflict between vehicles and vulnerable road users, including children accessing the beach.

Conclusion

On planning grounds—including incompatibility with local character, site unsuitability, and unacceptable traffic and access impacts—the proposal is not appropriate at 156 Ocean Street.

I respectfully request that the Department refuse SSD-76220734.

Thank you for considering this submission.

Yours faithfully,
Greg Gillespie

The bulk & scale of the development is not in keeping with the local area. The height will be an eyesore.
On ste parking is insufficient & will result in significant overflow on nearby streets. There are already traffic issues on Ocean Street that have been identified by local Council and these will be compounded by increased traffic flow. This proposal does not provide needed housing options for seniors as did the previous facility on this site. There are significant wait lists in Retirement Villages - this is merely a means for the developer to capitalise through State Govt legislation rather than addressing the needs of the local community.

I am writing to express my formal and strong objection to the State Significant Development (SSD) application SSD-10271561 for a 5-6 storey seniors living development at 156 Ocean Street, Narrabeen.

As a resident of Ocean Street, my property is directly opposite the proposed site. This development, as currently proposed, will have a direct, severe, and unreasonable impact on my home, my family's amenity, and the local neighbourhood.

My objections are based on the following key areas:

1. Significant Loss of Privacy and Direct Overlooking
The most damaging impact of this proposal is the severe and irreversible loss of privacy to my home. The proposed 5-6 storey height and the placement of balconies, windows, and communal spaces will allow for direct lines of sight from the new development directly into my children's bedrooms, bathrooms, and primary living areas. This is not a minor infringement; it is a gross violation of our family's privacy and an unacceptable intrusion into our home. The feeling of being "watched" in one's own home is a significant detriment to mental health and residential amenity. The scale and height of this building make it impossible to mitigate this impact through screening or landscaping.

2. Overshadowing and Loss of Natural Light
The bulk, scale, and height of the development will cast significant new shadows over my property. I have grave concerns about the impact this will have on my home, particularly on the western side of my property. This overshadowing will directly impact our main living areas and garden, drastically reducing access to natural sunlight, particularly in the afternoons. This will not only reduce the amenity and enjoyment of our home but will also negatively impact our energy efficiency, requiring increased use of artificial lighting and heating.

3. Inadequate Parking and Exacerbation of Existing Chaos
The application provides insufficient parking spaces for the proposed 149 units (plus staff and visitors) and demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the local area. Ocean Street and the surrounding residential streets already suffer from a critical and dangerous lack of parking. Our street is constantly choked with illegal, over-capacity parking, with cars parked illegally, across driveways and on corners with poor visibility. This existing chaos already poses a significant risk to pedestrians and other drivers, and on numerous occasions, has prevented our street from receiving council garbage collection as the trucks cannot safely access the street. This development will add dozens of cars (from residents, staff, and visitors) to this already failing situation, spilling them onto our local streets and making a dangerous situation unbearable. It poses a genuine risk of injury or accident.

4. Impact on Traffic Flow and Pedestrian Safety
The addition of 149 dwellings, plus the associated staff and regular visitor traffic (medical, family, deliveries), will generate a significant increase in vehicle movements. Ocean Street is a local road that is not designed to accommodate this level of intensified traffic. This will lead to further congestion, rat-running through adjacent streets, and increased safety risks for children and other residents.

5. Other Relevant Objections
Beyond my primary concerns, I also object to the proposal on the following grounds:
Bulk, Scale, and Local Character: The proposed 5-6 storey height, bulk, and density are entirely inconsistent with the established low-rise coastal character of Narrabeen. It is an overdevelopment of the site that will visually dominate the streetscape.

Setting a Dangerous Precedent: Approving a development of this scale and non-compliance would set an undesirable and dangerous precedent for future development in the area, further eroding the character and amenity of our neighbourhood.

Non-Compliance with Planning Controls: The proposal appears to be seeking exemptions or represents an overdevelopment of the site, inconsistent with the intended local planning controls (LEP and DCP) for height, setbacks, and Floor Space Ratio (FSR).

The cumulative impacts of this proposed development are unreasonable, unacceptable, and will permanently damage the amenity of my home and the safety of the local area. The proposal prioritises developer profit over the privacy, safety, and well-being of the existing residents.

I strongly urge the Department of Planning to listen to the community and refuse this application.

Sincerely,
Damien Thomson
159 Ocean Street, Narrabeen