Salvos plan 16-storey building at Miranda with new welfare facilities and apartments

Sutherland Shire Council is assessing a Planning Proposal to amend the existing development standards by increasing the allowable maximum building height from 25 metres to 60 metres and maximum floor space ratio (FSR) from 2:1 to 5.5:1.

The Salvation Army announced in March 2023 it planned to develop their extensive corner site comprising four properties, 2-6 Willock Avenue and 23 Kiora Road, and had engaged Formus Property as its development partner.

At present, the 2447sqm site houses a range of welfare services, including financial crisis assistance, access to transitional housing for vulnerable women and families, hot meals and hampers, training and mentoring to help vulnerable young people attain their driver's licence, counselling for family issues, and drug and alcohol support.

The Planning Proposal said the site was "an exceptional gateway location" to Miranda Town Centre and one of the most suitable sites for increased density because of its close proximity to facilities and the landform - "a 15-metre drop from Kingsway, creating an opportunity for height transition".

"The Salvation Army urgently needs to transform and upgrade its Miranda facility to better serve the expanding critical needs of the Sutherland Shire community," the report said.

"The proposal includes the redevelopment of the existing facilities to provide a specialised community centre that will provide essential assistance through a variety of services to those who are vulnerable or disadvantaged."

"This proposed upgrade of The Salvation Army facilities is being made possible by the residential development above. Without this uplift, there is no alternative to facilitate this upgrade of services."

The Planning Proposal said the site had served the community for 55 years, and infrastructure had undergone natural deterioration over time.

Ben Fairfax, of Formus Property, told the Leader 14 per cent of the gross floor area would be for community benefit - a combination of the new Salvation Army facilities and five per cent of the apartments space designated for affordable housing.

"The holistic community centre will be owned and operated by the Salvation Army," he said.

"At the moment its disjointed. They currently provide nearly $2.5 million worth of benefit a year through services, facilities, program support for a wide range of groups.

"We are increasing the space almost five times. We can demonstrate we will be able to deliver more than $4 million of annual benefit to the community.

"The centre will be 1500 square metres over one level whereas currently they have about 350 square metres."

Mr Fairfax said it was "a wonderful opportunity to put density in the right location", and the building height was consistent with older buildings at Miranda and new developments at Kirrawee and Woolooware Bay.

"This is good, well through urban design, providing a diverse range of housing of one to three bedroom apartments for people from downsizers to first home buyers as well a holistic community centre at no cost to the Salvation Army," he said.

Shire Salvos Team Leader Mark Soper said, "From our point of view, this is really exciting to expand our social services with a purpose-built facility.

"We are maxed out, we have employment services who want to come, counsellors looking for office space..." he said

"What it enables us to do is serve the community better but actually address some of the overwhelming need.

"We believe this could be a bit of a catalyst for networking different services, like the community co-op we already have, which supports 12 different organisations, a food hub, free counselling services, case managers, drug and alcohol case workers.

Community engagement