Better Chatswood Dive Site Development

Supporting good development. Opposing bad planning.

This is a community information page about the proposed redevelopment of the Chatswood Dive Site.

We support well-planned development and more housing in the right locations. We are not against change. We are not saying “build nothing”.

But we are concerned that this proposal is moving away from what many people understood this site was meant to become.

Over time, the public story has changed.

First, the site was associated with broader community benefits, including a school and a more genuinely mixed-use outcome. The school has now been dropped. And for the first stage of the development, the formal planning proposal seeks to reduce the required non-residential floor space from 17% to 2%.

That is not a small adjustment. It is a major reduction that changes the character of the site.

In simple terms, this means the site risks becoming a largely residential development with only a very small amount of retail or commercial space, while still being described in public-facing material as a “mixed-use neighbourhood” with “shops and services”.

We think the community deserves a clearer and more honest explanation.

Quick links

• Take Action — contact details and email templates
• Documents and Resources — official reports, background material and key links
• Make an official submission
• View the official project / exhibition page

What is being proposed?

The current proposal for the first stage of the Chatswood Dive Site development includes:

• a 23-storey build-to-rent apartment building
• 180 apartments for essential workers
• increased building height and density
• only 314 square metres of retail and commercial space at ground level

At the same time, the planning proposal seeks to reduce the minimum non-residential floor space requirement from 17% to 2%.

What does that actually mean?

“Non-residential floor space” means the parts of a development that are not housing.

That could include everyday uses that make a neighbourhood genuinely useful and livable, such as:

• a medical centre
• a mini supermarket or convenience grocery store
• a pharmacy
• cafés and food outlets
• small businesses and local services
• workspaces and other active community-serving uses

These are the kinds of things that help a development become a real mixed-use place rather than just a block of apartments.

Why the 17% to 2% change matters

The proposed reduction from 17% to 2% may sound technical, but its practical effect is huge.

On a simple storey-equivalent basis:

• 17% of a 23-storey building is almost 4 storeys
• 2% of a 23-storey building is less than half of one storey

So this proposal is not just trimming the non-residential component. It is reducing it from the equivalent of almost four storeys to less than half a floor.

That is an 88% reduction.

This is why we say the proposal does not preserve a meaningful mixed-use outcome. It practically removes it.

Why this matters for Chatswood

The Chatswood Dive Site is a rare and important government-owned site in a strategic location.

If this site is going to be developed at greater height and density, then the community should receive a high-quality outcome in return.

That should include more than apartments alone.

It should include:

• meaningful shops and services
• real convenience for everyday life
• strong public space
• a balanced and attractive neighbourhood
• a development that adds value to Chatswood as a place

We are concerned that the public language sounds positive and community-focused, while the formal planning changes move in the opposite direction.

Why Stage 1 matters now

Some may argue that this reduction only affects Stage 1, and that Stage 2 will later deliver the full mixed-use outcome.

We do not think the community should simply accept that reassurance without scrutiny.

The concern is not hypothetical. The public position has already shifted over time:

• the site was associated with a school, and the school was later dropped
• the site has been described as mixed-use, while the formal proposal now seeks to reduce the non-residential requirement from 17% to 2%

That is why Stage 1 matters.

If the first formal step for the site is to weaken the mixed-use requirement so dramatically, the community is entitled to question whether later promises will also be watered down.

A balanced and suitable outcome should be secured through the planning framework, not left to vague future assurances.

What do we support?

We support:

• more housing in appropriate locations
• good quality urban renewal
• development near transport
• a well-designed and genuinely mixed-use outcome
• clear and honest communication with the community

Some people would describe this as a “Yes In My Back Yard” position.

That means supporting development in principle — but wanting it to be done well.

That is our position.

We are not opposed to development.

We are opposed to:

• poor planning
• reduced public benefit
• vague promises replacing clear requirements
• the gradual shift from a balanced community outcome to an almost purely residential one

What are we asking for?

We are asking decision-makers to:

1. reject the reduction in non-residential floor space from 17% to 2%
2. require a genuinely mixed-use outcome for the site
3. ensure the planning proposal matches the public language used to describe it
4. protect the long-term value of this rare strategic site for the broader community

Why this page exists

This page exists to:

• explain the issue in plain English
• share facts and documents
• help residents understand what is being proposed
• encourage informed submissions and respectful advocacy

People should be able to understand what is being proposed without having to dig through technical planning documents full of jargon and acronyms.

What you can do

If you share these concerns, you can:

• make a formal submission
• use the Take Action page to contact decision-makers and stakeholders
• review the key documents and resources
• share this page with neighbours and other interested residents

We encourage respectful, informed and constructive advocacy.

This is about asking for a better outcome — not opposing development for the sake of it.

Next steps

Ready to help? Start here: Take Action | Documents and Resources | Make a submission