Project overview
Homes NSW is planning the redevelopment of the site at 70–78 and 82–86 Menangle Road, Camden. This includes the former Camden Nurses Quarters, previously owned by the NSW Ministry of Health. Following a statewide audit of government land, the site was identified for the delivery of much-needed social and affordable housing. The transfer of the land was completed on 30 June 2025.
The proposed redevelopment is intended to help address the growing demand for social and affordable housing in the Camden area. The site has been selected due to its accessible location close to Camden town centre, health services and other essential community infrastructure, and its capacity to deliver a meaningful increase in social and affordable housing in an area of demonstrated need.
The redevelopment will deliver approximately 95 high-quality social and affordable homes across three buildings.
- Northern site: Two buildings connected by a shared basement, with 5 storeys fronting Menangle Road and 6 storeys at the rear.
- Southern site: One building with 4 storeys fronting Menangle Road and 5 storeys at the rear.
The proposed development will also feature communal rooms for residents of the new development, basement car parking, internal lifts and landscaping across the site.
Project timeline
Land transfer to Homes NSW
Completed June 2025
Community pop-up session
November 2025
Site fencing and initial investigations
December 2025
Concept design development
February to May 2026
Community Drop-In Session
6 May 2026
Rezoning and State Significant DA lodged
Expected July 2026
Statutory public exhibition
Expected August 2026
Demolition of existing buildings
Late 2026
Assessment and determination
Expected late 2026/ early 2027
Construction commencement
Early 2028
Construction completion
Expected to be completed by mid-2029
Community Consultation
Homes NSW conducted early engagement with residents directly surrounding the site in November 2025. A notification was distributed to 150 surrounding households advising of the recent land transfer to Homes NSW, the commencement of early planning activities, and the timings for future consultation.
Nearby properties were also notified of the proposed demolition of existing buildings in April 2026.
A notification letter was distributed to 2,265 Camden residents and businesses in April 2026. The letter advised the broader community about the proposed redevelopment and invited them to attend a Community Drop-In Session on 6 May at the Camden Civic Centre. At the session, attendees were able to find out more about the proposed redevelopment, speak with the project team, provide feedback and ask questions about the project.
Next steps
The project team is currently reviewing all community feedback and finalising the concurrent Rezoning and State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for this project.
After the Rezoning and State Significant Development Application is lodged with the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) later this year, it will be placed on public exhibition on the DPHI website, and the community will have the opportunity to make submissions directly to DPHI at that time.
Homes NSW is currently going through the process of selecting a Community Housing Provider to act as a future delivery partner and property manager for the proposed development. We will notify the community as soon as the successful partner has been secured.
Contact Homes NSW
For more information or to speak to a member of the Homes NSW Community Engagement team:
- email CommunityEngagement@homes.nsw.gov.au
- call us on 1800 738 718 and leave a message on our voicemail so we can call you back.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Camden Local Government Area has experienced some of the strongest population growth in NSW, including the largest population increase in recorded history between 2016 and 2021. Despite this growth, only 1.3 per cent of homes in the Camden LGA are social or affordable housing, well below the regional average of approximately 5 per cent.
There are currently around 550 people on the social housing waiting list in the Camden allocation zone, including approximately 110 priority applicants, with typical waiting periods of five to ten years, depending on household needs and availability.
In a housing crisis we need more homes and that is our priority.
The State Significant Development Application package will be informed by a raft of technical studies and reports that are currently being prepared, including an Environment Impact Statement, a design report, architectural and landscape plans and an independent Traffic, Transport and Accessibility Assessment that incorporates a Preliminary Construction Traffic Management Plan. These reports will be submitted as part of the SSDA and made available to view on the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure website during the statutory exhibition period later in the year.
The proposed development will include basement parking and is being designed in accordance with the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 (Housing SEPP), which includes the number of car parking spaces required.
As not all social housing tenants allocated to this development will own or drive a car, allocation of car spaces will be based on need.
As part of the statutory process, we are required to source an independent Traffic Impact Assessment that reports on the potential impact of the proposed development. This assessment includes a preliminary Construction Traffic Management Plan which will be submitted as part of the State Significant Development Application (SSDA) and will be available to view on the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) website during public exhibition.
Homes NSW is seeking to partner with a Community Housing Provider (CHP) to deliver and manage the project. This procurement process is being conducted alongside planning approvals.
We will notify the community as soon as a successful CHP partner has been secured.
Construction is expected to commence in 2028.
Construction is due to be completed by mid-2029.
During construction, traffic flow, construction noise and road access will be carefully managed to ensure neighbours experience minimal disruption.
A detailed Construction Traffic Management Plan will be prepared and approved post‑consent, prior to construction commencing, consistent with standard conditions of consent.
Homes NSW will be progressing demolition under a separate Part 5 approval process. Demolition is expected to commence in late 2026.
The Camden Nurses’ Quarters has been sitting unused for many years and the building has not been maintained. A materials risk assessment conducted in 2021 identified significant risks throughout the building, including asbestos, lead-based paint, synthetic mineral fibres, and structurally unstable areas. As such, the site was identified in the NSW Government land audit as suitable for delivery of housing to address the increasing demand in the area.
Like the rest of the community, most tenants are good neighbours and law-abiding people. Nevertheless, the property manager for the proposed development will have in place a policy for dealing with disruptive tenants. Maintenance issues will also be directed to the Community Housing Provider who will have a phone line that will be provided to the community when the development is completed.
The majority of social housing tenants in the area are seniors who live alone or with one other person.
Our new developments are well designed and built modern homes with landscaped gardens that blend into the community and make a positive contribution to the existing streetscape.
There is no evidence to suggest the development would adversely affect property values.