Leading Australian property developer Third.i Group (‘Third.i’) is dedicating 120 ha of its new $1.6 Billion master-planned housing community at Charmhaven as protected green, open space for the community – one of the largest conservation stewardship sites in NSW.
The Charmhaven Project is currently the biggest housing development planned for the Central Coast and has the potential to meet almost a quarter of the NSW Government’s target of 9,400 new homes to be completed in the Region by 2029.
Third.i’s Head of Acquisitions, Florian Caillon, said around 60% of the site will be preserved ‘in perpetuity’ as conservation land, including a wildlife corridor helping to connect nearby Lake Munmorah to the Watagan Mountains.
“We’re really excited that we’ll be dedicating 120 ha of the development site to environmental conservation, creating publicly accessible green space that supports local biodiversity, outdoor recreation and community well-being,” Mr Caillon said.
“We’ll be unlocking privately-held land, which has turned into an environmentally dangerous illegal dumping ground, into public, open space, creating new links to broader conservation networks. This will give the local community access to nature corridors and walking tracks, which we will be funding in perpetuity for future generations.”
As part of its commitment to biodiversity conservation, Third.i has engaged three NSW Government Accredited Assessors under the Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM). Combined, these assessors spend over 3 years, 4,550 hours and walked almost 8,500 metres to undertake detailed assessments and data procurement on site. This has included two independent peer reviews by Accredited Assessors.
These studies endorsed the overall development footprint proposed, which is a balanced outcome between biodiversity and development. This significant fieldwork confirms:
- No serious and irreversible impacts to species
- No direct impact on Coastal Wetlands.
- The preservation of 100% of all confirmed Charmhaven Orchids on site
- Revegetation and restoration of degraded bushland
- Protection of watercourses and riparian zones
- Installation of wildlife corridors and refuges to accommodate species to travel through
- Transformation of private, underutilised land use into a publicly accessible regionally significant east-west wildlife corridor linking the lake to the mountains
- Conversion of an illegal dumping ground into publicly accessible nature reserves and walking tracks, maintained in perpetuity
“We’re looking forward to having the opportunity to work with Government authorities to deliver a balanced outcome, that will not only help the chronic undersupply of housing on the Central Coast, but also preserve and protect over 50% of the site in perpitity to allow for flora and fauna to thrive,” Mr Caillon said.
Strategically located between the Pacific Highway and Arizona Road, the Charmhaven neighbourhood will be a catalyst site for the Central Coast growth region, providing a range of affordable and sustainable housing options, connecting residents to existing centres, employment, transport networks, infrastructure, and amenities.
Contingent on planning approvals, the first new homes could be delivered in 36 months, helping meet the growing demands for housing on the Central Coast, which is forecast to grow to more than 404,250 people by 2041.