A State Significant Development application has been lodged by Cottonwood Development Pty Ltd for a two-tower residential project. The proposal seeks approval for 858 apartments with ground-floor retail. It is located at 15–21 Cottonwood Crescent, Macquarie Park, near Macquarie University Metro Station. The scheme is on public exhibition and would be delivered through a concurrent rezoning to increase height and floor space controls.
The $674.4 million proposal would redevelop a 5,130-square-metre site currently occupied by residential flat buildings. It includes two towers of 60 and 52 storeys above a shared podium and basement levels. In addition, the scheme proposes 86,224 square metres of gross floor area, 733 car spaces and 83 bicycle spaces. The Minister for Planning is the consent authority under application SSD-94006708.
Planning History and Approved Scheme
The current application follows a recently approved development on the site, but proposes a substantially larger outcome. In April 2025, the Sydney North Planning Panel approved two buildings of 20 and 21 storeys, delivering 155 apartments and about 23,000 square metres of gross floor area, with no affordable housing.
However, the site has been subject to increasing development intensity over time. A State Significant Development application lodged in late 2024 proposed 327 apartments across 26 and 27-storey buildings. That scheme included a higher affordable housing component but was later withdrawn.
The current proposal significantly increases the scale of development. It seeks approval for two towers of 52 and 60 storeys, delivering 858 apartments. This represents a substantial uplift from both the approved scheme and earlier proposals, and relies on changes to the site’s planning controls.
The application was declared State Significant Development in August 2025 following a Housing Delivery Authority expression of interest process. It also includes a concurrent rezoning request. As a result, the Department will assess both the proposed development and whether the planning controls should be amended to accommodate the increased height and density.
Rezoning and Built Form Controls
The proposal relies on a concurrent rezoning of the site. It seeks to increase the maximum building height from 65 metres to 212 metres. It also seeks to lift the floor space ratio from 4.5:1 to 16.8:1.
Because of these changes, the assessment will need to consider the strategic merit of the uplift. The proposal positions the site within a high-accessibility precinct near metro infrastructure and major employment uses. However, the scale of the uplift will require detailed consideration of built form, infrastructure capacity and local impacts.
Housing Yield and Affordable Housing
The development would deliver 858 apartments. Of these, 60 dwellings are proposed as affordable housing. This equates to 10 per cent of the uplift yield and would be managed by a community housing provider for a minimum of 15 years.
In contrast, the approved 2025 scheme did not include any affordable housing. Meanwhile, the earlier withdrawn SSDA proposed a higher proportion linked to gross floor area. Therefore, affordable housing delivery remains a key point of comparison across the different schemes.
The EIRS links the proposal to housing supply objectives in the Macquarie Park corridor. It states that the site is within walking distance of Macquarie University Metro Station and close to major employment and education uses. As a result, the applicant argues the location is suitable for increased residential density.
Design, Public Domain and Interface
The scheme adopts a podium-and-tower configuration. It includes retail tenancies and residential lobbies at ground level. The towers are separated by 18 metres and set back from surrounding boundaries, including Elouera Reserve.
The design process included engagement with Government Architect NSW. It also incorporated a Connecting with Country process with Dharug Traditional Custodians. Consequently, the proposal includes design responses addressing tower form, landscape and cultural considerations.
However, the scale of the buildings means visual impact and interface will be central to the assessment. Overshadowing, privacy and wind impacts will also be considered, particularly in relation to the adjoining reserve and nearby development.
Contributions and Public Benefit
The scale of the development would generate increased infrastructure contributions. The proposal is expected to deliver approximately $26.98 million in Section 7.12 contributions. It would also generate around $8.63 million in Housing and Productivity Contributions.
In comparison, the approved 2025 scheme would have generated significantly lower contributions. In addition, the current proposal includes an affordable housing component. Therefore, the assessment will consider whether the increased development capacity delivers an appropriate public benefit.
Exhibition and Next Steps
The application is currently on public exhibition. Submissions can be made as part of the State Significant Development assessment process. The Department will review the proposal against planning controls, strategic merit and environmental impacts.
Because the application includes a concurrent rezoning request, the final determination will consider both planning and development outcomes. As a result, the proposal will be assessed against a broad range of policy and design criteria.
Project Team
- Developer: Cottonwood Development Pty Ltd
- Planner: Urbis
- Architect: AJC Architects
- Cultural Advisory: WSP
For more information, search the application number (SSD-94006708) on the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure’s website.
