Campbelltown Catholic Club has received development approval from the local council to build its seniors living development.
The multi-million-dollar project, Siquilla Retirement Residences, will see just over 90 apartments built next door to the club, offering independent living options for over-60s.
CEO Michael Lavorato said the development is the latest step in the club’s broader diversification strategy. Since the early 2000s, the club been expanding – first with its Aquafit leisure centre, followed by the development of its Rydges hotel and The Cube entertainment centre.
According to Lavorato, the club has already reduced its reliance on gaming, with more than half of its revenue now coming from diversified sources.
“We started planning [the seniors living development] in October 2022, so in the scheme of things for something so significant, it’s been a fairly short planning cycle,” he said.
“We identified seniors living as our next stage of our diversification strategy … we’re really excited about the plans of delivering a housing solution to Campbelltown.
Lavorato highlighted the importance of diversifying in the current operating environment.
“Everybody’s got their eyes wide open to the incoming challenges around account-based gaming, facial recognition, and the general scrutiny of our industry from Austrac,” he said.
But Lavorato said he can’t take any credit for the idea, pointing out it was inspired by Dee Why RSL’s model, which has been operating a retirement village for nearly 20 years.
“This one we can’t credit for this at all. We’re following in the well-trod footsteps of Grant Easterby at Dee Why RSL, who modelled this business approach of a retirement village there that’s coming up to almost 20 years. It’s easy to follow in successful people’s footsteps.”
But the project isn’t just about business resilience. Lavorato said the club sees Siquilla as a way to give back to its ageing community. The strong response from members at a recent information session confirmed for Lavorato that the club was on the right path.
“We had 242 responses, representing about 168 potential parties, and most of them said they were ready to make the move – some ready anywhere between one to three years,” he said.
Beyond the numbers, Lavorato said that following an information session with members, two powerful themes emerged in the feedback and surveys: trust and connection to place.
“What we drew out of that information session is the trust members have in the club and brand, and that we can deliver what we promised,” he said.
“There’s a bit of negativity around housing, aged care and retirement living, but what really emerged, especially in the survey we asked them to complete, was that it’s a scary investment. In a lot of cases, it’s people’s last real estate decision.
“But they know the location. It’s right in the middle of our cultural precinct, close to the park, the art centre, shopping, transport, doctors they know, and even the hairdresser they’re comfortable with. There are a lot of reasons it ticked all the boxes from their point of view.”
Designed by Studio SC, with branding and sales strategy being developed by Brand Partners, the project will next move into the construction tender phase. The club hopes to begin a sales campaign in the second half of 2025, with soil turning expected in early 2026 and the first residents moving in by late 2027.
“It’s a very exciting next chapter in the history of the club,” Lavorato said.