Civic and Cawarra Residential mark the official opening of 15 Hinkler Avenue

This week, Civic and Cawarra Residential came together to proudly mark the official opening of 15 Hinkler Avenue, which contributes 10 community housing tenancies to the Sutherland Shire community.

The opening ceremony was attended by Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley, AC KC, Governor of NSW, as well as Sutherland Shire Mayor, Jack Boyd, Mr Simon Kennedy, MP, Eleni Petinos, MP and members of the local community.

Most importantly, the new tenants and their families gathered to celebrate the official opening of the development, show off their new homes and share a little about what life has been like since moving into 15 Hinkler Avenue.

Opening the event, Chair of Civic’s Board of Directors, Les Roelandts, expressed deep pride in the project, reflecting on his own upbringing in community housing.

“This development is more than bricks and mortar—it is a sanctuary for individuals who have faced housing insecurity,” he said. “It represents opportunity, dignity and a renewed sense of community.”

Originally purchased in 1984 and previously used as a children’s respite centre, 15 Hinkler Avenue has now been transformed into a modern, accessible development that offers 10 warm, welcoming homes thanks to Civic’s vision and perseverance, and the support of key partners.

Civic’s CEO, Annie Doyle, reflected on the decade-long journey to bring the project to life.

“This development is a beacon of transformation. It shows what can be achieved when vision, collaboration and community come together,” she said. “We are proud to deliver stable tenancies to those facing barriers to housing.”

In his speech at the event, Mayor Jack Boyd noted that the much-needed Caringbah-based project was made possible through funding from Homes NSW and Housing Australia, including support from the Housing Australia Future Fund Facility, which has committed $10 billion to deliver over 8,200 social and affordable homes nationwide.

It wasn’t until tenant Mr Joyce, accompanied by his Mum and Dad, Denise and Nick, took the stage, however, that the true impact of the new homes was felt, with Nick reinforcing the sense of security he now has, with his son living independently at 15 Hinkler Avenue.

Another community housing tenant, Mr Ross – who recently moved from Armidale to live closer to his family in Sutherland Shire – stepped up to cut the ribbon on the development alongside Her Excellency, the Governor of NSW, before welcoming people into his home for morning tea (served by Civic Kitchen and Catering) and a tour of the three-storey building.