4 July 2026
Construction has started on a new 140-apartment development in Phillip that will deliver 70 affordable rental homes for working Canberrans including health care and community workers in the nearby Canberra Hospital precinct.
The Marlowe apartment project is being delivered through a joint venture between community housing provider CHC Australia and Canberra Southern Cross Club, contributing to the supply of quality, well-located and affordable rental homes for Canberrans.
The development, adjacent to the Woden Town Centre, will comprise two six-storey apartment buildings above a common basement. The project will include a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments with half of the apartments affordable build-to-rent homes.
The affordable rental homes will support a broad range of Canberra households with a proportion reserved for priority groups including health care and community workers, essential workers and Veterans.
The project is close to major employment, education, health and transport links, including Canberra Hospital, Woden Town Centre, local schools, Canberra College, Canberra Institute of Technology, retail and hospitality jobs, green space and the planned light rail station.
CHC Australia CEO Nathan Dal Bon said: “The Marlowe apartment project will give nurses, healthcare workers, teachers and other essential workers and their families the opportunity to live in long-term affordable rental homes close to the jobs, services and the communities they support every day.”
“This project shows the important role community housing providers can play in partnering with not-for-profit organisations, government and the private sector, with strong financial support from the ACT and Commonwealth governments helping unlock well-located housing supply and deliver more social and affordable homes.”
Southern Cross Club CEO Matt Walshe said: “We’re proud to play a role in delivering housing that supports the people who support our community. As a community club, this project is about creating safe, secure and affordable homes for essential workers right in the heart of Woden.”
Construction will be undertaken by Chase Construction ACT, with completion expected in 2027.
The new apartments will form part of the broader Yarravale master-planned community, which is targeting a 5-Star Green Star Community rating. The precinct also includes the completed Stellar Health & Wellbeing Centre, planned build-to-sell apartments and public green space.
Canberra Southern Cross Club is a not-for-profit organisation that opened its doors in August 1972 and has contributed more than $14 million to the Canberra community over the past decade.
CHC Australia was established more than 25 years ago and is the largest not-for-profit community housing provider in the ACT, providing quality, well-located social and affordable rental homes to more than 2,160 Canberrans.
Further information on the project can be found at The Marlowe, Phillip – CHC
