Marco Ettorre, Executive GM, Retail, at Stockland, shares how new town centres within masterplanned communities are redefining liveability. From The Gables in Sydney to Providence in Queensland and Sienna Wood in Perth, he shows how Stockland is blending retail, services and sustainability to create vibrant, future-ready ‘Mini Guns’ for growing communities.
Since joining Stockland six months ago, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting our national retail portfolio as well as a handful of masterplanned communities, which are helping first-home buyers, families and our newest Australians achieve the dream of homeownership.
This ‘grand tour’ of assets and projects has given me a deeper appreciation of what makes Stockland unique. It’s a blend that combines 70-plus years of community creation with a forward-looking approach that’s evolving our retail business to meet the changing needs of our customers and the growing communities we serve.
With a deliberate emphasis on the daily essentials, our town centres are vibrant community hubs focused on bringing people together, supporting local economies, and improving livability.
They do this by combining leading national supermarkets, a local fresh food offer, essential services, and casual dining and restaurants, and curating relevant customer experiences and entertainment.
Growing with our communities
Our strategy for retail growth is grounded in our legacy. We’re investing in the future by building new town centres within our masterplanned communities – places designed from the ground up to support growing populations with essential infrastructure, services and retail experiences tailored to their needs.
Every year, Stockland measures what matters most to the residents of our communities with the Liveability Survey. The results reveal that the second most important driver of liveability is access to amenity and services. Moreover, access to retail encourages residents to recommend their community, directly driving business value.
We’re currently delivering new town centres in three of our masterplanned communities: The Gables in New South Wales, Providence in South East Queensland, and Sienna Wood in Perth.
The development of these new centres draws on Stockland’s deep cross-functional expertise. Retail teams benefit from the Communities teams’ in-depth understanding of the masterplan, including how each centre integrates with the neighbourhood and meets the needs of residents and local stakeholders. In return, the Retail teams contribute their strengths in centre design, leasing and marketing – attracting retailers and increasing foot traffic and repeat visitation to drive business success.
Our Leasing team thoughtfully shapes the retail mix for each new town centre. At the heart of these communities are anchor supermarkets – Woolworths at The Gables and Sienna Wood, and Coles at Providence – alongside a selection of trusted national brands that are essential to daily life. This is enriched by a distinctive local offering and a suite of services, particularly health and wellbeing, ensuring residents have convenient access to everything they need, right on their doorstep.
First in the pipeline: Stockland Gables
Opening in October 2025, Stockland Gables is Stockland’s first new shopping centre in six years – an exciting milestone for the business and The Gables community in the Hills district of Sydney’s thriving north-west corridor.
Located in the heart of The Gables, the new town centre serves a growing population that is expected to reach around 13,000, with a diverse demographic ranging from young first-home buyers to the over-60s living at Halcyon Gables.
The Gables has become a sought-after destination for home buyers, drawn to its open space, natural surroundings, and well-planned infrastructure – both existing and proposed. The new town centre, in the heart of The Gables, has been designed to reflect these values, with a strong emphasis on walkability, sustainability and creating a genuine sense of place.
Stockland Gables was fully leased upon opening, featuring a full-line Woolworths supermarket, a Nido Early School childcare centre, a medical centre and pharmacy, a gym, and a variety of specialty retailers. Food and dining options cater to a range of tastes, while a function centre and adjoining restaurant overlooking a future lake will offer a special setting for celebrations, socialising and relaxation.
Stockland is targeting a 5-Star Green Star rating and has already achieved a more than 30% reduction in embodied carbon by using low-carbon concrete and reinforcing steel. Additional features include a 500kWp rooftop solar system with battery storage, further supporting the centre’s future environmental performance.
By delivering essential retail and services within walking distance, Stockland Gables will enhance the liveability of the community, reducing the need for travel and helping residents enjoy a more connected, convenient lifestyle.
Providence, our community in the Ripley Valley growth corridor, we’re delivering a retail precinct that reflects the needs of young families and first-home buyers. With a focus on convenience and everyday essentials, the centre will include a Coles supermarket, medical services, childcare, and casual dining. Importantly, it will integrate with public transport and green spaces, supporting a healthy, connected lifestyle.
Sienna Wood, in Perth’s south-east, is another exciting project. Here, we’re building a town centre that will anchor the community and provide a mix of retail, health and lifestyle services. The centre will include a Woolworths supermarket, medical services, childcare, casual dining and a number of adjoining pad sites to additional food and services.
Aura, located on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, is the largest masterplanned community in Australia, and its town centre will reflect its scale and ambition to provide high-quality retail, dining and entertainment. The Aura Town Centre, which will be in the heart of Aura’s city centre and adjoin Aura Parklands, has recently received development approval.
Anchored in insight, designed for people
What sets our retail strategy apart is our commitment to understanding our customers. We use data and insights to shape our offer, but we also listen – through community consultation, feedback loops and ongoing engagement, like the Liveability Survey. This ensures our centres reflect the people they serve, not just in terms of retail mix, but in design, accessibility and amenity.
Our new town centres are not just commercial investments – they’re long-term commitments to the communities we’re helping to build and the customers in our catchment.
When complete, these centres will join our ~$4.7 billion Town Centres portfolio. So as the centre owner and manager, we think about how they physically connect to the surrounding spaces and facilities in the community, like parks, sporting grounds and schools. We think about the mix of education and health services for busy, growing families. And we think about creating places that people want to come to connect and meet their neighbours.
We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far, and excited about what’s to come. Whether it’s a family grabbing groceries at The Gables, a couple enjoying lunch at Providence, or a child attending childcare at Sienna Wood, these moments are what drive us.
This article was first published in SCN magazine.
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