14 WILLOWDALE AND EPPING, SYDNEY Sophie Pickett-Heaps is co-Head of design at Stockland and she presented Stockland’s strong commitment to creating communities. Stockland have developed a Liveability Index based on a survey of 2,500 of their residents from 40 different projects across Australia. From the survey the key issues that make a great place to call home include: Community perceptions (39%), Community Design Elements (23%), Personal Circumstances (20%), My home (10%) and Education (8%). This has led to the importance of creating well designed neighbourhoods and places and the need to seed community connections. An example is Willowdale a new suburban community near Campbelltown in Sydney’s South West. The project covers 350 hectares with approximately 3,400 new homes and 315 medium density as well as retail, shops, community facilities and parklands. Sophie explained how new residents were welcomed to the community and then how with a variety of partners programs were rolled out on Health and Wellbeing, Community Connections and Education Opportunities. Sophie also outlined a new project at Epping 200 metres from the rail station that retains an existing heritage church and builds 200 retirement living apartments, 132 aged care beds, a primary school for 220 students and a parish hall for 400 people along with increased open space.