Ashburton is the flagship NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) project in the Nexus Care portfolio. Ten purpose-built SDA units in Melbourne’s inner east, designed around a question most SDA developers do not ask: what does it feel like to actually live in this home, every day, for the next decade — not just on the inspection date. This guide walks through the project, the design philosophy, the investment fundamentals, and the wider Nexus Developments approach to NDIS housing.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
01. Why Ashburton matters in the Melbourne SDA market
02. What Ashburton is — project at a glance
03. Designing SDA for independence, not compliance
04. Inside the units — finishes and accessible design
05. Location: why inner-east Melbourne for SDA
06. Operator partner and tenant experience
07. Investment fundamentals — yield, growth, structure
08. Ashburton in the wider Nexus Care portfolio
09. Frequently asked questions
Why Ashburton matters in the Melbourne SDA market
The Australian SDA market has grown rapidly, but it has also fragmented. In some metro corridors — particularly Melbourne’s outer west — supply has outpaced tenant demand, leaving investors with vacant or under-utilised assets. The lesson is uncomfortable but important: SDA is a long-duration tenanted asset class, not a yield play, and the design and location decisions made up front determine whether the asset performs over a 10-year horizon.
Nexus Developments built Nexus Care on the conviction that SDA done well sits in a unique sweet spot — long-duration income, strong social impact, meaningful capital growth potential. Ashburton is the project that anchors that conviction. Inner-east Melbourne, high-quality design, the right operator partner, and a conservative occupancy assumption baked into the model from day one.
What Ashburton is — project at a glance
Nexus Care · Most SDA is built to comply. Ours is built to live in.
| Project | Ashburton |
| Developer | Nexus Developments (Nexus Care) |
| Location | Ashburton VIC 3147, inner-east Melbourne |
| Type | 10 NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation units |
| Status | Under construction |
| Gross realisation value (GRV) | $15.0M |
| Net investment | $6.3M |
| Forecast valuation on completion | $10.8M |
| Expected income (PA) | $1.12M |
| Lead-in period | 12 months |
Designing SDA for independence, not compliance
Most SDA design in Australia defaults to compliance: the unit meets the minimum design category standard, an inspector signs off, the doors close, and the operation begins. Designing for actual life is different. It means thinking through how a person in a wheelchair moves through their own kitchen at 7am. It means thinking through where a support worker stands during morning routines. It means lighting that does not feel clinical. It means joinery that does not look like joinery from a hospital ward.
Nexus Care · NDIS housing built for independence
“Comply is the floor. Nexus Developments does not design to the floor.”
Inside the units — finishes and accessible design
Ashburton · Unit 03 interior render
Ashburton · Unit 03, secondary view
Ashburton · Unit 10 interior render
Open-plan living that gives a wheelchair the turning radius it needs without announcing it as such. Considered lighting design — layered ambient, task and accent, not just downlights. Bathrooms that are accessible without looking like accessibility was the entire brief. Finishes you would recognise from any quality townhouse: stone, timber, brushed metal, integrated joinery. Outdoor flow on every unit — access to fresh air without a barrier. Storage and joinery dimensioned for the way the tenant actually lives, including with high-support needs.
Location: why inner-east Melbourne for SDA
Location is the second-most important factor in SDA performance after design. Ashburton’s inner-east Melbourne position places the project close to health services, public and accessible transport, family networks, and high-quality retail — the daily-life infrastructure that decides whether a tenant wants to live in a home long-term. The location also supports operator economics: the catchment for support workers is strong, which underpins continuity of care.
Across the wider Nexus Care portfolio, every SDA site is selected against the same location criteria — proximity to services, transport, family, and operator economics.
Operator partner and tenant experience
Nexus Developments works with established Supported Independent Living (SIL) operator partners who manage day-to-day care for SDA tenants. The operator selection process focuses on track record, tenant placement pipeline, support-worker stability, and a person-centred care model that aligns with the Ashburton design intent.
The tenant experience starts with the home. It continues through the operator. Both have to be right for the asset to perform over a 10-year horizon.
Investment fundamentals — yield, growth, structure
SDA investment economics combine three streams: the Reasonable Rent Contribution paid by the tenant (typically based on a portion of the Disability Support Pension), the SDA payment from the NDIS (which depends on design category and location), and capital growth on the underlying real estate. Ashburton has been modelled conservatively across all three — long stabilised occupancy, current SDA pricing rates, and capital growth aligned with inner-east Melbourne fundamentals.
For investors exploring exposure to SDA through the Nexus Wealth Fund, Ashburton sits inside the Nexus Income Stream & Capital Growth Fund — alongside other social-infrastructure assets in childcare and medical centres.
Ashburton in the wider Nexus Care portfolio
| Ashburton | 10 NDIS units · Under construction · $15M GRV |
| Mentone Heights | 5 townhouses + 9 NDIS units · Under planning · $19M GRV |
| Mentone Mews | 12 NDIS + 1 Care apartments · Under planning · $18M GRV |
| Campbellfield Superclinic | 8 consulting suites + dental · Permit approved · $2M GRV |
| Total Nexus Care SDA pipeline | 34 NDIS units across three projects |
EXPLORE NEXUS CARE
Speak to our Care team about SDA investment, tenant placement, or family-led referrals. Visit nexusdevelopments.com.au/nexus-care →
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Ashburton SDA project located?
The Ashburton SDA project is located in Ashburton VIC 3147, in Melbourne’s inner-eastern suburbs. The project is developed by Nexus Developments under the Nexus Care portfolio.
How many SDA units does Ashburton deliver?
Ashburton delivers 10 NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation units, purpose-built for high physical support needs.
What is the expected income from Ashburton?
Expected income from Ashburton is approximately $1.12M per annum at stabilised occupancy. Net investment is $6.3M and forecast valuation on completion is $10.8M. Investment outcomes will depend on tenant placement, operator performance and NDIS pricing arrangements.
How can I invest in SDA through Nexus Developments?
Exposure to SDA assets like Ashburton is available through the Nexus Income Stream & Capital Growth Fund, part of the broader Nexus Wealth Fund platform. The Fund is available to wholesale and sophisticated investors.
Is Ashburton accepting tenants?
Ashburton is currently under construction. Tenant placement is managed via the operator partner in line with the SDA framework. Contact Nexus Care for family-led referrals or further information.
About Nexus Developments
Nexus Developments is a leading multi-sector property development company based in Melbourne, Australia, with a project pipeline of over $400 million+ across residential, NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation, Montessori childcare, education and commercial real estate. Founded by Bhupendra (Ben) Sethia — a 25-year industry leader and Founder Chairman of JITO Australia — Nexus Developments operates with institutional-grade governance, partnerships with Colliers and Maddocks, a 7-8 star NatHERS energy standard on every new dwelling, and a commitment to contribute more than 600 dwellings to the National Housing Accord.
Across Nexus Communities, Nexus Care, Nexus Learning, Nexus Commercial and the Nexus Wealth Fund, Nexus Developments delivers projects designed to compound long-term value for investors and communities alike. Whether you are an investor seeking exposure to Melbourne property development, a first-home buyer looking at Melbourne growth corridors, a family considering NDIS-accredited Specialist Disability Accommodation, or a landowner looking for a delivery partner, Nexus Developments has a pathway for you.
Take the next step with Nexus Developments
- Explore current Nexus Developments projects across Melbourne and regional Victoria →
- Register your interest in a Nexus Developments residential community →
- Speak to our investor relations team about the Nexus Wealth Fund →
- Learn how Nexus Care designs SDA housing built for independence →
- Read more insights and market intelligence from the Nexus team →
- Contact Nexus Developments →
BUILDING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES · DISTRIBUTING WEALTH
Nexus Developments APAC · nexusdevelopments.com.au · info@nexusdevelopments.com.au
Disclaimer: This article is general information only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal or tax advice. Investments in Nexus Wealth Fund products are available to wholesale and sophisticated investors as defined under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Renders are artist impressions and indicative only.