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Highlights of the plan

Greater Newcastle metropolitan planning

Five elements shaping Greater Newcastle

Five elements will shape Greater Newcastle into a dynamic and entrepreneurial city with a globally competitive economy and a great lifestyle.

ElementsDescription
1. Metro heartNewcastle City Centre has seen a great amount of improvement and change. Public and private investment and planning has revitalised the city centre and re-connected it to the waterfront. Educational investment and the influx of new creative businesses into sought-after urban areas is encouraging entrepreneurship and helping to create a vibrant and diverse culture at the city heart.
2. Metro coreThe city core is bounded by the Pacific Motorway, edges of the harbour, northern shores of Lake Macquarie and the Pacific Ocean. People living in the city centre enjoy a cosmopolitan lifestyle with strong local communities, jobs and services, and a range of recreational opportunities.
3. Metro frame

Greater Newcastle is framed by an arc of lifestyle centres from southern Lake Macquarie to Cessnock, Branxton, Maitland and Raymond Terrace. People living in these centres live by the water or the bush, which creates a strong identity and sense of place.

New housing and transport services will be designed to maintain the coastal and green outlooks and improve access to open space, thereby retaining the identity of places that collectively form Greater Newcastle.

4.Trading hubs

Greater Newcastle is the only place in regional NSW where national road and rail trade routes intersect with an international trade port. The hubs and routes converge near Tomago and Beresfield-Black Hill, the trade nexus of the area.

5. Iconic tourism destinationsVisitors, residents and students are attracted to Greater Newcastle's diverse sporting and event venues - such as Surfest and V8 Supercars - a ribbon of surf beaches, cluster of vineyards and wineries, unique waterways, and world heritage listed national parks.
Five elements shaping Greater Newcastle infographic.

Activate job targets for catalyst areas 2016-2036

The catalyst areas; Newcastle City Centre, Beresfield–Black Hill, Broadmeadow, North West Lake Macquarie, Callaghan, East Maitland, John Hunter Hospital, Kotara, Newcastle Port, Tomago and Williamtown are expected to be the major drivers of employment growth.

Job targets for the catalyst areas represent the anticipated job numbers for each area.

The Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan contains actions that will assist in meeting these job targets.

Activate job targets for catalyst areas 2016-2036 – Greater Newcastle infographic