Hunter region
Lower Hunter Regional Strategy
The Lower Hunter is the sixth largest urban area in Australia and one of the State's major centres of economic activity. It is expected to continue to grow as people are attracted by its lifestyle and opportunities.
An overall plan has been prepared to ensure the region develops in a strong and sustainable way. The NSW Government's 25-year land use strategy for the region:
- Provides for 115,000 new homes to cater for a projected population growth of 160,000 people.
- Plans for up to 66,000 new jobs and ensures an adequate supply of employment land.
- Promotes growth in centres — a greater choice of housing and jobs in Newcastle's CBD and specified major centres.
- Creates important green corridors of land with high environmental value, which will be managed for conservation purposes. These corridors align with existing public reserves, some of which will be expanded.
- Protects high quality agricultural land, and natural resources such as water aquifers and extractive materials.
The strategy will guide local planning in the five local government areas of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Maitland and Cessnock, and inform decisions on service and infrastructure delivery. It will be reviewed every five years.
- Lower Hunter Regional Strategy - in full, including maps [PDF 4.0 MB]
- Lower Hunter Regional Strategy - text only [RTF]
- Map 1. Lower Hunter Regional Strategy [PDF]
- Map 2. Natural Resources [PDF]
- Fact sheet: Lower Hunter Regional Strategy - Overview [PDF]
- Fact sheet: Lower Hunter Regional Strategy - Offsets [PDF]
Land dedication agreements
In finalising the Lower Hunter Regional Strategy the NSW Government has reached agreement with four major landholders for the dedication of over 12,000 hectares of land in return for the recognition of additional development potential over 3280 hectares. The details of the negotiated outcomes are set out in a series of Memoranda of Understanding between the NSW Government and:
Coal and Allied Industries Ltd
Memorandum of Understanding [PDF]
Map - Northern lands [PDF]
Map - Southern lands [PDF]
Map - Catherine Hill Bay footprint [PDF]
Map - Crown Roads, Mt Pleasant [PDF]
Map - Crown Roads, Warkworth [PDF]
Regional Land Management Corporation Pty Ltd
Memorandum of Understanding [PDF]
Map - Tomago lands [PDF]
Map - West Wallsend lands [PDF]
Coastal Hamlets Pty Ltd and Lakeside Living Pty Ltd (Rosecorp Group of Companies)
Memorandum of Understanding [PDF]
Map [PDF]
Hardie Holdings Pty Ltd
Memorandum of Understanding [PDF]
Map - Development and conservation lands [PDF]
Map - Sanctuary Villages [PDF]
Map - Sweetwater [PDF]
Strategy-related plans and reports
Draft Newcastle–Lake Macquarie Western Corridor Planning Strategy
The draft Newcastle–Lake Macquarie western corridor planning strategy (Department of Planning 2009) helps implement the Lower Hunter Regional Strategy by identifying key planning principles, development criteria and infrastructure requirements to guide future urban expansion and conservation outcomes within the western corridor. The planning principles take into consideration the corridor’s proximity to existing residential areas and employment lands, site constraints, major transport linkages and regional and local conservation corridors. The planning strategy once finalised will enable consent authorities and landowners/developers to establish and use consistent planning controls for new and emerging communities and coordinate conservation land dedications and infrastructure. Comments on the draft strategy can be emailed to hunter@planning.nsw.gov.au or mailed to the Regional Director, Department of Planning, Hunter Region, PO Box 1226, Newcastle NSW 2300. The closing date is Friday 22 May 2009.
Regional Conservation Plan
The NSW Government has also prepared a long term Regional Conservation Plan for the Lower Hunter, which is available from the Department of Environment and Conservation's website.
Inquiries
Phone 02 4904 2700 or email hunter@planning.nsw.gov.au