Making it happen

The regional plan takes an infrastructure-first and place-based approach to future growth.

This requires infrastructure providers, the development industry and public authorities to take an integrated and coherent place-based approach to land use planning through:

• an urban development program
• infrastructure benchmark
• place strategies for specific areas.

Read part 1 (PDF, 48.4 MB) of the regional plan to learn more.

Download the Hunter Regional Plan 2041 (PDF, 48.4 MB).

The urban development program (UDP) is the NSW Government’s program for managing land and housing supply and assisting infrastructure coordination.

The UDP already exists in Greater Newcastle but will be expanded to the Upper Hunter and MidCoast region. This will provide a strong evidence base through quarterly reporting of land supply, dwelling construction and demand.

Two UDP committees will operate with councils, industry and agency representatives participating in the Lower Hunter and Greater Newcastle UDP, and Upper Hunter and MidCoast UDP.

The UDP committees will:

• identify and remove barriers and disincentives for infill housing
• oversee a pipeline of housing and employment land supply across the region to identify opportunities to increase supply across the Hunter
• track the supply of infill and greenfield land supply, completions, whether the land is serviced or contains biodiversity constraints/values, and infrastructure servicing data of housing and employment land
• identify opportunities to accelerate the supply of land for housing and employment including improvements to land rezoning, release, and servicing
• make land use and infrastructure sequencing recommendations that may result in more cost-effective housing and job delivery
• monitor the density of development across the region
• provide sequencing plan and delivery report.

An infrastructure benchmarking framework will allow us to build more homes or facilitate more jobs were infrastructure costs less.

The department is preparing a framework to assess the:

• capacity of existing infrastructure
• potential take-up scenarios of future development
• extent, type, cost and timing of new infrastructure.

The cost effectiveness of supplying infrastructure to homes or businesses will influence government decision-making on where new homes or jobs should be located.

Additional analysis will also consider the wider impacts and benefits resulting from this potential infrastructure investment.

Realigning the Place Delivery Program

The Place Delivery Program was reviewed to align with the government’s target of providing 377,000 new homes by 2029.

Planning reforms, such as the low- and mid-rise housing policy, Transport Oriented Development Program and the Rezoning Pathways Program mean some locations nominated for place strategies are no longer required and the department will not be accepting additional nominations.

All active place strategies under the Place Delivery Program have been assessed and the department has advised stakeholders of next steps and pathways to advance commitments. Potential pathways may include:

• councils progressing as a local strategy or proponents progressing further strategic planning or site-specific studies
• council progressing a planning proposal
• the department preparing Infrastructure Opportunities Plans with Urban Development Program committees to support resolution of infrastructure issues
• the department offering case management support with relevant agencies to provide planning proposal requirements and unlock planning related issues relevant to those commitments
• the department and councils considering opportunities for state rezoning pathways for areas identified through the housing reforms following local strategic planning and/or further technical investigations.

Six cities planning

The Greater Cities Commission will produce a Six Cities Regional Plan. The plan will celebrate the diversity and unique offering of each city and how each contributes to broader region.

Once that plan is adopted, the commission will then work towards a city plan for the Lower Hunter and Greater Newcastle City.

The Hunter Regional Plan 2041 will take the status of a district city plan until it is repealed by the commission’s City Plan.

Monitoring and performance measures

We will produce an annual report on the implementation of the regional plan to act as an accountability framework to each action and objective.

Measures will include:

• percentage of infill or greenfield development
• timeframe and responsibility to complete each action
• number of years of zoned and serviced land
• average travel time and mode of choice between and within the region
• amount of land retained for areas of regional biodiversity value
• the number of low risk, no risk, or high risk planning proposals.

The Place Delivery Group program applies to areas moving from strategic planning to construction. It aims to realise the vision of the Hunter Regional Plan 2041 and the Central Coast Regional Plan 2041 sooner as on-the-ground outcomes.

Greater Newcastle is one of the fastest growing areas in NSW, with an estimated 200,000 people expected to move to the region by 2056. Ensuring quality housing and creating jobs will be critical to the success of the city and region.

In December 2022, the NSW Government announced Broadmeadow as a regionally significant growth area as part of the Hunter Regional Plan 2041. The plan sets the strategic direction for land use planning to help create vibrant and connected communities in the Hunter region.

The Broadmeadow precinct covers an area of 313 ha close to Newcastle's CBD and presents a once in a generation opportunity to achieve city-shaping outcomes that will define Newcastle for decades to come.

What's happened so far?

In December 2022, the NSW Government announced $73.5 million towards the Rezoning Pathways Program – an initiative designed to unlock 70,000 homes across NSW by 2024. Broadmeadow Regionally Significant Growth Area was identified as one of 10 sites to participate in this pilot program.

In early 2023, the department engaged a team of technical consultants to undertake a range of studies to better understand the opportunities and constraints in the area.

The City of Newcastle held community drop-in sessions in May 2023 for people to learn more about the project. They also released an online survey for community to share their views on how we can reimagine Broadmeadow over the next 30 years.

The department and council exhibited the Place Strategy and the Explanation of Intended Effects (rezoning plan) concurrently from 12 June to 24 July 2024. During this time, community sessions were held with both council and department staff in attendance. 

Broadmeadow Place Strategy

The department has worked in partnership with the City of Newcastle (council) to develop the Broadmeadow Place Strategy.

The place strategy outlines a 30-year integrated vision for the Broadmeadow precinct, providing a strategically staged approach to the transformation of this important urban renewal opportunity.

The place strategy serves as a blueprint for how the area will change over time, particularly for areas where significant population growth is expected. The place strategy will establish locations for future housing, employment, public open space, sports and entertainment, recreation, transport, and areas of cultural heritage.

Explanation of Intended Effect

The department has also prepared an Explanation of Intended Effects (rezoning plan) that supports the place strategy and seeks to rezone certain parcels of government-owned land to catalyse redevelopment. The rezoning represents the first stages of realising the long-term vision of the place strategy.

The rezoning plan also details the proposed planning framework and legislative amendments to the Newcastle Local Environmental Plan 2012 as part of the first-move state-led rezoning.

What happens next?

Council and the department will now assess the feedback received and consider changes that need to be made to the strategy and the rezoning plan. The strategy and rezoning plan are expected to be finalised by late-2024.

After the public exhibition period closes, council and the department will assess the feedback and consider changes that need to be made to the strategy and the rezoning plan. The strategy and rezoning plan are expected to be finalised by late-2024.

Once the rezoning plan is finalised, the land will be rezoned for its new intended use. After the land is rezoned, the City of Newcastle will become the authority responsible for future rezonings in the precinct.

In 2025, the NSW Government will also consider a delivery strategy which will drive the implementation process.

The Hunter Regional Plan 2036 (PDF, 3.6 MB) provided the NSW Government’s land use vision for the Hunter. Since its release in 2016, the NSW Government has worked with councils, other stakeholders and the community to deliver on key priorities, which informed this regional plan.

These actions include:

• the release of the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan: Part 1 (PDF, 4.6 MB), Part 2 (PDF, 7 MB) and implementation of catalyst areas
• agreement to a memorandum of understanding with the Hunter Joint Organisation on implementation of the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan 2036
• exhibition of a draft Hunter Expressway Strategy and
• establishment of the Greater Newcastle Urban Development Program and release of the Greater Newcastle Urban Development Program Annual Report 2018-19 (nsw.gov.au).