BY GARY LYSAGHT
 |
| Protesters against the development of the rail corridor [Image: Ian Crouch] |
Urban Growth’s planning proposal for Newcastle’s former
heavy rail corridor has been handed down to Council for scrutiny.
The estimated $500 million commitment from the State
Government will see the corridor transformed into an area with buildings are
public spaces, including parks.
The plan will see the rezoning of up to 4 hectares of the
city from Worth Place to Newcastle Station.
Hunter chairman of the Property Council of Australia, Ed
Crawford approves of the plan and says it will benefit the city.
“The objective of this is to really revitalise the inner
city and make it a desirable place to be for people to work and live in,” he
said.
“In lots of ways this puts Newcastle on the map and a place
where tourists would want to come and spend time and money.”
One of the key issues Urban Growth had to take into account
was the need to keep buildings under nine storeys. Crawford says this was respected.
“There’s no high rise building contemplated in this scheme,
I think it’s all very compatible with the built form that is around those
number of sites,” he said.
 |
| David Shoebridge [Image: Ian Crouch] |
“It seems, from the information that’s been released, a good
compromise between those who might say three will be development opportunities
and those that say there should be lots of public space.”
“I think there seems to be a suitable blend of both.”
Not everyone shared Crawford’s optimism though, with Greens
MP David Shoebridge leading a protest of about 40 people in the city on
Thursday.
The group was protesting the plan to develop on the land,
and saying the door has been left open for more private development.
“From day one, this was well connected property industry,
doing what it does every day in NSW politics,” he said
“They get in the ear of the decision makers, they find the
public land where they can make the largest amount of profit and they circle
around, getting the Government to do their bidding.”
Shoebridge warned the city could end up like Sydney, with
regions deemed as public places having private buildings placed on them.
“We saw it in Barangaroo in the heart of Sydney, 22 hectares
of public space. Originally it was going
to be parkland for public interest, and instead we get a ruddy-great casino
owned by a billionaire,” he said.
“Here, their montage is all about public open space and a
green outlook. If it goes ahead, we’ll
see more intense development and more public land handed over.”
