Newcastle Council Defers Decision On Rail Corridor Rezoning

BY IAN CROUCH

Newcastle councillors have stopped short on making a decision to rezone the disused rail corridor.

They deferred the vote last night on rezoning the land between Worth Place and Newcastle Railway Station which would've cleared the way for development.

Instead they've left the proposal on the table to allow for a briefing from council officers with an invitation to Urban Growth.

Councillor also want a report from the state government demonstrating the rail corridor is no longer needed for the city's transport needs.

Urban Growth wants the 4.25 hectare parcel of land rezoned to allow for mixed use development including public recreation as well as public education and tourist use of the corridor.

The plan also provides for up to 12 buildings and 3 new parks.

However Andrew Fletcher from the Property Council has slammed council's decision, saying it's putting the city's revitalisation at risk.

"Council weren't being asked last night to give any final stamp of approval. They were merely being asked to keep the process moving forward  - to take the rezoning to what's called a Gateway Process, which triggered another round of community consultations. So, by demanding further reports and further briefings, they're really risking the jobs and growth from the $2 billion investment pipeline in the city centre," he said.

Andrew Fletcher

Changes on the Horizon for Newcastle's CBD

BY BRIDGET GUNN

The west end of Newcastle is driving a huge boom of construction, with $700 million going towards the new high-rise housing hub.

This project is part of $2 billion going towards construction in the Newcastle area.

These new projects in Newcastle are set to have a combined value of $1.6 billion, and comprise of more than 3,000 apartments including 1,200 in the west end.

Hunter Director of the Property Council of Australia Andrew Fletcher says the construction projects will drive Newcastle's future economic growth.

"The construction projects will mean new jobs for Newcastle, it is extremely positive for the city " says Fletcher.

"We know that we have to cater for something like 10,000 new jobs and 6,000 new residents over the next 15 to 20 years."

Mr Fletcher believes that the state government's willingness to press forward with the light rail proposal in Newcastle has been a strong driving force for the construction projects.

"The government's commitment to the light rail for Newcastle has been the thing that sparked the private sectors interest in the city."

Andrew Fletcher
Source: The Newcastle Herald

New Hope For Newcastle's Historic Post Office

BY IAN CROUCH

Concept plans will be unveiled today in the hope of breathing new life into Newcastle's historic post office building.

The iconic sandstone building in Hunter Street has lain dormant since Australia Post sold it in 2001 to Sydney businessman Sean Ngu for just $2 million.

Plans to convert the grand old building into a lounge bar, restaurant and function centre never eventuated and it's now rapidly deteriorating and infested with pigeons.

In 2010, the site was bought by the NSW Government for $4.25 million but nothing was done towards restoring and reusing the building, prompting a land claim from the Awabakal Local Aboriginal Land Council which was successful in 2014.

Now, the Council is calling for expressions of interest from a prospective joint venture partner to redevelop the site, with two striking and potentially controversial plans released today. One is for a 90 room Indigenous art hotel, the other for an Indigenous medical institute.

Conservative estimates put the cost of restoring and building the new development at $30 million, however it's hoped the completed project would generate a long-term income to pay for it.

Images of the proposed Medical Research Institute