HUNTER PLANNING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

HUNTER ECONOMIC and ENABLING INFRASTRUCTURE: A Discussion Paper

2020 Hunter Region, New South Wales BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Regional planning – Notes on Infrastructure for the Hunter
Hunter Regional Plan 2036 (Planning NSW)
Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan & GNMP Implementation Plan 2018 – 2020
Upper Hunter Economic Diversification Action Plan
Regional Economic Development Strategy
Regional Planning Monitoring Report 2019

Hunter Regional Plan 2036: Focus on Infrastructure

  • Focus investment to unlock potential in growth industries and increase economic diversification.
  • Align land use and infrastructure planning to maximise the use and capacity of existing infrastructure and the efficiency of new infrastructure.
  • Enable the delivery of health facilities, education, emergency services, energy production and supply, water and wastewater, waste disposal areas, cemeteries and crematoria, in partnership with infrastructure providers.
  • Protect existing and planned major infrastructure corridors and sites, including inter-regional transport routes like the M1 Pacific Motorway and the railway, port and airports, to support their intended functions.
  • Coordinate the delivery of infrastructure to support the timely and efficient release of land for development, including working with councils and service providers on inter-regional infrastructure and service delivery issues between growing areas.
  • Ensure growth is serviced by enabling and supporting infrastructure.
  • Increase inter-regional and international connectivity.
  • Integrate transport and land use planning to enhance public transport connectivity and improve employment accessibility.
  • Promote diversification of operations at the Port of Newcastle and the Newcastle Airport and enhanced connectivity to the Asia-Pacific.
  • Develop local housing strategies for student and visitor accommodation and social and affordable housing.
  • Focus investment in developing infrastructure to:
    • alleviate pinch points, delivering large-scale renewal projects including site amalgamation and remediation;
    • enhance the public domain and relevant services to make it easier to get around the Newcastle city centre, recognising Wickham as the public transport gateway into the centre; and
    • lead by example and partner with other organisations to deliver landmark infrastructure projects.
  • Enhance inter-regional transport connections to support economic growth.
  • Strengthen and leverage opportunities from the interconnections with other regions, particularly the Pacific Highway, the Golden Highway and the New England Highway.
  • Promote freight facilities that leverage the Port of Newcastle and its associated freight transport network.
  • Plan for multimodal freight facilities that support economic development of the region and respond to the location of the proposed Freight Rail Bypass.
  • Investigate opportunities for logistics and freight growth and other complementary land uses around airports, leveraging investments at Taree and Newcastle airports.
  • Enhance the efficiency of existing nationally significant transport corridors and protect their intended use from inappropriate surrounding land uses.
  • Enable development that relies on access to the Hunter Expressway interchanges, provided it encourages efficiencies to the inter-regional transport network.
  • Upper Hunter:
    • Identify the land and infrastructure requirements to develop the Hunter’s coal and alternative energy resources.
    • Protect the availability and quality of resources to sustain agricultural industries in the region.
    • Improve land use certainty and enable innovation by reviewing and amending planning frameworks.
    • Plan for water security to shape regional infrastructure investment and economic development.
  • MidCoast and Port Stephens: Enhance tourism infrastructure and connectivity,
    • recognising the importance of:
      • regional and inter-regional connections via the Pacific Highway and the Newcastle and Taree airports and cruise ship gateways; and
      • local routes such as the Lakes Way and Nelson Bay Road.
    • Plan for and provide infrastructure and facilities that support the ageing population.
  • Facilitate development opportunities on land surrounding Newcastle Airport at Williamtown to cluster emerging high-technology industry, defence and aerospace activities.
  • Protect strategic defence establishments with appropriate planning controls and compatible adjoining land uses.
  • Facilitate opportunities for incubator spaces for technology and non-technology early stage businesses and ensure opportunities for new and emerging enterprises are encouraged.
  • Improve connectivity to the region’s major health and education precincts and strategic centres.
  • Foster education precincts in Greater Newcastle to encourage a centre of excellence in tertiary and vocational education.
  • Establish a health precinct around Metford and other hospitals in the region, including Manning Base Hospital at Taree.
  • Determine potential to grow allied health services on land around hospitals and health services at Kurri Kurri, Belmont, Cessnock, Gloucester, Muswellbrook, Singleton, Nelson Bay and Dungog.
  • Tourism:
    • Enable investment in infrastructure to expand the tourism industry, including connections to tourism gateways and attractions.
    • Encourage tourism development in natural areas that support conservation outcomes.
    • Undertake a land use assessment across the Viticulture Critical Industry Cluster to balance scenic amenity and ongoing growth in tourism.
    • Enable the growth of tourism in the Upper Hunter through integration with the Equine Critical Industry Cluster.
    • Develop capacity for growth in food-based tourism.
  • Agriculture: Protect locations that can accommodate agricultural enterprises from incompatible development, and facilitate the supply chain, including infrastructure, distribution areas, processing facilities and research and development in local plans.
  • Energy: Promote new opportunities arising from the closure of coal-fired power stations that enable long term sustainable economic and employment growth in the region.
  • Land use: Limit urban and rural housing encroachment into identified agricultural and extractive resource areas, industrial areas and transport infrastructure when preparing local strategies.
  • Facilitate more recreational walking and cycling paths including planning for the Richmond Vale Rail Trail and expanded inter-regional and intra-regional walking and cycling links, including the NSW Coastal Cycleway.
  • Implement actions and invest in boating infrastructure priorities identified in regional boating plans to improve boating safety, boat storage and waterway access.
  • Focus development to create compact settlements in locations with established services and infrastructure, including the Maitland Corridor growth area; Newcastle– Lake Macquarie Western Corridor growth area; the emerging growth area around Cooranbong, Morisset and Wyee; and in existing towns and villages and sites identified in an endorsed regional or local strategy.
  • Identify opportunities for urban redevelopment or renewal in urban locations with access to public transport and services in the Greater Newcastle metropolitan area and where there may no longer be a need for employment land.
  • Promote new housing opportunities in urban areas to maximise the use of existing infrastructure.
  • Consider improvements to the public transport network when planning new renewal corridors and precincts.
  • Sequence new greenfield urban development that makes efficient use of infrastructure networks and capacity.
  • Maintain an adequate supply of employment land that is appropriately serviced and to respond to changing industry demands for land use, location and floor space.

Status of Projects in Hunter Economic Infrastructure Plan

Download the Hunter Economic Infrastructure Plan