The proposal to rezone about 4.25 hectares of the corridor has been lodged with Newcastle City Council by the state government’s UrbanGrowth agency, which is working with Transport for NSW on the $500-million-plus “Revitalising Newcastle” project.

UrbanGrowth had previously offered four visions of the corridor for public consultation, with number four having the greatest amount of development.

UrbanGrowth Newcastle director Michael Cassel said the rezoning proposal put to the council took account of public feedback on those models and was closer to number three (Harbour Play City) than it was to number four (Harbour Entertainment City).

Mr Cassel said he was confident the consultation truly reflected community opinions despite criticism from opponents who say the government cherry-picked its consultation in claiming that three-quarters of the population favoured those options.

 Mr Cassel said the corridor east of Worth Place had to be rezoned whether it was for parkland or development because it was zoned for infrastructure at the moment.

“This is not a development application for particular buildings, it’s a visualisation of what land use along the corridor could look like,” Mr Cassel said.

He said the narrow 15-metre corridor meant some sites might be amalgamated with private or government-owned land immediately north of the rail line.

He said the proposal recognised Wickham as the new high-rise centre of the city, with maximum heights steadily stepping down toward the east. The highest zone would allow 30-metre buildings, or eight to nine storeys, west of Civic, ending at 10 metres or two to three storeys near Newcastle station. 

Property Council of Australia Newcastle chairman Ed Crawford welcomed the proposed rezoning as “a good mixture of public space and development”.

But Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said she could not support them and believed corridor planning should stay on hold until the light rail route was finalised.

Cr Nelmes said the community had made it clear that corridor land between Perkins Street and Wolfe Street should be kept for community use only.

Greens MLC David Shoebridge and Newcastle Greens councillor Therese Doyle said the proposal confirmed that “the rail line was cut to make way for intensive development along the corridor”.

SURROUNDED by artists’ impressions of a stylishly redeveloped Newcastle rail corridor, UrbanGrowth Newcastle director Michael Cassel is confident that his organisation’s planning for the city will be embraced by the general public.

In image after image, derelict carparks and unattractive alleys are turned into peoples’ playgrounds with modest new buildings in the background. 

Even if people don’t like what’s proposed, it’s alright, Mr Cassel says, because Newcastle City Council will have the final say on any rezoning.

But Newcastle state MP and councillor Tim Crakanthorp is not so sure, arguing that the threatened amalgamation of Newcastle council with Port Stephens Council means “there will be no council, and the government will be able to approve its own plans”. 

Cr Crakanthorp said the Coalition had always seen the rail corridor as “prime real estate for its developer friends”.

Mr Cassel said UrbanGrowth simply wanted to see the city and its people thrive.