Land at the Hunter Park sport and entertainment precinct could be rezoned for high-density housing as soon as 2024 after the NSW government confirmed it was considering the area for a new streamlined approvals program.
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The government said on Monday that it would initiate housing rezonings in Broadmeadow and six Sydney suburbs to address the state's housing shortage.
Sources said the government was examining land at several Broadmeadow sites, including the 16-hectare UGL train workshop, which is owned by a property development company, and the rail depot behind Hunter School of Performing Arts.
UGL said in a letter to customers on Friday that it had taken up a five-year option on its Broadmeadow lease to 2029 and held another option to extend the lease to 2034.
The Department of Planning and Environment confirmed on Friday that it was considering Hunter Park for inclusion in the Rezoning Pathways Program, which bypasses local councils as the assessment and consent authority for rezonings.
Hunter Park appears to fit the criteria for the program, which promises to complete rezonings by June 2024.
DPE has identified Broadmeadow suburb for what it terms "state-led rezoning", which is when the department "leads a rezoning in large geographic areas or in precincts of state significance".
DPE says it will become involved in controlling rezonings "where there are strategically important places that align with state infrastructure investment, sites involving a step change in land use or intensification, or places requiring resolution of complex planning, infrastructure and stakeholder issues".
One source said the rezonings were more likely to target state-owned land at Broadmeadow such as Hunter Park given the time limit.
The source said Hunter Park also presented planning and political challenges due to its multiple users, including Newcastle Harness Racing Club, District Park tennis courts, Broadmeadow Magic football club and Newcastle Show.
Most of Hunter Park is zoned for public recreation, but a Venues NSW master plan shows sections of the precinct between Lambton and Griffiths roads being redeveloped as apartments.
DPE's Hunter Regional Plan 2041, published last week, says the Broadmeadow "growth area" can "deliver a range of affordable and diverse housing options".
"The government wants Hunter Park to be the first choice for sporting, leisure and entertainment as well as an important precinct for new homes and jobs," it says.
On the wider Broadmeadow "regionally significant growth area", the plan strives for "optimal density and diversity in housing types".
Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
