NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper says the government is "reviewing the long-term development strategy" for the proposed Hunter Park sports and entertainment precinct at Broadmeadow.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Labor government celebrates 100 days in power on Monday after unseating the Coalition for the first time in 12 years at the NSW election on March 25.
To mark the occasion, the Newcastle Herald asked the Lower Hunter's Labor MPs to provide a progress report on a host of projects and programs widely considered important to the region's future.
Mr Kamper said the Hunter Park project, first announced in 2017 by the former government, was "in good hands".
"Newcastle has proven that it's the perfect location for more major events thanks to the success of the Elton John concerts late last year and the massive demand for P!nk's Summer Carnival concerts at McDonald Jones Stadium in 2024," he said.
"To support the growth in events and their contribution to the Newcastle visitor economy, we're reviewing the long-term development strategy for the entire precinct."
The Coalition government announced in June 2021 that it would spend $6.7 million on a "final business case" for the precinct, which City of Newcastle has identified as its top priority for state or federal funding.
The Herald reported late last year that Venues NSW had completed a business case which identified a new 11,000-seat entertainment centre as the most pressing need for the precinct.
Its master plan for the site also included an aquatic centre, hotels, an eat street, commercial space and 2700 apartments for up to 6400 people.
The former government denied the business case had been finished, and Labor has not published the document since winning office.
Mr Kamper said his department was "focused on fixing things that were neglected in the past, such as the video board at the southern end of McDonald Jones Stadium, which hasn't worked properly for several years".
"State-of-the-art screen technology will be installed in time for the start of the 2024 Newcastle Knights NRL season," he said.
The Herald revealed in March that international planning firm Hassell had completed a 118-page Hunter Park "urban design framework" for Venues NSW in August last year.
The future of the 63-hectare site is intertwined with calls to address the region's housing crisis and extend Newcastle's light rail line.
Lower Hunter MPs fill five of the state's 22 cabinet positions, and Premier Chris Minns has said repeatedly that they have "sharp elbows" when it comes to advocating for the region.
Hunter community and business leaders have identified a host of issues the government should be addressing, including housing supply, transport improvements and an authority to guide the region's transition away from fossil fuels.
"We know that we have a huge job ahead of us, but we've gotten stuck in and have been making good progress," Newcastle MP and Minister for the Hunter Tim Crakanthorp said.
"I'm particularly thrilled to be moving forward on Stockton beach after fighting with the community for so long to have this issue taken seriously."
The government's 100-day Hunter report card does not include any large-scale projects to build social and affordable housing.
Instead, it has announced that residential development on Crown land must include 30 per cent affordable housing and offered developers a 30 per cent height and density bonus on large apartment buildings which set aside 15 per cent of their floor space for affordable units.
"Our proactive approach towards social housing is a big change from 12 years of inaction, starting with a freeze on the sale of public housing," Mr Crakanthorp said.
"Every day I hear about the problems people have with maintenance and accessing social housing. It is a huge issue, and it's not one we're backing away from."
The government has established a bus industry taskforce to address complaints about privatised transport networks and introduced 506 new bus services in Lower Hunter growth areas.
It has also introduced measures to make it cheaper and easier to become a bus driver after identifying more than 500 job vacancies in the industry across the state.
"The announcement of two new bus routes through the Wallsend electorate last week is a great example of the new government getting things done," Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery said.
The government lodged a development application last week for upgrades to Newcastle High School under the state significant development fast-track planning scheme, but the future of a proposed broader Newcastle education precinct remains unclear.
"Space on the site has also been allocated for a future new primary school, subject to enrolment demand and a second business case," the government said.
It expects to award a tender for the high school work this year.
Labor promised during the election campaign to build new schools at Medowie and at the Huntlee housing estate near Branxton.
The government said last week that it was "committed to planning" for new primary and high schools at Huntlee.
The Department of Education has bought a site at Huntlee for a primary school and is "working with the developer to identify a site in the next stage of the precinct for the new high school".
"Work is under way on a business case to seek approval for funding for the new primary and high schools," the government said.
Investigative works had started to "inform next steps" on a Medowie high school "with a community update expected within weeks".
The department has lodged development applications this year for upgrades to Hunter River and Irrawang high schools at Raymond Terrace.
Transport for NSW said it was "investigating strategic alignment options for future light rail extension in Newcastle" after the former government opened the inner-city's 2.7-kilometre tram line in early 2019 amid calls to extend the service to key locations in the suburbs.
"Any decisions about route and timing are yet to be determined," the department said.
The government said it remained committed to establishing four regional economic transition authorities, including one in the Hunter.
Natural Resources Minister Courtney Houssos has travelled twice to the Hunter since the election to meet with mining industry and coal worker representatives and toured BHP's Mt Arthur mine.
She has also spoken to the chairs of the "expert panels" appointed to oversee the $25 million-a-year Royalties for Rejuvenation Fund.
Labor promised to spend $21 million on long-term sand replenishment at Stockton beach.
The taskforce appointed to deal with the issue met for the first time in a year last month, and the government has appointed the Department of Regional NSW to coordinate the works after years of buck-passing.
A tender to dredge the first 100,000 cubic metres of sand from the Newcastle harbour entrance could be awarded in September, but it is unclear when regulatory approvals will be in place and when the sand can be deposited on the beach.
The initial works are a fraction of the estimated 2.4 million cubic metres of sand required to fully restore the beach, but taskforce community representative Barbara Whitcher told the Herald last month that she was confident the government was moving in the right direction.
The government said it would start consultations soon with industry, employer and education stakeholders on fulfilling Labor's promise of a new TAFE manufacturing centre of excellence in the Hunter.
The promised fix for Morisset's traffic bottleneck along Mandalong Road is mired in delays and a cost blowout after the state and federal governments pledged last year to fully fund the project.
The government said last week that Transport for NSW was working to "identify utilities, geotechnical and environmental constraints, traffic survey data collection, consultation and investigations to better understand any potential heritage impacts, and producing design options for the proposed upgrade".
The Hunter MPs said the government had shifted 5500 teachers and school support staff across NSW from temporary to permanent contracts and hired 150 nurses for John Hunter Hospital.
Swansea MP Yasmin Catley said promised dredging of the suburb's channel entrance would "soon be under way".
The government will hand down its first budget in September.
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.
