NSW precinct to receive boost in homes and jobs
Newcastle is poised to undergo significant transformations aimed to drive economic activity and urban renewal in the precinct as a part of a state government initiative.
The draft Newcastle Urban Renewal Strategy, which identifies opportunities for growth and investment in the city centre, will seek to accommodate up to 12,600 more residents and thousands of new jobs by 2036.
Planning and infrastructure minister Brad Hazzard named Newcastle as Australia’s seventh largest city and says that a facelift is long overdue.
“The NSW government has committed $120 million to kick-start the city’s revitalisation with 6,000 new homes and up to 10,000 new jobs expected to be created,” Mr Hazzard said.
In addition to the initiative to upgrade the Hunter Street Mall and Wheeler Place precinct, the government will also fund $94 million for a new court complex at Civic and $25 million towards a new University of Newcastle city campus.
A new commercial hub at Wickham and concentrate activity around three new precincts in the hubs of East End, Civic and West End have also been proposed.
The public will now have until Friday 19 April 2013 to provide feedback on the draft strategy.