PLANNING OUR FUTURE

DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy OVERVIEW

Our Community has a shared vision for Lake to guide review or development of other Macquarie City that is clear and compelling: Council policy such as asset management, Lake Macquarie is a City with a Lake at contributions, community facilities, its heart encircled by distinctive towns biodiversity conservation, recreation planning, and villages. We balance our cherished LEP amendments and development environments with our need for great control policy; spaces to live and visit, smart transport to guide specific works or infrastructure; options and a thriving economy; which to guide private and community sector adapt and strive to be fair for all. decision-making about proposed - City Vision and Community Values developments, services or community November 2016 facilities; Lake Mac 2050 is a high-level land use strategy to inform assessments of the impact of new that seeks to progress this Vision for our City. technologies, environmental, economic and It does this through influencing practices and societal change; and policies that affect the distribution of people and activities. to evaluate resourcing, infrastructure and budgetary decisions by Council. Our City has significant opportunities to reinforce the role of our centres and neighbourhoods, Lake Mac 2050 has seven Directions that increase local jobs, diversify our housing respond to a range of issues and influences, stock, improve local transport and protect our from local to global levels: environment. ▪ focus activity within and around our towns and centres; Population growth and climate change, as well ▪ develop well-connected high-quality public as technological and social change, need to be spaces; considered. ▪ increase housing choice; The Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan ▪ increase local jobs and investment; estimates the Lake Macquarie local government ▪ provide more options to get around; area will have 24,450 more people, 13,700 new ▪ protect and enhance our Lake, natural dwellings and 11,741 new jobs by 2036. The landscape and heritage; and population is projected to increase by almost ▪ ensure the City is resilient and responsive to 50,000 people by 2050. change. Lake Mac 2050 addresses these opportunities In addition to the Directions providing general and challenges to deliver benefits for our guidance for land use planning and the community and the environment consistent with distribution of people and activities across our the City Vision. City, a number of localities have been identified Lake Mac 2050 is intended for use: for special attention. by state, regional and local policy makers Centres, including strategic centres of regional and decision makers on matters that affect importance, anchor each of the localities Lake Macquarie City, such as transport anticipated to experience significant change. infrastructure;

Lake Macquarie City 2 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy Research undertaken for Lake Mac 2050 shows LAKE MAC 2050 PROVIDES that there is considerable potential to increase A LONG-TERM PLAN THAT jobs in our centres by providing high amenity to attract investment and employers. REFLECTS OUR Our City is fortunate that many of its centres are LOCAL CHARACTER, in attractive locations with excellent access to PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR recreation resources, such as the Lake. IMPROVED By encouraging more housing in and around our centres we can respond to demographic WELLBEING and lifestyle change, increase the demand for SUPPORTS A local services and improve residents’ access to community services and facilities. SENSE OF In addition to increased development in and COMMUNITY around centres, a number of other localities will AND PROTECTS OUR UNIQUE be subject to considerable change and will also ENVIRONMENT require a comprehensive locality-wide approach to planning and development, including infrastructure planning and biodiversity and for people to live close to those jobs. Together heritage conservation. these areas form the bulk of the North West Lake Macquarie Catalyst Area. Notwithstanding a focus on the growth of our centres, there will be widespread, small-scale Completion of the Lake Macquarie Transport infill and medium density development across Interchange will stimulate growth and provide the City in high-accessibility locations. a new focus for development in north Lake Macquarie. A major policy focus of the Plan is reducing the dominance of the private motor vehicle, by Our City has a large number of areas of high improving the safety and convenience of our biodiversity significance. Together with linking pedestrian and cycle network, and by supporting corridors, these areas provide an important better public transport. biological, recreational and scenic resource for our City and need protection. The growth and change expected in the City offers an opportunity to diversify our employment A rolling five year implementation plan will detail base and capitalise on technological change to actions arising from Lake Mac 2050. create more jobs. The small business sector will Many outcomes envisaged in the Strategy continue to be a major jobs generator, particularly may be beyond Council’s direct control and, in in creative and knowledge based industries. Our particular, rely on the support and actions of state industrial areas will continue to restructure and agencies. Furthermore, prevailing property and provide opportunities for the growth of urban development markets will influence some of the services and advanced manufacturing. outcomes envisaged in the Strategy, particularly Cardiff/Glendale is the largest employment the timing of implementations. area in Lake Macquarie. With investment in Lake Mac 2050 supersedes the previous strategy, infrastructure, such as transport, and a flexible Lifestyle 2030. approach to land use, we could double the number of people working and living in this area by 2050. Combined with the former Pasminco site, the area has great potential for new jobs and

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 3 CONTENTS

2 OVERVIEW 34 OUR PRIORITY GROWTH AND CHANGE AREAS

6 INTRODUCTION CHARLESTOWN – BELMONT SWANSEA BELMONT DISTRICT SOUTH DISTRICT The local imperative 8 Charlestown Swansea Area 44 Shaping Lake Mac 2050 with Strategic Centre Area 40 a global to local perspective 9 Swansea Town Centre Precinct 44 Charlestown Regional Relationship to regional Lake Macquarie Airport Precinct 44 Centre Precinct 40 planning framework 11 Catherine Hill Bay Precinct 44 Mount Hutton Windale Gateshead Area 42 FROM NOW 12 Mount Hutton Precinct 42 NORTH WEST LAKE MACQUARIE DISTRICT TO THE FUTURE Gateshead Health Precinct 42 Megatrends 13 Windale Precinct 42 North West Lake Macquarie Catalyst Area 48 Centres and neighbourhoods 15 Belmont Area 43 Glendale Core Precinct 50 Housing choice 17 Belmont Town Centre Precinct 43 Munibung Precinct 51 Jobs and economic change 18 Belmont North Precinct 43 Transport 20 Cardiff Advanced Industry Precinct 51 Blue and green network 24 Glendale Argenton Cardiff Renewal Precinct 51 28 OBJECTIVE AND Cardiff Mixed Use Precinct 52 DIRECTIONS Teralba Precinct 52 Objective 29 Boolaroo Speers Point Precinct 52 Directions 29

Lake Macquarie City 4 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 70 IMPLEMENTATION AND REPORTING Glendale Edgeworth West Toronto Area 62 Implementation 71 Wallsend Urban Renewal and Growth area 54 Toronto Town Centre Precinct 64 Collaboration 72 Toronto-Blackalls Park-Awaba Review and monitoring 72 Pambulong Centre Precinct 54 Precinct 64 Reporting 73 Cameron Park Precinct 54 Rathmines Precinct 64 West Wallsend Precinct 55 Fassifern Colliery Precinct 65 Edgeworth Precinct 55 Awaba Precinct 65

Warners Bay Area 56 OTHER Warners Bay Town Centre Centres not identified in Precinct 56 precinct areas 66 Residential neighbourhoods WESTLAKES DISTRICT adjacent to centres 66 Other residential neighbourhoods 67 Cooranbong Morisset Wyee Growth Area 58 Large format business precincts 67 Morisset Town Centre Precinct 60 Industrial precincts 67 Cooranbong Precinct 61 Rural Lands 68 Wyee Precinct 61 Environmental areas and biodiversity corridors 69

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 5 INTRODUCTION

Lake Macquarie City 6 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy Our Community has a shared vision for Lake Our region Macquarie City that is clear and compelling: Lake Macquarie City has an important and Lake Macquarie is a City with a Lake at distinctive role to play within Greater Newcastle its heart encircled by distinctive towns Metropolitan Area and the Hunter Region. and villages. We balance our cherished Regional relationships and collaboration will environments with our need for great assume greater importance as the City becomes spaces to live and visit, smart transport more socially and economically integrated with options and a thriving economy; which the Greater Newcastle area, and increasingly the adapt and strive to be fair for all. Central Coast, Sydney and wider Hunter Region. - City Vision and Community Values This would build on Council’s existing November 2016 involvement in regional organisations and dialogues in the past. Lake Mac 2050 is a high-level land use The Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan, strategy that seeks to progress the City discussed later, highlights the importance of vision. It does this through influencing collaborative partnerships to help coordinate practices and policies affecting the planning for growth, optimise opportunities distribution of people and activities. for transformation and drive the emergence of Because 2050 is over 30 years in the future, Greater Newcastle as a metropolitan city. much of the content of Lake Mac 2050 is At a tangible level, the existence of strategic conceptual and direction setting and does not regional infrastructure such as the University provide the level of detail found in a plan with of Newcastle, John Hunter Hospital, Port of a shorter horizon. Newcastle, and Newcastle Airport in adjacent Importantly, Lake Mac 2050 addresses more local government areas means that the City must than land use controls, it seeks to guide a wide think about its role and relationships within the range of locational actions by Council and other region if it is to maximise advantage from this stakeholders in support of a desirable physical infrastructure. form for the City to help achieve desired social, Should growth ‘spill over’ from the Sydney economic and environmental outcomes. region, growth rates in Lake Macquarie will Lake Mac 2050 will inform the development increase beyond current projections. This needs of all of Council’s strategies, policies, projects to be monitored and action taken should revised and proposals affecting the City, as well as its growth predictions exceed current estimates. operational decisions. An improved awareness of what Lake Macquarie In order to provide flexibility to respond to future City has to offer will also attract investment. change, the actions in Lake Mac 2050 are This will provide opportunities in new and directed at three time horizons: emerging industries, as well as continuing to 1. Short term horizon: what we know support growth of local tourism and improve – the next five years public spaces, which takes advantage of our 2. Medium term horizon: what is likely natural assets. – the next 6-15 years 3. Long term horizon: what is emerging – beyond the next 15 years A five-year rolling action plan will be developed to support implementation of Lake Mac 2050. This approach will ensure that the community’s interests are maximised.

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 7 THE LOCAL IMPERATIVE

Lake Mac 2050 responds to Council’s peak Our approach to bring it all together strategic planning document, the Lake Macquarie Lake Mac 2050 aims to be a holistic document City Community Strategic Plan 2017-2027. that focuses on outcomes for people and the Lake Mac 2050 progresses the Community environment. Each element of this strategy Strategic Plan by directing future growth and is not exclusive of the other, but needs to spatial matters consistent with the City Vision. be implemented in a coordinated way with Our City has significant opportunities to concerted focus to achieve the outcomes sought reinforce the role of our centres, increase local by relevant global, national, state and local goals, jobs, improve local transport and protect our values, strategies and policies. environment. At the same time, population growth and climate change, as well as technological and social change, pose challenges. The Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan estimates the Lake Macquarie local government area will have 24,450 more people, 13,700 new dwellings and 11,741 new jobs by 2036. The population is projected to increase by almost 50,000 people by 2050, as shown in the table below. Lake Mac 2050 seeks to address these opportunities and challenges to deliver benefits for our community and the environment, while remaining consistent with the City Vision.

Lake Macquarie 2016 2050 Increase population Population 202,847 250,000 +47,153

Dwellings 82,595 112,397 +29,802

Source: REMPLAN forecast, ABS census

Lake Macquarie City 8 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy SHAPING LAKE MAC 2050 WITH A GLOBAL TO LOCAL PERSPECTIVE

Lake Mac 2050 is based on an approach that The Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan 2036 combines an appreciation of global influences (planning.nsw.gov.au/Plans-for-your-area/ with an understanding of how people experience Greater-Newcastle-metropolitan-planning) sets the places where they live, work and play. out further detail across the Lower Hunter local government areas, including Lake Macquarie. The Strategy is built on a cascading policy The Plan states there is enough urban land framework from a global to local focus. It aims in the Lower Hunter to cater for an expected to create a distinctive local response that is metropolitan population of 1.2 million. consistent with this policy framework. The United Nations Sustainable Development Forming strong links with our policies Goals (sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) Lake Macquarie City Council has a well- has provided high-level guidance in relation to developed suite of policies that operate at a desirable, social, economic and environmental number of levels and have informed Lake Mac goals in the development of Lake Mac 2050. 2050. They include: The Australian Government’s Smart City Plan Arts Heritage and Cultural Plan 2017-2027; (cities.infrastructure.gov.au/smart-cities-plan) Cycling Strategy 2021; has provided a national perspective on the development of cities, based on a cooperative Lake Macquarie Development Control approach to long-term planning, targeted Plan (LMDCP) 2014; investment and reform. Lake Macquarie Coastal Zone Management Plan (2015) The NSW Government has provided clear direction to councils about the importance of Environmental Sustainability Action Plan strategic planning, energy efficiency, diverse 2014-2023; and affordable housing supply, coordination of Lake Macquarie Local Environmental infrastructure with development and cultivation of Plan (LMLEP) 2014; economic growth. Lifestyle 2030; and The Hunter Regional Plan 2036 (planning.nsw. a range of Town Centre Plans and land gov.au/Plans-for-your-area/Regional-Plans/ use strategies. Hunter/Hunter-regional-plan) provides regional A number of these documents, along with level land use policy. Employment and urban the Community Strategic Plan, set targets containment are important themes in the and reporting processes, which informed the Regional Plan, including focusing development development of performance indicators in to create compact communities that allow 95 Lake Mac 2050. per cent of people to live within 30 minutes of a strategic centre. Charlestown, Morisset and Cardiff–Glendale are nominated as strategic centres in the Plan, with Belmont, Toronto, Cardiff, Warners Bay, Swansea and Mount Hutton centres of local significance.

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 9 Specialist studies shape Lake Mac 2050 The community has a say A number of specialist studies undertaken during Council has undertaken extensive community the development of Lake Mac 2050 provide consultation to inform the development of greater understanding of trends and possible the City Vision and Community Values, the responses. The outcomes of these background Community Strategic Plan and its suite of policies studies have informed Council’s thinking and and strategies. Extensive consultation has also been incorporated into the Strategy. These occurred during specific land use planning studies included: projects. The results of these consultations informed the development of Lake Mac 2050. population, demographics and housing, including 2016 Census analysis, and Community consultation in September and population and housing forecasts to 2050; October 2017 about whether Council is “on the right track” confirmed the principles proposed transport, including a preferred transport to underpin Lake Mac 2050. This consultation future incorporating options to increase process consisted of a range of personal, the modal shift towards active and public media and web-based methods to seek the transport in the City, emerging technologies community’s views. The consultation largely and freight movement; confirmed Lake Mac 2050’s direction was on housing, including options to capitalise on track and provided additional information to liveability, increase diversity and improve the guide the detail of its strategies and actions. affordability and viability of housing; Further information about the 2017 external economic development, including the City’s stakeholder engagement, including analysis economic relationship with the Hunter, of the feedback received, can be found in the the Central Coast and Sydney, managing Lake Mac 2050 - Are we on the right track? economic change, increasing local Community Engagement Summary Report, employment and building on local strengths; available separately to this Strategy. biodiversity mapping, providing comprehensive data on native vegetation, flora and fauna species, habitat distribution as well as corridors and connectivity; and rural residential housing in Lake Macquarie, highlighting issues and recommending future policy directions for rural and environmental living in the City. Copies of the full studies are available separately.

Lake Macquarie City 10 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy RELATIONSHIP TO THE REGIONAL PLANNING FRAMEWORK

The Lake Mac 2050 Directions build on the regional policy framework of the Hunter Regional Plan and Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan in the following way. Goals Outcomes Directions Hunter Regional Plan 2036

The leading A biodiversity-rich Greater Thriving regional economy natural housing choice communities in Australia environment and jobs

Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan

Create a workforce Enhance Deliver housing close Improve skilled and ready environment, amenity to jobs and services connections to for the new and resilience for jobs, services and economy quality of life recreation

Lake Mac 2050

Increase local jobs Develop well Focus activity within Provide more and investment connected high- and around our options to get quality public spaces towns and centres around

Protect and enhance Increase housing our Lake, natural choice landscape and heritage

Ensure the City is resilient and responsive to change

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 11 FROM NOW TO THE FUTURE

Lake Macquarie City 12 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy MEGATRENDS

Social, economic and environmental megatrends will have major impact on Australia over the next 20 years, influencing how we plan our cities and regions.

Our Future World: Global Megatrends Report (CSIRO 2012) outlines six interrelated megatrends that will specifically change the way we live:

More from less The earth has limited supplies of natural mineral, energy, water and food resources essential for human survival and maintaining lifestyles.

Going, going...gone? Many of the world’s natural habitats, plant species and animal species are in decline or at risk of extinction.

The silk highway Coming decades will see the world economy shift from west to east and north to south.

Forever young Australia and many other countries that make up the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have an ageing population.

Virtually here A world of increased connectivity where individuals, communities, governments and businesses interact with the virtual world more than ever before.

Great expectations The rising demand for experiences over products and the rising importance of social relationships.

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 13 We will be better able to achieve the social, needs to reduce the human induced factors economic and environmental outcomes sought accelerating climate change, such as by the Community Strategic Plan if Lake Mac carbon emissions. 2050 takes into account these megatrends a Globalisation will lead to import competition, number of which have particular relevance to greater export opportunities, a more Lake Macquarie: multicultural perspective and more rapid Increasingly, the activities undertaken in our social change. City will need to use fewer resources and Technological change will mean that be more efficient. Our urban area will need we are all connected. Access to fast to adapt and assume a more efficient urban telecommunications will be essential. form within which buildings and activities Access to data will help us better manage consume less energy and other resources. our urban area and lead our lives, but it has Focusing activity in our centres will assist this. the potential to overwhelm and leave behind Renewable energy will become those without basic technological life skills more important. or internet access. Technological change Our community expects that the through automation will affect workplaces quality of our Lake and natural places will be and, in transport, will affect how we get maintained if not improved. We have made around. We know the changes will be great strides in improving water quality of significant but, for many, we do not know the Lake but we will need to try harder to their impact and need to be aware and agile maintain and improve on these gains. to adapt positively to change. Further increases in population will place An ageing community will change the greater pressure on the City’s biodiversity workforce pool, transport needs, nature of and environmental systems. We will need to work and recreation and service demand. reduce our impact on environmental systems It will significantly affect the demand for more maintain their integrity and function. We can diverse housing, including smaller dwellings. achieve this through protecting ecosystems, People will demand community settings areas of biodiversity significance, enhancing that facilitate social interaction – places that biodiversity corridors and the urban forest, are pedestrian-friendly and human-scale. and improving water quality, all of which This has major implications for the nature support life itself. The health of natural of our town centres and how they operate. systems is very important to reduce the Low-amenity centres will not attract people, greenhouse effect and manage global customers or investment. warming. Climate change will directly affect our communities through sea level rises, increased incidence and strength of storms and sea storm surges. Climate change will also result in increasing incidence of bushfires, extreme heat events and reduced average rainfall. It is potentially a direct threat to life and property in a number of areas in our City, and requires concerted action ensure our community is resilient and adapts to these changes. Action also

Lake Macquarie City 14 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy STRATEGIC, TOWN AND LOCAL CENTRES

Strategic centres Town centres Local centres Neighbourhoods are regionally significant provide a range of typically provide a are defined as places centres providing a services, community range of day-to-day that may be part of wide range of services, facilities, retail, and services, community a suburb or group of community facilities, employment to a facilities, retail, and suburbs with which retail and employment spatial catchment employment to a residents relate and to a wide spatial comprising a number catchment usually undertake most of their catchment. Typical of suburbs. They comprising a social interaction. strategic centres often include relatively suburb or group of include more intensive intensive multilevel neighbourhoods. They multilevel housing housing development, include such centres development than particularly in centres as Blacksmiths, elsewhere in the Lake near the Lake. They Blackalls Park, Macquarie. Strategic are Belmont, Cardiff, Bonnells Bay, Cardiff centres often include a Mount Hutton, South, Caves Beach, transport interchange. Swansea, Toronto and Dudley, Edgeworth, Charlestown, Glendale Warners Bay. Redhead, Teralba, and Morisset are Wangi Wangi, West strategic centres. Wallsend and Windale.

CENTRES AND NEIGHBOURHOODS

Less than 15 per cent of our residents live facilitates a quality lifestyle, affordability and within a 10-minute walk of our town centres. a stronger sense of community. By increasing the population in and around our Lake Macquarie has a number of strategic centres we can reduce car dependency, reduce and town centres, including Belmont, Cardiff, household travel costs, improve well-being, Charlestown, Glendale, Morisset, Toronto, enhance local business viability and increase Swansea, Warners Bay and Mount Hutton. economic productivity. Of these, Charlestown, Glendale and Morisset The structure of Lake Macquarie’s centres and are the strategic centres and play, or will play, a neighbourhoods provides a great opportunity wider role in delivering higher level and specialist to offer housing that is part of a distinct goods and services to a wider catchment. neighbourhood, with focus points such as Complementing the town centres are a large parks or local shops. By pursuing an integrated number of local centres, such as Kahibah, approach, Lake Mac 2050 can ensure housing Valentine and Wangi Wangi.

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 15 These vary greatly in size, but all perform an important role in providing a focus and sense of identity for the surrounding community. WHAT ARE COMPLETE Our City’s centres have not reached their STREETS AND potential. They have evolved over time from NEIGHBOURHOODS? shopping areas with some office development and, to some extent, reflect the needs and A complete neighbourhood is priorities of the past. one that provides community Our centres offer considerable scope to rise to infrastructure and services the challenges of the future by incorporating within easy reach, preferably a a more balanced range of land uses such walkable catchment. Our centres and their as employment, retail, services and housing. surroundings best provide this environment Undertaking place making, developing improved because the large numbers of people public spaces and a more pedestrian-friendly, living and working nearby improves the human-scale environment will reinforce their role viability of services relative to a low-density as a focus for the surrounding community. area. Complete neighbourhoods provide community health, social and economic Increased housing within and around our centres benefits. will increase and diversify street life. Improved public and active transport links will ensure The streets of our town centres centres are highly accessible without increased and suburbs are important to traffic congestion or demand for car parking. the liveability of our community. Too many streets are As development in parts of our City becomes dominated by the needs of motor more intensive, it will be important to reduce the vehicles. Complete streets provide a safe impact of urban ‘heat islands’ for amenity and environment for users of all ages and environmental reasons. abilities – pedestrians, cyclists, motorists Similarly, our neighbourhoods can evolve to and public transport. This environment meet the challenges of the future. Small-scale includes the footpaths, street trees, seats, infill development, secondary dwellings, terraces, gathering points, road crossings and the villas and low rise townhouses, can provide road surface. much-needed housing choice at the local level. If we are to encourage growth in our Ideally, infill development should occur near local centres, it is very important that the focus points, such as parks, schools, shops surrounding street system reflect a and public transport stops, to take advantage complete streets philosophy in order to of this infrastructure. Improved active transport create a high-amenity environment for links to the centres from the surrounding pedestrians. neighbourhoods will improve their access to Clearly, street design should reflect its local services and jobs. function and context – an arterial road Council’s existing policies and actions, has different design requirements to a including the Community Strategic Plan, Local residential street. The complete street Environmental Plan, Development Control Plan, philosophy is to provide a street network and Local Area Plans, support the transition of that delivers safety, amenity, social our centres to meet future needs. Lake Mac interaction, wellbeing and choice of 2050 seeks to accelerate this trend. transport mode.

Lake Macquarie City 16 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy HOUSING CHOICE

The population of Lake Macquarie is changing. Demographic trends, combined with a Not only is the population expected to grow by growing preference for ‘urban’ lifestyles and almost 50,000 (around 25 per cent) by 2050, the community’s desire to protect our natural the population will have a higher proportion of areas, provide a strong rationale for limiting older age groups, and a greater diversity of fringe growth. This will help reduce costs to the household types. community that come from servicing spread-out settlements. An examination of projected population growth In 2016, almost 85 per cent of Lake and estimated dwelling supply shows there Macquarie’s dwellings were large detached is enough land zoned to permit dwellings in houses, but this type of home does not meet the City’s urban areas, or in Council’s Urban everyone’s needs. Demand is expected to Development Program (UDP), to accommodate increase for more diverse housing, such as our needs to 2050. smaller dwellings, and those that can be adapted to changing needs. The graph below shows that supply is adequate under low, medium and high population growth scenarios. The low projection is based on the There is an opportunity to better meet community 2036 population projection produced by the needs by increasing housing choice throughout NSW Department of Planning and Environment, the City and increase the availability of dwellings the medium projection was produced by in places with good access to jobs and services, REMPLAN for Lake Macquarie Council, and such as our centres. This is particularly the case the high projection assumes a growth rate of for our growing population that needs adaptable 0.7 per cent per annum which is higher than housing close to services. that used for the medium projection and the Affordability, social inclusiveness and existing rate of growth (0.55 per cent per sustainability will need to be improved. We can annum over the past 10 years). help improve the affordability of housing by better 35,000 matching housing type, design and location 30,000 with community needs, applying new building 25,000 technologies and reducing whole of life cycle housing costs. 20,000 15,000

In addition, reducing unnecessary regulation, 10,000 efficiently processing development applications, 5000 and by reducing resources consumed in the 0 construction, maintenance and day-to-day use of High Medium Low population population population housing will help to contain housing costs. growth growth growth Housing also needs to be designed and located 2050 Surplus Dwellings required (2050) Dwellings required (2036) so that it is resilient to natural disasters and The assumptions underpinning the projected adaptive to climate change. dwelling supply calculations are conservative and are likely to underestimate supply.

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 17 It is prudent practice to have 15 years of potential land supply for housing in excess of estimated JOBS AND demand at any time. This practice allows for rezoning processes, market competition, ECONOMIC alternative sourcing and changes in market preferences to occur without creating shortfalls CHANGE in supply and affordability issues. The growth and change expected in the City The graph (previous page) shows that in 2036 offers an opportunity to diversify our employment there will be around 15 years of potential supply base and capitalise on our existing amenity, skills in excess of medium projected demand, on the and industries as well as technological change to basis of estimates of supply in 2018. There is create more jobs. currently 30 years supply in excess of demand. Notwithstanding the overall adequacy of supply, In 2016, almost half of our residents there may be a need to zone areas of additional commuted for work outside the City. There is land for residential purposes to meet local considerable scope to increase local jobs in our needs. In these cases, a well substantiated centres and employment areas. More local jobs case for rezoning will be required, with a focus will reduce commuting and lower household on economic, social and environmental impacts travel costs, particularly if we can focus jobs rather than generalised arguments about growth in centres. market demand. Half of all the jobs in Lake Macquarie are within Future rezoning will need to be consistent with four industries - retail, manufacturing, healthcare the directions in this strategy. Preference will and education. Our employment base is less be given to locations in the priority growth and diverse than similar cities. change areas. The health and education sectors are predicted The supply and demand for land and housing to grow strongly. Leverage from the nearby John should be reviewed every five years. Adjustments Hunter Hospital and University of Newcastle to supply will be made as necessary, in is important, as is capitalising on our existing consideration of the nature of demand at that hospitals and TAFE network. The Greater time. This will ensure an ongoing 15 year ‘buffer’ Newcastle Metropolitan Plan refers to the of supply over demand, particularly beyond 2036. importance of facilitating complementary land Provided this is done the City should be readily uses near health precincts and prioritising able to maintain sufficient land for housing. planning for seniors housing and aged care This analysis shows that the supply of land for housing in Lake Macquarie City is consistent with the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan, which EMPLOYMENT AREAS states there is more than enough urban land Employment areas are those zoned for in Greater Newcastle to cater for the expected industrial or business development. Typically metropolitan population in 2036. these areas support industrial, warehousing and distribution, urban services and manufacturing. Urban services are activities that support local communities and businesses. Examples include motor vehicle services, printing, waste management, and courier services.

Lake Macquarie City 18 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy services close to frequent public transport, within centres or planned or existing health precincts. Manufacturing is undergoing transition due to CREATIVITY automation and import competition, and we need AND INNOVATION to support building on our specialist strengths Rapid changes in information technology and technology to provide jobs into the future. and global competition have increased the New land use possibilities will open up, as need for businesses to apply creativity and coal mining and coal fired power generation innovation to improve their service delivery on the western side of the Lake decrease in and products. importance to the point of closure, because These economic and technological changes of ageing infrastructure and the global shift to have also fostered an environment for the renewal energy. Notwithstanding this, there are growth of small flexible small businesses, opportunities for the City to build on its strengths including ‘start ups’. These businesses are in providing services to the mining industry by often more competitive and adaptable to diversifying into services for other industries or changing business conditions and are an globalised markets. important generators of economic growth. In addition, the development of renewable energy It is very important for Lake Macquarie to generation, sustainable technology industries and nurture creativity and innovation to: industries based on the ‘circular’ economy have boost economic and employment potential. Economic activity should aim to meet growth for its residents; present market needs without compromising the support the transition of economic ability of future generations to meet their needs. activity to be more efficient and Flexibility and openness is the key because many environmentally friendly; jobs of tomorrow probably do not exist today. to permit existing enterprises adapt The small business sector will continue to be and prosper in changing times; and a major jobs generator, particularly in creative attract new businesses. and knowledge based industries. Typically, these industries set up in flexible work spaces, sometimes in a co-working environment, in town and local centres, as well as in employment use and an increased focus on services and areas. Importantly, this sector can attract bright non-retail uses. young professionals to the area to rejuvenate our Cardiff/Glendale is the largest employment ageing workforce and demography. area in Lake Macquarie. With investment in High speed internet has become essential for planning, catalytic infrastructure, such as business and needs to be ubiquitous. transport, and a flexible approach to land use, Our community has told us that our town we could double the number of people working and local centres should be the focus of our and living in the area by 2050. Combined with growth. Currently, about 30 per cent of jobs the former Pasminco site, the area has great and economic output comes from our centres. potential for new jobs and for people to live Charlestown, Glendale, Morisset, Toronto, close to those jobs. Warners Bay and Belmont are performing Completion of the Lake Macquarie Transport strongly, however Swansea, Mount Hutton and Interchange will catalyse growth and provide Cardiff could do better. All centres have the a new focus for the development of north potential to support more jobs, more mixed Lake Macquarie.

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 19 TRANSPORT

Transport networks have a major impact on the form of our urban areas. It is important that our spatial planning and transport planning ACTIVE TRANSPORT mutually support each other. Active transport refers to unassisted or non- Our road system is showing signs of congestion. motorised travel, such as walking and cycling. In the past, solutions to congestion have been There are some motorised inclusions to the greater investment in the road network. While this definition such as ebikes, which provide limited is warranted in some cases, experience shows assistance when needed. Often use of active that this is a temporary and expensive solution. transport is accompanied by use of public transport, due to the need to walk or cycle The changes in our City to 2050 offer an to a bus stop or railway station. As a result, opportunity to reduce our dependence on motor good active transport infrastructure, such as vehicles by improving public transport services, as safe pathways, can significantly increase the well as pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure (active catchment of public transport stops. transport). Our consultations for the Community Strategic Plan showed strong community support for more cycling and walking infrastructure. Many of our car trips are very short, and could be easily walked or cycled instead. Motorised scooters to West Wallsend, could provide the basis of a (gofers) and ebikes are making this an option for high-frequency, high-capacity public transport a greater number of people. network, with each of our centres providing hubs Reducing the distance between housing, jobs for local services and active transport. and services by enabling more people to live in Such a network would reinforce the development or close to our local and town centres will make of our centres, economic strategy and reduce walking and cycling more attractive. Improving congestion. safety through physical separation between Interregional links such as the Main Northern cars and cyclists will add to this attraction. Railway, M1 Pacific Motorway, and Hunter Reliance on car parks will decline and there will Expressway will become more important as be increased opportunities for providing high the City’s economy becomes more entwined quality public spaces. with that of the Central Coast, Sydney, the wider Hunter Region, and beyond. These Our centres can be better linked with their interregional road transport links are likely to neighbourhoods by a high quality, high amenity pathway network, including between our centres. Lake Macquarie’s topography and population density offer challenges for public transport. Nonetheless, our network of centres around the Lake, combined with strong spines such as along the Pacific Highway, and from Glendale

Lake Macquarie City 20 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy be complemented by the Lower Hunter Freight Corridor and Very Fast Train projects, which are in early planning stages but need to have their ACTIVATING CENTRES corridors secured as soon as possible. WITH A NEW The Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan seeks MOVEMENT AND to create higher speed connections to Sydney and protect major freight corridors. PLACE FRAMEWORK

Freight logistics is a growing industry in Lake Successful places include attractive Macquarie and many of our employment areas spaces where people can meet and enjoy are dependent on efficient access to the main their leisure time, such as town squares, roads system, port, and motorway. It is important libraries and community centres, parks, we continue to improve efficient freight access, sportsgrounds and waterways. while at the same time safeguard residential and other sensitive areas from heavy vehicle intrusion. Being able to access these spaces easily by active or public transport encourages Intracity, water-based passenger transport across people to be more physically active the Lake might become more viable in the future. and increases social interactions in Technological change will significantly affect communities. transport in the coming decades. The impact of Roads through our centres serve an maturing technologies, such as electric vehicles, important movement purpose, allowing autonomous vehicles, on-demand transport, people travel to and from the centre and transport sharing and drones, is not yet clear, move around easily within it. They also but is likely to be major. It needs to be closely serve a place function, allowing attractive monitored to maximise benefits to the community places for people and strong local and the environment. economies to develop and thrive. The Movement and Place framework provides a tool to manage the road network in a way that supports safe, efficient and reliable journeys for people and freight while enhancing the liveability and amenity of places.

Future Transport Strategy 2056 Transport NSW

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 21 TRANSPORT CAN PLAY A BIGGER ROLE IN SUPPORTING HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

Impacts of increased active transport and AN INCREASE public transport use

IN ACTIVE First order transport impacts TRANSPORT, Mode shift from private vehicles to walking, cycling and public transport WALKING Reduced distance travelled by motorised transport Reduce demand for vehicle AND CYCLING parking space Increased use of lower-impact vehicles using emerging RESULTS IN... technologies HEALTH BENEFITS Increased multi-modal accessibility AND REDUCED for households and businesses Reduced truck movements HEALTH SPENDING through centres Reduced road congestion Reduced deaths and injuries from REDUCED road crashes CONGESTION Second order impacts Increased levels of physical activity for individuals Reduced household and business transport costs INCREASED Reduced public and private costs from road crashes SOCIAL Improved labour market connectivity - between firms CONNECTIONS and jobs Improved business connectivity - customers and suppliers More efficient freight supply chains COMMUNITY Improved social connectivity - households to social BUILDING services and opportunities Reduced environmental impacts from transport system Reduced public infrastructure costs Increased levels of local economic activity in centres

Wider impacts MORE DESIRABLE LIVE/WORK AREAS Improved health and wellbeing Local economic development Increased economic productivity Improved urban amenity

Lake Macquarie City 22 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 23 BLUE AND The Green Network “green GREEN NETWORK spaces” in the map opposite is made up of National Park Lake Macquarie’s waterways, coast, green ridges and Estate, high ecological slopes are a unique feature of our City. We are renowned value areas, rural and other for our bushland and biodiversity and the value of our environmental areas as well as green and blue assets will continue to grow. recreational open space such The Community Strategic Plan and our consultations with as playing fields. the community show we highly value the amenity and High ecological value includes lifestyle provided by the Lake and its foreshore, the coast, biodiversity, corridors and and the City’s parks and bushland. These places are areas needed to maintain essential for our health and wellbeing. habitat connectivity as well as Our natural assets and setting are a defining feature of buffers to the Blue Network our City and, combined with our lifestyle, attract new including the Lake foreshore, residents, visitors and investment. major creeks and coast. As our population grows, it is important that development High biodiversity value is split does not reduce the health and amenity of natural areas, into high ecological value our waterways and coast. occurring on land that is not anticipated to be developed Lake Mac 2050 will pose new challenges for our according to current plans and recreational areas; recreational needs change over time high ecological value occurring as sports and leisure pursuits change. In particular, green on land that either has or may spaces and places near our centres will need to retain be developed according to flexibility for changing demands and be managed for current planning documents. increased demand and a greater variety of user needs. Other planning priorities may The integrity and health of our natural areas and assets necessitate the unavoidable need to be maintained and enhanced by protecting loss of high value vegetation and prudently managing significant areas of biodiversity and impacts on biodiversity and reinforcing local and regional biodiversity corridors. values, riparian areas, native City-wide planting and augmenting our urban forest will vegetation corridors and fauna improve urban amenity and lessen the warming effects should be adequately offset. of climate change. Planting is likely to make an important Where possible, clearing native contribution to the amenity of active transport options. vegetation should be avoided.

Lake Macquarie City 24 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy BLUE AND GREEN NETWORK

Glendale

Cardiff

Warners Bay Charlestown

Mt Hutton

Toronto

Belmont

Swansea

Morisset

KEY TO MAP

Area zoned for urban and other purposes National Park

Areas zoned for electricity, mining and other High ecological value outside of development areas support uses

High ecological value within areas that may be developed Major creeks, waterbodies, Lake and ocean

Recreational open space

Other components of the Green Network

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 25 GREEN NETWORK

Lake Macquarie is home to more than 500 recorded species of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Of these, 111 are listed as threatened species within NSW and 47 listed nationally, with three species being critically endangered. There are 12 endangered ecological communities. Thirty-three key threatening processes threaten Lake Macquarie’s biodiversity. One of the main threatening processes is land clearing. Fifty-nine per cent of the native vegetation that existed in the City prior to urban settlement remains. The current rate of clearing bushland is 55 hectares a year. Clearing results in: decreased ability of a bushland patch to support animal species; reduced connectivity between patches of bushland (i.e. destruction of wildlife corridors); and a decline in biodiversity. The encroachment of urban areas into bushland not only kills and displaces the native plants and animals that live there, it reduces the health of bushland and habitat around the edges of urban development through the spread of introduced animal species, weeds and other urban uses into adjoining bushland. Healthy native vegetation can filter stormwater, remove carbon dioxide, provide oxygen, reduce temperatures at ground level and improve community wellbeing.

BLUE NETWORK COAST

Lake Macquarie City has 32km of scenically stunning coastline, including beaches, dunes, high cliffs, sea caves, tessellated rock platforms and fossil forests, with a largely natural backdrop. It is a signature feature of the City, highly valued by residents and visitors. A healthy natural coast is more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Retaining adequate native vegetation buffers to the coast will assist: in maintaining coastal processes and reducing risks to any built assets; and adjusting to higher sea levels. Healthy coastal ecology and clean water is essential for resident lifestyles, recreational use and tourism.

Lake Macquarie City 26 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy BLUE NETWORK

LAKE AND WATERWAYS Lake Macquarie is an iconic waterway that contains high-value habitat including seagrass beds, salt marsh, sandy beaches, islands, mudflats, rocky headlands, mangroves and wetlands. It contains a great diversity of fauna species including invertebrates, fish, migratory birds, marine turtles and marine mammals, recognised as being of state significance. One critically endangered species, one vulnerable species and one endangered population occur exclusively in the Lake. Healthy natural waterways, bordered by native vegetation, assist in reducing pollutants from urban areas, moderate temperatures, improve air quality, are highly utilised recreational spaces, and is a key reason people choose to live in our City. While the health of the Lake has improved significantly in recent decades, pressures from an increasingly urbanised catchment continue to threaten Lake health, especially in the more sensitive bays. The health of the Lake and its tributaries remains an important priority the community. The Lake is more than a landscape feature; it dominates the lifestyle, identity, look and feel of our City.

ADAPTATION PLANNING

Adaptation planning is a process that will lead to the identification of options that could be taken to respond to the uncertainty associated with climate change impacts. The focus of adaptation planning in Lake Macquarie is on responding to the impacts of climate change on flooding and permanent inundation associated with rising sea level. Adaptation planning is about understanding which options are most suitable, at a local level, to respond to this increasing hazard. These options could include: Defending against the flood risk, or modifying the flood risk. For example, by constructing levees, retaining walls and land filling. Retaining walls within private property, with a beach profile on the lake side of the retaining wall, is preferable to sea walls for environmental and social reasons (e.g. foreshore access, biodegradation of sea grass). Building or property modifications to reduce risks from flooding. Some examples are the use of flood proof materials, temporary flood barriers, raising floor levels of buildings if post and beam or when new buildings are constructed. Managed retreat to avoid risks. For example, increasing density in flood free areas and allowing low lying land to revert to natural shorelines, setting buildings back on longer blocks to be outside high flood risk areas.

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 27 OBJECTIVE AND DIRECTIONS

Lake Macquarie City 28 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy OBJECTIVE DIRECTIONS

The objective of Lake Mac 2050 builds on the Seven Directions reflect local priorities and Vision and Values of the Community Strategic respond to the megatrends, as well as national, Plan by focusing on outcomes for people. state and regional plans and policies Lake Mac 2050 aims to achieve the City described earlier. Vision by directing spatial decisions to Notwithstanding the importance of each of the meet the opportunities and challenges of Directions, Lake Mac 2050 is based on a holistic the future, in a way consistent with the approach, whereby the overall outcome is of community’s values. prime importance and no Direction should be It aims to protect what is important to us and pursued to the exclusion of others. influence where and how change occurs so that The Directions express what we will focus on as the City prospers. a priority towards 2050. The maps and content in the ‘Our priority growth and change areas’ section of this Strategy communicates how we expect those actions to play out in specific locations. Because this document is focused well into the future, it is necessarily broad. Rolling five- year action plans will provide more detail.

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 29 DIRECTIONS

FOCUS ACTIVITY WITHIN DEVELOP WELL-CONNECTED, AND AROUND OUR TOWNS HIGH-QUALITY PUBLIC SPACES AND CENTRES People will have improved access to high- A core part of the community’s Vision is to quality, high-amenity open spaces, and natural have the Lake encircled by distinctive towns areas, including the coast, Lake and foreshore, and villages. and bushland for leisure, recreation, health and wellbeing. High-quality urban spaces will support Our centres will provide places for expression community interaction, gatherings and events. of our local character and provide opportunities for social connection and gathering, as well as Urban infill will be accompanied by the adequate providing more housing, employment provision of public space. and services. Desired outcomes: Our centres will be people-oriented, pedestrian A high-quality, high-amenity public domain. and cyclist friendly, and human-scale, with high- Public spaces that are well connected to amenity and quality urban design. centres and residential areas. Desired outcomes: A Blue and Green network within the urban area that links to our natural areas. Each centre has a distinctive character. Quality public space close to or within town Vibrant centres with diverse jobs, shopping, and local centres. services, community facilities, housing, Public spaces have focal points, interest and quality public places and public transport. activation. People spend more time in centres and not just visit for necessities. Indicators: People walking and cycling more in and Increased satisfaction with our facilities around centres. and public spaces. Lively footpath trading. Increased percentage of dwellings within Robust night-time economy especially in 400m and 800m of green space. lakeside town centres. Viable and sociable neighbourhood shops. Green cover positively contributes to amenity and reduces heat in urban areas. Indicators: Increased percentage of the City’s residents living within 400m of a centre. Increased number of people working within 400m of a centre. Increased number of businesses located in centres.

Lake Macquarie City 30 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy INCREASE HOUSING CHOICE INCREASE LOCAL JOBS People will have increased housing choice to AND INVESTMENT meet their needs in complete neighbourhoods. The growth and change expected in the City offers an opportunity to diversify our employment base More residents will be to able meet their day-to- and capitalise on technological change and the day needs without relying on the motor vehicle, drive for a circular economy to create more jobs. reducing household running costs, as well as public infrastructure and servicing costs. There is considerable scope to increase local jobs in our centres and employment areas. More Desired outcomes: local jobs will improve our wellbeing, reduce There are more types of housing available commuting and lower household travel costs. to meet changing household needs. More people can afford the housing Desired outcomes: they need. Lake Macquarie is an attractive place Housing caters for a variety of life stages and to invest. lifestyles, demographic diversity and social More local jobs. inclusiveness. More employment in our centres. The environmental and economic lifecycle More diverse industries. cost of housing is reduced. Skilled and talented people in the 20-35 More housing is provided in centres. year-old age group staying or moving to More people live closer to the services Lake Macquarie to work. and facilities they need to meet their Infrastructure that supports economic and day-to-day needs. employment growth. Residents have a range of social and Indicators: recreational opportunities close to their home. Increased percentage of the workforce that New housing improves safety and amenity of lives and works in the City. adjoining streets and public spaces. Increased number of people employed. Quality design offering higher density Increased percentage of jobs within a living with high amenity for residents, 30-minute commute. neighbourhoods and centres. Increased employment and economic output Indicators: in knowledge intensive and non-traditional Increased percentage of housing that is not industries, such as the creative sector. single detached dwellings. Decreased percentage of households for which rental payments are 30 per cent or more of household income. Decreased percentage of households for which mortgage payments are 30 per cent of more of household income. Increased satisfaction with new development. Reduced per capita residential water and energy consumption.

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 31 DIRECTIONS

PROVIDE MORE OPTIONS TO Indicators: GET AROUND Increased percentage of people using public Our dependence on motor vehicles will be transport for journey to work, shopping, reduced by improving public transport services, social or recreation related travel. as well as pedestrian and cycling infrastructure Increased walk score of centres, the number (active transport). of centres with a walk score of 90 or more. Increased percentage of dwellings within There will be efficient freight access to 400m of a frequently serviced public employment areas, while at the same time transport node or stop, with a scheduled safeguarding residential and other sensitive areas service at least every 30 minutes from from heavy vehicle intrusion. 7am-7pm weekdays. Maturing technologies, such as autonomous Increased length of dedicated cycle paths or vehicles and developments in on-demand shared paths. transport and drones, will be closely monitored Decreased number of car parking spaces to maximise community benefit. per square metre of retail and commercial floorspace in strategic and town centres. Desired outcomes: Decreased delays on designated More places where people live, work, freight routes. play or visit day-to-day are within walking or cycling distance. Walking and cycling links to and around centres and other important local destinations are safe, comfortable and direct. Walking and cycling routes are high-amenity using complete streets and public places, particularly in and around centres. Walking and cycling is an easy and convenient way to connect with public transport. There will be efficient freight access to employment areas. Maturing technologies, such as autonomous vehicles, and on demand transport serve to maximise community benefit. Public transport is efficient and convenient.

Lake Macquarie City 32 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy PROTECT AND ENHANCE OUR ENSURE THE CITY IS RESILIENT LAKE, NATURAL LANDSCAPE AND RESPONSIVE TO CHANGE AND HERITAGE We will approach the future with an open The natural setting provided by our bushland, mind, closely monitor local and global trends, natural waterways, Lake and coast is integral to such as demographic change, climate change our sense of identity and local character. Lake and technological advancements, and act Mac 2050 seeks to maintain and improve a high decisively and responsively in the quality setting for our lifestyle. community’s best interest. The health and integrity of our natural areas is Aboriginal, post-colonial and natural heritage is maintained and enhanced by protecting and respected and maintained. managing significant areas of biodiversity and Desired outcomes: reinforcing biodiversity corridors. The integrity of our green ridges and slopes remain. An adaptable City with effective policy responses to change. The City has a rich Indigenous and post-colonial Plans are made to address uncertainty settlement heritage that is protected and including: celebrated. Decisions address short-term risks for the Desired outcomes: community; Decisions keep future options open; Minimise the impact of development on Use of adaptation pathways and triggers non-urban areas. to guide decision-making; People experience the natural setting Decisions avoid over investment in of the City. possible at-risk assets or areas; and Important biodiversity areas and corridors are Decisions avoid locking in a future protected and enhanced. course of action and allow for future Water quality in Lake Macquarie, its opportunities. tributaries and in coastal streams continues to improve. Indicators: Rural land is preserved for rural, agricultural Increased percentage of dwellings and and environmental uses. businesses with an active broadband Natural and cultural heritage and places of connection of 50mpbs or more. significance are cherished and well managed. Five-yearly review of Lake Mac 2050 has Indicators: been undertaken. Increased percentage of the City’s dwellings Increased percentage of the urban area with and business that are built to be resilient to canopy coverage. natural hazards. Increased percentage of new dwellings developed in the existing urban zoned area. Increase in catchment waterway and estuary health. No increase in urban zoned land at the expense of environmental, recreational and rural zoned land.

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 33 OUR PRIORITY GROWTH AND CHANGE AREAS

Lake Macquarie City 34 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy This section identifies the priority areas in Lake The map overleaf highlights these ‘high change’ Macquarie for change and investment. These localities, while the following section explores the priorities are informed by the seven Directions of nature of change for each locality in more detail. Lake Mac 2050. Our City has a large number of areas with high The figure overleaf shows the significant localities biodiversity significance. Together with linking of change to 2050. These localities have been corridors, these areas provide an important determined through: biological, recreational and scenic resource for a comprehensive review of Council’s our City and are proposed to be protected. planning studies; The maps show these areas, with varying shades of green identifying their level of community consultations and specialist biodiversity significance or function. studies undertaken for Lake Mac 2050, in the context of Council’s Community The Hunter Region Plan emphasises maintaining Strategic Plan; and improving biodiversity links from the the seven Directions of this Strategy; and Watagans to the Lake, coast and wetlands to the north, and along the coast. the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan. A number of centres, including strategic The infill and growth investigation areas centres of regional importance, anchors each identified in this Strategy are indicative and of the localities anticipated to experience high may overlap with development constraints and change. There are three strategic centres: significant heritage or environmental attributes. Charlestown; Glendale; and Morisset. These More detailed plans will be progressively are complemented by town centres at Belmont, developed to provide detail on the location and Cardiff, Mount Hutton, Swansea, Toronto and parameters of future urban development that will Warners Bay, as well as a large number of local achieve the Directions and outcomes sought by centres. The following maps identify the location Lake Mac 2050. of these centres. The following section contains a series of desired In addition to increasing development in and outcomes for a wider area and are accompanied around centres, a number of other localities by detailed descriptions of changes within will be subject to considerable change and will selected precincts within each locality. require a comprehensive locality wide approach In the narrative: to their planning and development including infrastructure planning, biodiversity and heritage Desired outcomes apply for the wider area conservation. and identify what we are trying to achieve. These localities will be subject to significant The precincts section identifies objectives economic or residential change and, depending and actions to guide development in on their characteristics, are highlighted as infill precincts. and growth investigation areas, areas with significant development of new housing, or catalyst areas (widespread change triggered by investment in new infrastructure or state assets) in the maps following.

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 35 PRIORITY GROWTH AND CHANGE AREAS

WHY FOCUS GROWTH IN CENTRES?

Research undertaken for Lake Mac 2050 shows that there is considerable potential to increase jobs growth in our centres by providing high-amenity to attract investment and employers. Our City is fortunate that many of its centres are in attractive locations with excellent access to recreational resources, such as the Lake. By encouraging more housing in and around our centres, we can respond to demographic and lifestyle change, increase the demand for local services and improve residents’ access to jobs, community services and facilities. The village environment of our centres also provides an attractive environment for the growth of small businesses and ‘start up’ enterprises.

Lake Macquarie City 36 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy PRIORITY GROWTH AND CHANGE AREAS Newcastle University and John Hunter Hospital Glendale

Cardiff Newcastle City Centre

Warners Bay Charlestown

Mt Hutton

Toronto

Belmont

Swansea

Morisset

Sydney

KEY TO MAP

Area zoned for urban and other Conceptual route Lower National Park Strategic centre purposes Hunter Freight corridor High ecological value outside Areas zoned for electricity, mining Conceptual route of development areas and other support uses Very Fast Train (VFT) Town centre High ecological value within Major creeks, waterbodies, Existing railway line areas that may be developed Lake and ocean High-capacity, high-frequency Local centre Infill and growth investigation area Recreational open space public transport

Heritage sensitive Other components of Adaptation planning area Major cycleway, local centre the Green Network shared pathway

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 37 CHARLESTOWN – BELMONT DISTRICT

Generally aligning with the Pacific Highway from Charlestown to Belmont, this transport and urban corridor offers considerable opportunities for urban redevelopment, including intensification of the centre at Charlestown, major redevelopment of the Mount Hutton Windale Gateshead Area to take advantage of nearby jobs and services, and the orientation of Belmont Town Centre towards the Lake.

Lake Macquarie City 38 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy Newcastle University and CHARLESTOWN-BELMONT DISTRICT John Hunter Hospital

Focus of activity Newcastle for East Lake City Centre Macquarie and beyond Kahibah Infill and renewal close to centres Warners Bay and Glendale and transport

Health Campus to grow and Charlestown diversify Whitebridge Mixed use with Gateshead retail, services, Mt Hutton offices and housing Dudley

Significant Windale redevelopment area delivering a wide variety of housing styles

Belmont orients Jewells Redhead to waterfront

Belmont

KEY TO MAP

Area zoned for urban and other Conceptual route Lower National Park Strategic centre purposes Hunter Freight corridor High ecological value outside Areas zoned for electricity, mining Conceptual route of development areas and other support uses Very Fast Train (VFT) Town centre High ecological value within Major creeks, waterbodies, Existing railway line areas that may be developed Lake and ocean High-capacity, high-frequency Local centre Infill and growth investigation area Recreational open space public transport

Heritage sensitive Other components of Adaptation planning area Major cycleway, local centre the Green Network shared pathway

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 39 CHARLESTOWN CHARLESTOWN REGIONAL STRATEGIC CENTRE CENTRE PRECINCT

AREA The focus of activity for east Lake Macquarie and beyond, delivering higher-order retail and services Major redevelopment as the Charlestown regional centre continues to attract intensive commercial and residential development. A diverse range of businesses, including The adjacent residential areas, particularly medical, personal services, creative enterprises, those to the east, undergo medium density government and community services, all taking redevelopment because of the nearby jobs advantage of the clustering of activity and services, as well as the high transport accessibility. More intensive development, albeit with a human-scale at the street level Desired outcomes The highest intensity office and housing Charlestown regional centre provides a area in the City wide catchment with higher commercial and community services. Significantly improved public spaces, providing The area provides diverse housing to places for gatherings and relaxation and meet the needs of those wishing to live pedestrian-friendly streets closer to a regional centre. Interchange point for public transport local to Effective planning ensures adequate high-frequency, high-capacity ‘spine’ services recreational and community services and to major destinations and interchange points, facilities to meet the needs of the growing such as Glendale, Belmont, the University of local population. Newcastle, Newcastle City Centre and John Hunter Hospital Safe and convenient pedestrian and cycle paths link the regional centre with the adjacent medium density areas and the A focus for an improved local pedestrian and local centres at Kahibah and Whitebridge cyclist active transport network, with direct links as well as the Fernleigh Track. to cycleways such as the Fernleigh Track

A well-connected centre with frequent public transport connections into Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and John Hunter Hospital and adjoining suburbs

Future growth is orientated to the east of the Pacific Highway, in conjunction with the redevelopment of underdeveloped sites throughout the centre

Lake Macquarie City 40 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy The environment for walking and cycling Amenity is improved by: is dramatically improved, with a safe and providing a series of public spaces that act convenient network throughout the centre as community focal points and meet the needs of workers, visitors and residents; A focus on medium-density housing between providing a more human-sale pedestrian- Charlestown and the local centres of Kahibah friendly environment on Pearson, Smart and Whitebridge, in conjunction with improved and Smith streets; and active transport links and upgraded public upgrades to community cultural and spaces to meet the needs of the recreation facilities such the Charlestown incoming population. Swim Centre and Library to meet contemporary needs, in step with demand from the increased local population EXAMPLE OF COMPLETE STREETS IN CHARLESTOWN

Improved walking conditions on the Pacific Highway Introduce street trees and improve the public realm to improve the amenity and activity in the centre Widen footpaths and increase amenity for people, leading to more economic vitality with more retail use Remove barriers and prioritise pedestrian movement

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 41 MOUNT HUTTON WINDALE GATESHEAD AREA

Desired outcomes

The area is significantly redeveloped, The environment for walking and cycling particularly the Windale and Gateshead is dramatically improved with a safe and areas, to provide a range of affordable convenient pathway network throughout housing with a mix of townhouses, terraces the area, with a direct link between the local and small lot housing close to transport, centre and to cycleway routes. employment and services. A native vegetation corridor along Scrubby Creek combines informal and formal walking with riparian rehabilitation and landscaping.

MOUNT HUTTON PRECINCT WINDALE PRECINCT

The Mount Hutton Precinct continues to provide The area undergoes considerable redevelopment a range of retail and services to meet the needs to provide an affordable mix of multistorey of the surrounding suburbs housing, townhouses, terraces and small-lot housing to take advantage of the precinct’s The Mount Hutton shopping centre grows and access to open space, transport and jobs. evolves into a mixed use development with retail, services, offices and housing The role of the local centre to provide a range of retail and services to meet the needs of the The aged accommodation in the area is more local residents is reinforced. Some mixed use comprehensive, featuring a diverse range development is located in the town centre of accommodation options and services for residents, as well as a wide range of jobs

GATESHEAD HEALTH PRECINCT

The hospital campus includes a much wider range of medical and allied health services, offering a complement to John Hunter Hospital and providing local jobs

The adjacent housing area is redeveloped with a mix of townhouses, terraces and small lot housing to take advantage of local employment and transport accessibility

Lake Macquarie City 42 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy BELMONT AREA

Desired outcomes

Belmont town centre is oriented to take Increased medical services leverage off the advantage of the Lake. presence of Belmont Hospital and the aged It is a focus for an improved local pedestrian care services in the area. and cyclist active transport network, with Amenity of the Pacific Highway is improved. direct links to cycleways, such as the Fernleigh Track, and completion of the direct off road cycleway to Eleebana and Swansea.

BELMONT TOWN CENTRE Existing residential areas around the centre are PRECINCT investigated for future housing redevelopment opportunities because of the centre’s access to The service role of the local centre is services and transport reinforced, with an increase in services to cater for the growing population in and around the The Aboriginal cultural heritage significance of the town centre site of Reverend Threkeld’s first mission will be recognised, managed, conserved and interpreted The relationship (in particular the pedestrian in cooperation with the local Aboriginal connection) between Belmont Centre and the community Lake foreshore is improved

Under-developed sites and land between the Lake and the Pacific Highway will be redeveloped BELMONT NORTH PRECINCT with intensive mixed use and residential The Belmont North Industrial-Business Precinct development transitions to provide a range of flexible spaces for a variety of urban services, businesses and Brooks Parade will become considerably more entrepreneurial activity active with people and commercial activity

Manage this area to ensure conservation and More intensive development in the centre, enhancement of the adjoining Belmont Wetlands particularly creating a pedestrian-friendly environment along Macquarie, Maude and Ernest streets, linking Ernest Street to the Lake foreshore

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 43 SWANSEA BELMONT SOUTH DISTRICT The suburbs south from Belmont to Swansea The relationship between the centre and are likely to be significantly affected by the Lake foreshore is improved to take advantage of impacts of climate change, particularly sea level its setting rise. These communities will be supported to adapt to changes in the natural environment The amenity of the streetscape on the Pacific in order to minimise the impact on life and Highway is improved property. Improved access to enhanced foreshore areas

The generally flat topography is utilised for SWANSEA AREA walking and cycling by an improved safe and convenient pathway network throughout the Desired outcomes area, with a direct link between Swansea and an extension of the Fernleigh Track New development responds to the effects of climate change and sea level rise which will significantly affect the LAKE MACQUARIE centre and other parts of Swansea. AIRPORT PRECINCT

Sea level rise adaption and evacuation Further use of the airport, including the planning shape the future nature of the co-location of associated aviation and related urban area. tourism industries Tourism providers, including accommodation and recreational Ensure conservation and enhancement of high opportunities, capitalise on its proximity value biodiversity areas adjacent to the air strip to the Lake, foreshore parks, beaches and bushland, within the constraints of sea level rise. CATHERINE HILL BAY PRECINCT

This State heritage-listed village retains its character, notwithstanding new housing SWANSEA TOWN CENTRE development nearby PRECINCT There is a safe and convenient network The centre adapts to sea level rise and throughout the area for walking and cycling climate change particularly between the Middle Camp and Catherine Hill Bay areas Endeavour to adapt while where possible maintaining the functionality of the components Investigate opportunities to link urban that are important to the community developments with the beach and passive recreational trails in the National Park

Lake Macquarie City 44 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy SWANSEA BELMONT SOUTH DISTRICT Marks Point

Airport Adapt Swansea centre to manage Pelican sea level rise impacts Blacksmiths Build on tourism assets

Mixed use and Swansea medium density development at Caves Beach

Catherine Hill Bay new development Caves Beach to be consistent with the heritage and environmental values of the area Murrays Beach

Nords Wharf

Catherine Hill Bay

KEY TO MAP

Area zoned for urban and other Conceptual route Lower National Park Strategic centre purposes Hunter Freight corridor High ecological value outside Areas zoned for electricity, mining Conceptual route of development areas and other support uses Very Fast Train (VFT) Town centre High ecological value within Major creeks, waterbodies, Existing railway line areas that may be developed Lake and ocean High-capacity, high-frequency Local centre Infill and growth investigation area Recreational open space public transport

Heritage sensitive Other components of Adaptation planning area Major cycleway, local centre the Green Network shared pathway

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 45 Wallsend and NORTH WEST LAKE Newcastle University MACQUARIE DISTRICT West Wallsend

Its central and accessible location within the See North West Catalyst Area Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Area provides Precinct map in Greater considerable potential to provide jobs and Newcastle Metropolitan Plan services to a wide geographic catchment. Its location on the heavy rail line and access to Pambulong arterial road network provides a solid foundation Glendale for a wide range of economic growth opportunities. Edgeworth It includes developed and brownfields land Cardiff stretching from Cardiff in the east to the M1 in the west, Speers Point in the south and Glendale in the north. It provides opportunities for retail, diverse housing, advanced manufacturing, office-based jobs and open space with a regionally significant Boolaroo catchment; and urban renewal meeting demand for affordable medium density housing and Teralba enhanced recreational opportunities. Speers Point As mining and quarrying ceases disturbed land Lakelands occupied by Westside mine, Teralba, Newstan, the former Rhondda Colliery and Teralba Quarry Warners Bay will be remediated, rehabilitated to acceptable standards with parts likely to be repurposed to other land uses.

Lake Macquarie City 46 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy NORTH WEST LAKE MACQUARIE DISTRICT

Confirm and Wallsend and secure Very Fast Newcastle University Train (VFT) route and station West Wallsend Local centres with retail, services, offices See North West Catalyst Area Precinct map in Greater and housing Newcastle Metropolitan Plan Mixed use and large format retail Pambulong

Confirm and Glendale secure Lower Hunter Freight Edgeworth Corridor Cardiff Transport Interchange and intensive mixed use centre

Major city park Boolaroo and sporting complexes

Industrial and Teralba urban services Speers Point Lakelands Rehabilitation and possible Warners Bay repurpose as mining declines

KEY TO MAP

Area zoned for urban and other Conceptual route Lower National Park Strategic centre purposes Hunter Freight corridor High ecological value outside Areas zoned for electricity, mining Conceptual route of development areas and other support uses Very Fast Train (VFT) Town centre High ecological value within Major creeks, waterbodies, Existing railway line areas that may be developed Lake and ocean High-capacity, high-frequency Local centre Infill and growth investigation area Recreational open space public transport

Heritage sensitive Other components of Adaptation planning area Major cycleway, local centre the Green Network shared pathway

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 47 NORTH WEST LAKE MACQUARIE CATALYST AREA

The North West Area has diverse characteristics A focus for an improved local pedestrian and potential including: and cycle network, with direct links to Urban development in north west cycleways such as the Eleebana to Wallsend Lake Macquarie shared pathway A new regional centre created by the Urban renewal particularly around the combination of: corridors to Cardiff, Edgeworth, Argenton intensive mixed use development; and Speers Point, meeting demand for public and active transport that is affordable medium-density housing easy to access; Protect and enhance the natural features of large and small-format retail; this area including Munibung Hill, the Lake, advanced manufacturing and foreshores, wetlands, Cockle, Winding and urban services; Brush creeks and riparian areas office and services employment; and well connected recreational facilities and open space with a regionally significant catchment.

Desired outcomes

Comprehensive land use, economic and Urban renewal, environmental rehabilitation, infrastructure planning maximises its the development of better recreational transport connectivity and short and medium facilities, retail and services expansion and term economic opportunities. diversification, improved public transport Critical infrastructure investments will and interchange infrastructure, and other be made and existing infrastructure are supportive mixed use development. leveraged to increase the opportunities Community infrastructure keeps pace for growth in manufacturing, light industry, with development. and technology based industries. Growth Sea level rise adaption and evacuation in these sectors will replace employment planning shape the future nature of the opportunities lost as a result of economic urban area. restructuring and as mining activities wind down, creating new jobs for our residents.

Lake Macquarie City 48 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy COUNCIL’S SUBMISSION TO THE GREATER NEWCASTLE METROPOLITAN PLAN

Glendale-Argenton Renewal Precinct

NORTH WEST LAKE MACQUARIE Munibung Precinct Glendale Retail Lake Macquarie City Council will: and Sport Precinct

• align local plans to facilitate urban renewal through Desired role in Greater Newcastle increased housing density and mixed-use including large format retail and office uses. • Large format retail, advanced manufacturing, office-based jobs and open space with • explore options for Park and Ride at Cockle Creek regionally significant catchment. Train Station with Transport for NSW. • Urban renewal precinct, meeting demand for affordable medium-density housing and Cardiff Advanced Industry Precinct enhanced lifestyle amenities. Lake Macquarie City Council will: T • Strategic gateway to Greater Newcastle. • expand business and light industrial uses through T implementation of the Cardiff-M1 opportunity study. 4,800 3,700 Teralba • strengthen the capacity of co-working and maker Precinct Targets spaces to support innovation in the manufacturing sector, and review planning controls to facilitate this. Cardiff 2036 Cardiff Advanced Mixed-use (Additional) Industry Precinct Cardiff Mixed-use Precinct Munibung Precinct Jobs D w ellings Precinct Lake Macquarie City Council will: Teralba Precinct • align local plans to increase opportunities for walkable, Boolaroo - Lake Macquarie City Council, Department of Planning mixed-use communities centered around public Speers Point and Environment and Transport for NSW will: transport infrastructure. Precinct

• identify infrastructure required to increase • work with Department of Planning and Environment opportunities for manufacturing, light industry to adjust planning controls to encourage more and emerging new economy industries to medium-density housing. replace employment opportunities lost as Glendale Retail and Sport Precinct mining activities cease in the area. T • develop plans for transport connectivity Lake Macquarie City Council will: and appropriate recreational facilities. • support the expansion of the Stockland retail centre. Lake Macquarie City Council will: • enable diversification of employment opportunities. LAKE • align local plans to support commercial MACQUARIE and industrial development that • seek support for enhanced elite sports area and leverages existing rail infrastructure. casual sports and recreation facilities at the Hunter Sports Centre. Department of Planning and Environment and T Lake Macquarie City Council will: • work to improve utilisation of surplus public lands. • improve pedestrian and cycle access. • investigate suitable economic reuse of mining land. Hunter Development Corporation, Transport for NSW and Lake Macquarie City Council will: Boolaroo - Speers Point Precinct • work to investigate medium-densitty and mixed-use development. Lake Macquarie City Council will: Catalyst Area State Road School • protect and expand the recreational Glendale-Argenton Renewal Precinct and environmental amenity of the North West Lake Macquarie Cockle Creek and Speers Point foreshores Lake Macquarie City Council will: 2017 Local Road Open Space/Parkland to support the regionally significant • align local plans to facilitate a hub around Speers Point Park. Catalyst Area Boundary Priority Multimodal Corridor Golf Course Glendale TAFE.

• promote a walkable, boutique retail T Train Station Railway Waterway centre and increased housing density. Hunter Development Corporation, Transport for NSW and Lake Macquarie City Council will: • work with Destination NSW to stage major Cycleway/Shared Pathway events to support the growth of tourism. • work to investigate medium-densitty and mixed-use development. • work to deliver improved public transport infrastructure, and prepare an infrastructure plan to be actioned. Lake Macquarie City XX Metropolitan Plan 2036 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 49 GLENDALE CORE PRECINCT

The existing low-scale, low-intensity retail centre transforms into a higher intensity mixed retail, services and housing area

A town park is created to provide a formal community focus and a place for workers, visitors and residents to gather or relax

Elite sports, casual sports and recreation facilities at the Hunter Sports Centre are further developed

Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange is completed, including a public transport interchange and extension of Glendale Drive to Munibung Road

A significant public transport interchange point is developed for local buses, the heavy rail system and high-frequency, high-capacity ‘spine’ services to major destinations and interchange points, such as Charlestown, Warners Bay, Toronto, the University of Newcastle, Newcastle City Centre and John Hunter Hospital

Improve connections for cyclists and pedestrians between recreational and retail areas

A network of public spaces provides places for gatherings and relaxation and pedestrian-friendly streets

The railway workshop area intensifies its advanced manufacturing capabilites

Additional tertiary education providers are established

Winding Creek riparian area is rehabilitated and provides an informal relaxing recreation resource

Lake Macquarie City 50 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy MUNIBUNG PRECINCT

Mixed use and residential development occurs in Transport accessibility improves as a result of the a range of densities Glendale Drive-Pennant Street road link and the extension of Munibung Road to Cockle Creek Large format retail developed in select locations Intensive mixed use is developed adjacent to the Small local enterprises establish to benefit from Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange the larger investments Flexibility in planning regulations accommodates Implement improved walking and cycling changes in technology and business consistent access to the Cockle Creek foreshore and train with the overall objectives of Lake Mac 2050 station and other facilities such as those located in Argenton GLENDALE ARGENTON CARDIFF Improve amenity around the railway station RENEWAL PRECINCT and investigate recreational and mixed use potential of Cockle Creek foreshore land near Development focuses on a high-frequency, high the railway station capacity public transport ‘spine’ to east and west Lake Macquarie Maintain and improve scenic amenity, ridgeline native vegetation corridor of Munibung Hill Affordable medium-density development occurs and facilitate appropriate access and in the walkable catchments of the high-frequency recreational activities public transport and active transport routes

The Aboriginal cultural heritage significance of Munibung Hill is recognised, conserved The local service roles of the centres at and interpreted in cooperation with the local Argenton, Boolaroo, Glendale and Speers Point Aboriginal community is reinforced

Rehabilitation of Cockle Creek riparian area Tertiary education provision increases and wetlands through expansion and new providers, who take advantage of partnerships with enterprises in the Glendale Regional Centre and Cardiff CARDIFF ADVANCED Industrial Area INDUSTRY PRECINCT The Eleebana to Wallsend shared pathway is Revitalisation of the area occurs renewed focus completed, as is a new link to Charlestown on advanced manufacturing, technology and urban services Improve street amenity for pedestrians Support business services develop to broaden and cyclists the employment base and accellerate transformation of the precinct

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 51 CARDIFF MIXED USE PRECINCT BOOLAROO SPEERS POINT PRECINCT Capitalise on the presence of the railway station by improving access and park and ride facilities More intensive residential development occurs

The human-scale, pedestrian-friendly New development in Boolaroo complements character of the main street of Cardiff Town the character and significance of the Boolaroo Centre is reinforced Heritage Precinct

Increased medium-density redevelopment The service role of the local centres is reinforced continues in the walkable catchment of the town with streetscape improvements centre and railway station

Improved amenity and accessibility of recreational Speers Point Park is the premier park in Lake areas and connection to the town centre and Macquarie, offering a range of high-level sporting, areas where residential density increases cultural and recreational settings

Pedestrian and cyclist networks are improved, Cockle Creek forms part of a network of including to the railway station rehabilitated green spaces extending from the lake to, and along, Winding Creek

TERALBA PRECINCT Pedestrian and cycle links between Boolaroo, recreational areas and Lake The service role of the local centre is supported foreshore are improved with streetscape improvements

New economic uses evolve for the former mining lands and the existing industrial lands

Improved and more direct transport links are established between Cockle Creek and Barnsley

More intensive residential development occurs, respecting the character of the Teralba Heritage Conservation Area

Encourage decontamination and reuse of disturbed areas

Ensure adequate conservation measures and buffers to natural areas, creeks and important wetlands are implemented

Improved links to existing, adjacent urban areas

Lake Macquarie City 52 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy EXAMPLE OF COMPLETE STREETS IN TERALBA

Upgrade the Anzac Parade / 1 York Street Intersection A raised table intersection will slow traffic speeds at the intersection of Anzac Parade and York Street, improving the safety of the intersection for walking and cycling while enhancing the public realm.

4 1 Construct protected bike 2 2 3 lanes between Teralba Station and Five Islands Road bike path The existing cycle path provides a high-quality cycling connection along the foreshore. Use of this asset could be enhanced with provision of a new high-quality connection between the path and the Teralba Railway Station such Legend as a physically-separated on-road Intersection improvement Existing cycle path cycle path. There are two options Improved public realm and footpath Potential cycle link for such a connection: • A link along Anzac Parade which provides a direct connection to the waterfront and access north and south, but would require an intersection upgrade at Five Islands Road to allow for direct connections south from Teralba. • A link north from Teralba along York Street to the existing cycle path and towards the underpass of Five Islands Road.

Upgrade the AnzacBETTER TRANSPORT Parade • BETTER PLACES • BETTER CHOICES / 3 Five Islands Road Intersection Improved connections across Five Islands Road from Anzac Parade will enable cycling connection to the existing cycling path on the Lake Macquarie foreshore and enhance pedestrian safety.

Enhance station interchange 4 Improvements to multi-modal connectivity at Teralba Station can enhance customer experience and encourage uptake of public transport modes. The station interchange can be improved by providing safe and direct walking and cycling access to the station, improved lighting and overall station amenity, direct bus connections, as well as accommodating station car parking with spaces reserved for car share services and kiss-and- ride bays.

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 53 GLENDALE EDGEWORTH WEST WALLSEND URBAN RENEWAL AND GROWTH AREA

Generally aligning with Main Road, the Corridor provides opportunities for redevelopment for medium density housing to the east of Edgeworth and new residential development to the west, including new mixed use centres at Pambulong and Cameron Park and a revitalised heritage village at West Wallsend.

Desired outcomes

Substantial urban growth including a new Design and location of the VFT route and mixed use centre at Pambulong. Lower Hunter Freight Corridor avoids and More intensive mixed use and residential minimises impacts on the local community development adjacent to centres. and environment. Potential Very Fast Train (VFT) station Walking and cycling to the centres is safe near the M1. and convenient and connected to a shared pathway from West Wallsend to Glendale. High-frequency, high-capacity public transport from West Wallsend to Glendale. Vegetation ridges and side slopes that provide amenity the natural scenic Options for a VFT route and station setting to this growth corridor are retained and Lower Hunter Freight Corridor are and enhanced. confirmed and their corridors secured. Development arising from the development of the VFT and supportive infrastructure, such as fast, frequent public transport to Glendale, is provided.

Lake Macquarie City 54 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy PAMBULONG CENTRE WEST WALLSEND PRECINCT PRECINCT New development complements the character of The new local centre will service this area with West Wallsend Heritage Conservation Area retail, business, civic and medical services collocated with medium-density housing Human-scale, pedestrian-friendly development occurs within the centre along Carrington and The area will grow to support an increased Withers streets residential population with new development and recreational uses The Aboriginal cultural heritage significance of Mount Sugarloaf and Mount Sugarloaf Range is Pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure within recognised, managed, conserved and interpreted the walkable catchment of the local centre in cooperation with the local Aboriginal is enhanced community

CAMERON PARK PRECINCT EDGEWORTH PRECINCT

Cameron Park employment area capitalises on Future mixed use expansion of the centre is its location at the junction of the M1, Link Road encouraged along Arnott Street, creating a and Hunter Expressway pedestrian-friendly environment away from Main Road

The local centre offers an increased range of day to day services to the surrounding A strong relationship exists between the neighbourhoods centre, residential areas, recreational facilities and Brush Creek, including pedestrian and cyclist connectivity The urban area continues to be developed within the existing urban zoned land

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 55 WARNERS BAY AREA

Desired outcomes

Increased employment and housing in the Interchange point for local buses to high- centre and its surrounds. frequency, high-capacity ‘spine’ services to Pedestrian-friendly development at the major destinations and interchange points, street level. such as Glendale, Belmont, the University of Newcastle, Newcastle City Centre and John Hunter Hospital. The relationship between the centre and the foreshore is improved through urban design and a complete streets approach.

WARNERS BAY TOWN CENTRE PRECINCT

Increased commercial and residential Legible pedestrian and cyclist networks through development as the centre transitions from and around the centre, including the surrounding its existing largely single-level character to residential area, are improved and extended to multistorey development the waterfront and recreational facilities

Public spaces are developed within the centre, The Hillsborough Road business park area will such as a town square focus on its role in delivering large format indoor recreation, bulky goods and urban services. Housing intensity decreases with distance Office and other uses more appropriately located from the centre in a centre will not be encouraged

Existing residential areas near the centre are investigated for additional housing density, supported by active transport infrastructure

Lake Macquarie City 56 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 57 WESTLAKES DISTRICT a

COORANBONG MORISSET WYEE GROWTH AREA

Desired outcomes

Because the Cooranbong Morisset Wyee The coal-fired Eraring Power Station will Growth Area has considerable undeveloped, be remediated and repurposed to another zoned urban land and is identified in the economic use, possibly renewable energy Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan it will generation, following cessation of coal-fired be a location of significant population and power generation. employment growth. Its position near the The area has important biodiversity assets Central Coast and the M1 Pacific Motorway that have been maintained and enhanced, mean that it will increasingly provide such as native vegetation corridors to employment and services to the northern the Central Coast. The rural areas of the Central Coast, as well as provide a source of locality will be protected from inappropriate affordable housing. Increased access to the development, particularly land with M1 will facilitate this development. agricultural potential or scenic value such as Trinity Point is likely to develop into a the Martinsville and Mandalong Valleys. significant tourism asset, supporting a Sea level rise adaption and evacuation growing visitor economy including conference planning shape the future nature of the facilities, restaurants and a marina. urban area.

Lake Macquarie City 58 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy Rathmines

Rathmines Wangi Wangi

Cooranbong Wangi Wangi

WESTLAKES DISTRICT

Dora Creek Upgrade heritage Rathmines Catalina Base, community, cultural and a tourism attractions

Wangi Power Bonnells Bay Station heritage icon to be repurposed Morisset

Confirm and secure Very Fast Train (VFT) route

Eraring fossil fuel power generator to be rehabilitated or repurposed

Investigate Morisset industrial area expansion Wyee Point

Major public transport interchange at Morisset

Coordinate spatial planning of the Wyee area with land in Central Coast Wyee Council area

KEY TO MAP

Area zoned for urban and other Conceptual route Lower National Park Strategic centre purposes Hunter Freight corridor High ecological value outside Areas zoned for electricity, mining Conceptual route of development areas and other support uses Very Fast Train (VFT) Town centre High ecological value within Major creeks, waterbodies, Existing railway line areas that may be developed Lake and ocean High-capacity, high-frequency Local centre Infill and growth investigation area Recreational open space public transport

Heritage sensitive Other components of Adaptation planning area Major cycleway, local centre the Green Network shared pathway

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 59 MORISSET TOWN CENTRE PRECINCT

The focus of activity for southwestern The potential of the industrial area to expand is Lake Macquarie and the northern Central investigated, to capitalise on its motorway access Coast, delivering higher-order retail, employment and services Future development opportunities, including the potential expansion of commercial and residential A diverse range of businesses, medical, personal zoned land to the south of the Morisset train services, creative enterprises, government and station, are investigated community services, all taking advantage of the clustering of activity A traffic bypass for Dora Street is investigated to improve the amenity of the town centre, More intensive commercial, mixed use and taking into consideration the implications for the residential development, albeit with a human development of land to the south scale at the street level The heritage significance of the State listed The Morisset Square and future town Morisset Hospital site is maintained, enhanced hub provides a focus for the community, with and interpreted civic uses, cafes and commercial uses that are developed activate Yambo Street

Interchange point for active transport, local buses and park and ride to the heavy rail system to Glendale, Newcastle and Sydney

A focus for an improved local pedestrian and cyclist active transport network, including direct links to cycleways to the Morisset Peninsula and Cooranbong, such as the Bonnells Bay cycleway

Lake Macquarie City 60 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy COORANBONG PRECINCT WYEE PRECINCT

New residential development consistent with New residential development consistent with the complete streets model the complete streets model

The service role of the local centre, with an The service role of the local centre, with an increase in services to cater for the growing increase in services to cater for the growing population, is reinforced population, is reinforced

Dora Creek and its riparian corridor is Housing choice through the development of a rehabilitated and conserved range of housing densities, particularly near the local centre and railway station Housing choice through the development of a range of housing densities, particularly near the Potential additional residential areas, consistent local centre with biodiversity considerations

The heritage significance of the Cooranbong High-amenity cycle and pedestrian linkages Seventh Day Adventist Heritage Precinct and between new residential recreation, commercial iconic Weetbix factory site is maintained, areas and the train station enhanced and interpreted Areas of high biodiversity value and native vegetation corridors are conserved and enhanced

Manning Creek and its riparian corridor is rehabilitated and conserved

Quality recreational areas are provided commensurate with population growth

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 61 TORONTO AREA

Desired outcomes

The focus of activity for West Lake Macquarie, delivering a range of community, cultural services, retail and employment. A diverse range of businesses, medical, personal services, creative enterprises, government and community services, all taking advantage of the cluster of activity. A lively centre with a focus on high-quality, mixed used developments, with diverse housing close to services. A high-amenity, waterfront precinct supporting recreational uses with limited supporting commercial and tourism development. The human-scale, pedestrian-friendly environment and the significance of the Toronto Heritage Precinct will be maintained. Sea level rise adaption and evacuation planning shape the future nature of the urban area.

Lake Macquarie City 62 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy TORONTO AREA

Woodrising Rehabilitate Fassifern and repurpose as mining and quarrying declines Fennell Bay

Medium density Blackalls redevelopment Park adjacent to transport corridor

Rejuvenated waterfront with Toronto improved relationship to Town Centre

Reinforce Toronto Industrial area Carey Bay Investigate more urban development at Awaba

Manage Awaba Biodiversity Conservation Area Rathmines Upgrade heritage Rathmines Catalina Base community, cultural and tourism attractions

Wangi Power Station heritage icon to be Wangi Wangi repurposed

Manage Waste Facilities

KEY TO MAP

Area zoned for urban and other Conceptual route Lower National Park Strategic centre purposes Hunter Freight corridor High ecological value outside Areas zoned for electricity, mining Conceptual route of development areas and other support uses Very Fast Train (VFT) Town centre High ecological value within Major creeks, waterbodies, Existing railway line areas that may be developed Lake and ocean High-capacity, high-frequency Local centre Infill and growth investigation area Recreational open space public transport

Heritage sensitive Other components of Adaptation planning area Major cycleway, local centre the Green Network shared pathway

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 63 TORONTO TOWN CENTRE TORONTO-BLACKALLS PRECINCT PARK-AWABA PRECINCT

The relationship between the waterfront and Housing and mixed use redevelopment The Boulevard is improved occurs adjacent to the public transport and active transport corridors from Toronto to The foreshore is rejuvenated, consistent Fassifern, especially around the Blackalls with the cultural and heritage values of the Park centre foreshore area and the waterway, including appropriate small-scale commercial Conserve and rehabilitate riparian areas, opportunities Stony and Muddy creeks, Toronto Wetlands and the railway corridor A town park provides a formal community focus and a place for workers, visitors Blackalls Park Flying Fox Camp is considered and residents to gather or relax along in future decisions to avoid land use conflict The Boulevard, west of Pemell Street The Toronto industrial area (Awaba Road) is Walking and cycling in the centre and likely to be more intensively developed surroundings is safe and convenient, with connections to the Fassifern Greenway and recreational areas along Stony Creek RATHMINES PRECINCT The centre provides an interchange Adaptive re-use of the state- listed RAAF point for local buses to high-frequency, Catalina Base and adjoining structures high-capacity ’spine’ services to major to improve cultural, heritage, recreation, destinations and interchange points, such sustainability and economic outcomes occurs, as Glendale, Belmont the University of including rehabilitation of native vegetation Newcastle, Newcastle City Centre and John Hunter Hospital, as well as to the Fassifern train station

Lake Macquarie City 64 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy FASSIFERN COLLIERY PRECINCT

New land uses are investigated, in coordination with a reduction of mining activities, with consideration of the nearby Fassifern train station, north-south rail loading loop and private haul road linking the colliery and Eraring Power Station to the south

Disturbed areas are rehabilitated, decontaminated and reused

AWABA PRECINCT

Opportunities are investigated to increase urban development close to the Awaba train station, while maintaining nearby high biodiversity areas and native vegetation corridors

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 65 CENTRES NOT RESIDENTIAL IDENTIFIED IN NEIGHBOURHOODS PRECINCTS ADJACENT TO CENTRES

Smaller centres outside the precincts are likely to Residential areas surrounding precinct experience incremental change. In these areas, areas (or centres) are likely to experience you could expect to see: more intensive housing development but not of the scale of that in centres. You should ■ More small-scale businesses, often as part of expect to see: mixed use developments; ■ More housing diversity, such as townhouses, ■ An increase in housing diversity, including low-scale residential flat buildings and villas; medium-density development; ■ Increased numbers and diversity of ■ Improvements to local parks and community home-based businesses, particularly in the facilities to reinforce their role and function as creative sector; community focus points; ■ Improved links to the adjacent centres for ■ Implementation of ‘complete streets’ cyclists and pedestrians; strategies to improve amenity, safety and convenience for pedestrians and cyclists, ■ Implementation of ‘complete streets’ such as such as the provision of street trees, strategies to improve safety and convenience reduced vehicle road widths and reduced for pedestrians and cyclists, such as such the traffic speed; and provision of street trees, reduced vehicle road widths and reduced traffic speed; and ■ Local scale infrastructure development to reinforce the role of the centre as a ■ An increase in the number and diversity of community focus, such as improvements ‘car-light’ and ‘car-free’ dwellings. to parks, extension and enhancement of footpath and cycleway infrastructure consistent with Council’s strategies.

Lake Macquarie City 66 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy OTHER RESIDENTIAL LARGE FORMAT NEIGHBOURHOODS BUSINESS PRECINCTS

Residential areas outside the identified precinct Business precincts, such as the Hillsborough areas and smaller centres will experience Road business park area, aim to cater for change. These areas will experience small-scale bulky goods retail, urban services, large format infill development scattered across the area, recreation, manufacturing and high-technology including secondary dwellings, subdivision, land uses dual occupancies and villa developments, particularly in those areas with good access The nature of these areas is dynamic and to public or active transport should be closely monitored. Land use planning should be regularly reviewed to maximise overall Development should be less intensive in community benefit, especially the maintenance these areas, primarily because of their distance of strong centres from centres and services. However, the establishment or reinforcement of community Land uses such as offices and retail should focal points will be supported. This could not generally be located in business precincts be a shop, cafe, playground or other because they should be located in centres community facility

Residential areas that are a significant distance from centres are usually serviced by low- INDUSTRIAL frequency or circuitous public transport and PRECINCTS because of distance may be less conducive to walking or cycling trips, except to the local shop, Industrial precincts, such as the Cardiff industrial park or school area, focus on manufacturing, urban services, logistics and warehousing land uses Nonetheless, in those areas with characteristics likely to be conducive to walking or cycling, it Change and diversification will occur in industrial will be important to ensure that pedestrian and precincts in response to long-term structural cycling is safe and convenient, but may involve changes in the economy, such as impacts on on-road travel manufacturing as a result of automation

Ensure adequate freight routes to important industrial areas, such as Cardiff

Land uses such as offices and retail generally should not be located in industrial precincts because they detract from the role, activity and viability of these areas

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 67 RURAL LANDS

As the demand for land for urban and other uses, The economic contribution of existing agricultural such as mining and power generation, have production will be supported and new grown over preceding decades, rural lands have opportunities facilitated, particularly in high value been rezoned for these uses. Rural areas protect niche products a significant area of the City’s land that has high biodiversity values and/or high scenic value Urban development should be directed away from rural areas consistent with the action Rural land will be managed to ensure this finite accompanying strategy 2.4 of the Greater resource is best used to achieve a balance Newcastle Metropolitan Plan across a number of functions: rural production; Ensure there is a sufficient buffer to avoid land use conflict between urban development and buffers to land of high biodiversity value agricultural production or include land of high biodiversity value; protection to scenic areas or places with a highly valued landscape; opportunities for lifestyle living; and economic activities such as tourism.

Land with agricultural potential will be protected because agricultural production is declining in the Sydney basin, pressure is increasing for more localised food production, and to diversify our local economy. The land is mainly located in the south west of the City

Lake Macquarie City 68 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS AND BIODIVERSITY CORRIDORS

The green ridges and side slopes throughout the Important natural ecosystems (including aquatic City will be protected and enhanced to retain this ecosystems, wetlands, riparian areas, Lake unique asset foreshore and coastal areas) and biodiversity will be protected and landscape connectivity Areas of high-value biodiversity and native maintained vegetation corridors will be conserved and enhanced Water regimes (quality and quantity) and the water cycle is maintained as close as possible to Where avoidance and mitigation is not possible natural regimes within strategic centres, clearing of native vegetation and impacts on biodiversity values, Note: Significant environments include riparian, riparian areas, native vegetation corridors and coastal and foreshore areas, areas of high and flora and fauna will be adequately offset moderate biodiversity value, native vegetation corridors, areas of natural heritage, scenic Degraded and contaminated areas (such as significance or steep slopes those affected by the cessation of mining, industry or power generation) should be rehabilitated to facilitate new land uses and to prevent environmental damage

Degraded areas of highly significant environments should be rehabilitated to improve scenic values, integrity and connectivity

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 69 IMPLEMENTATION AND REPORTING

Lake Macquarie City 70 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy IMPLEMENTATION

Lake Mac 2050 is based on the Vision of the inform assessments of the impact of new Community Strategic Plan. technologies, climate change and economic It provides a spatial interpretation of the Lake and societal change; and Macquarie Community Strategic Plan 2017- evaluate resourcing, infrastructure and 2027, and is an integral part of the Council’s budgetary decisions by Council. Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework. Some outcomes envisaged in the Strategy In this context, the Community Strategic Plan may be beyond Council’s direct control and, in identifies Council’s priorities for the short to particular, rely on the support and actions of state medium-term. Lake Mac 2050 will guide agencies, including state policy implementation. decisions about the location and priority of At times, there may be conflict in policy works and facilities identified in the Community implementation, and it is acknowledged that Strategic Plan. issues may need to be resolved at state level. While Council’s land use planning tools, such Furthermore, prevailing property and as the Lake Macquarie Local Environmental development market will influence the timing and Plan (LMLEP), are the major implementation delivery of some of the outcomes envisaged in tools, the implementation of Lake Mac 2050 is the Strategy. To this extent, the timing of private largely dependent on policy and expenditure development will largely be beyond Council’s decisions by government and the private sector direct control. to undertake development. Lake Mac 2050 A rolling five year implementation plan will detail will guide the content of the LMLEP and Lake actions arising from Lake Mac 2050. Macquarie Development Control Plan (DCP), These actions will be prioritised consistent with which provide City-wide and locally specific Council’s corporate planning and budgeting development guidelines. processes, and detailed briefs, resource Lake Mac 2050 is intended for use: requirements and specific timetables specified by state, regional and local policy makers at this stage. and decisions makers on matters that affect Lake Macquarie City, such as transport infrastructure; to guide the review or development of other Council policy such as asset management, contributions, community facilities, biodiversity conservation, recreation planning, LEP amendments and development control policy; to guide the detail of specific works or infrastructure; to guide private and community sector decision-making about proposed developments, services or community facilities;

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 71 COLLABORATION REVIEW AND MONITORING

The Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan Lake Mac 2050 will be monitored regularly to states that metropolitan cities succeed and identify changes to such matters as the wider perform best when all spheres of government policy environment, development pressures and collaborate and work together with business, political priorities. industry and the community to deliver a shared It is anticipated that major reviews of Lake Mac vision for their City. 2050 will occur every five years, with the next This is equally true at the local level. The major review due in 2023 to coincide with the implementation of Lake Mac 2050 is dependent release of results from the 2021 Census. As on strong collaboration between Council and a much as possible, this reporting will be linked range of other government, private sector and to Council’s existing reporting processes for the non-government organisations, as well as the Community Strategic Plan and the Environmental wider community. Sustainability Action Plan. Council aims to work closely with a range of The identified performance indicators organisations to achieve the desired outcomes will be monitored to measure progress in of Lake Mac 2050 and will build on its existing implementing Lake Mac 2050, and flag any need consultative structures, partnerships and for corrective action. Council will also regularly collaborations. monitor development activity within the City. The extent of collaboration and partnerships The indicators will measure progress in general and the resultant outcomes will form part of the and the act as triggers for the need to amend regular reporting on Lake Mac 2050. Lake Mac 2050 more frequently than the scheduled review. Any successors of the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan will also inform reviews of Lake Mac 2050. Improved data collection and analysis programs will monitor progress and changes in the City, identify new and emerging issues and monitor implementation of the Lake Mac 2050, such as tracking development proposals through to completion.

Lake Macquarie City 72 DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy REPORTING

Reporting on Lake Mac 2050’s progress will be in coordination with the Environmental Sustainability Action Plan and the Community Strategic Plan. This reporting will provide qualitative and quantitative reporting, with a focus on the performance indicators identified in Lake Mac 2050. In many cases, the quantitative indicators are indicative or a proxy measure of the achieved of a specific Lake Mac 2050 outcome and interpretative narrative is required.

Lake Macquarie City DRAFT Lake Mac 2050 Strategy 73 LAKE MACQUARIE CITY LAKE MAC 2050 STRATEGY

Prepared by Lake Macquarie City Council 126-138 Main Road Speers Point NSW 2284 Box 1906 Hunter Region Mail Centre NSW 2310 (02) 4921 0333 [email protected] lakemac.com.au facebook.com/lakemaccity twitter.com/lakemac instagram.com/ourlakemac

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