PROPERTY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA UNVEILS NEW NEWCASTLE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The Property Council of Australia has unveiled an ambitious blueprint for the redevelopment of Newcastle’s foreshore.

The plan, called “Maximum Opportunity”, was put together by a special task force or urban planners and takes into account the removal of the city’s heavy rail, the construction of a rapid transit system and large or high rise development not being desirable along the length of the corridor.

It also involves attractions to bring people into the city, including an iconic building and permanent concert venue on the foreshore.

Under the plan, Wharf Road would be redirected across the old rail corridor onto Scott Street freeing up waterfront land for a park precinct.

NSW Regional Director, Andrew Fletcher, says the plan is about using the rail corridor to its full advantage.

“The truth is that for decades, that rail corridor has been under utilised, leaking value and scaring away capital”.

The plans show the Newcastle heavy rail transformed into a cycle way, a procession of public plazas along the waterfront and a re- imagining of the Newcastle Railway Station as an iconic destination.