NEWCASTLE COUNCIL will deliver a final verdict on the state government's plan to rezone the former heavy rail corridor on Tuesday, at its last meeting before the Christmas recess.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
If the council gives the rezoning the tick, it will clear the path for residential and commercial development, open space and tourism uses along a stretch of the corridor between Worth Place and Watt Street.
Council’s interim chief executive Jeremy Bath hailed Tuesday’s decision a “turning point” for the city.
Read more:
“It ends what has been a very divisive debate in the community,” he said. “Developers and ratepayers need to know that there is planning certainty and that is what will come out of Tuesday’s decision, whichever way it goes.”
Newcastle council gave a tentative green light to the rezoning last year, before it received gateway approval from the state government.
However its smooth passage through City Hall is likely to be tested by the results of community consultation – carried out in September and October – which indicates public opinion remains sharply divided over the fate of the land.
According to a staff report to be tabled at the meeting, 394 submissions and 137 form letters objected to the rezoning, while 226 submissions and 46 form letters were in favour of it.
A further 44 submissions did not clearly state a position.
But the results of a telephone survey commissioned by the council in November have been obtained by the Newcastle Herald, showing starkly different results.
The survey of 955 residents, by ReachTEL, saw 57.5 per cent of people support mixed-use development, university or recreational uses of the old corridor, while 34.7 per cent supported maintaining it for rail.
The survey indicated people aged 18 to 34 were most likely to support the redevelopment of the corridor.
People aged 51 to 65 were most likely to oppose it, while men tended to feel more strongly about the issue generally than women.
Several councillors were laying low over the weekend. Independent Kath Elliott said she was still formulating a view on the rezoning.
Deputy Mayor Declan Clausen (Labor) said it was up to councillors to make individual decisions, but he was pleased about additional benefits the council had been able to negotiate with the state government.
These included “hard commitments on affordable housing, appropriate public green space and a detailed transport masterplan.”
Activists mobilised, calling on the councillors to hold fire on the rezoning.
“Before any rezoning occurs, we need to be sure that we have the capacity to cater for the future transport needs of the city,” said Ron Brown, a transport engineer and spokesperson for Keep Rail on the Corridor (KROC).
Resident Barbara Ferris alleged 137 handwritten objections had been “misrepresented” as form letters and not counted among submissions. She labelled it “appalling” a duplicated submission supporting the rezoning – which she deemed to be a form letter – was published 80 times.
Of the 394 objecting submissions, 248 supported leaving the current zoning in place so that rail could be reinstated in the future.
Many of the objections opposed the light rail route, arguing it should follow the existing corridor rather than Hunter Street. 42 objections suggested leaving the entire corridor as open space.
Other concerns hinged on parking, traffic congestion, the over-development of the city, creating a visible barrier to the harbour and the overshadowing of Hunter Street.
Staff emphasized many of those concerns were not within council’s control.
“They relate to decisions that have previously been made by the NSW Government in relation to terminating of the heavy rail and the light rail currently being constructed,” the report said.
A letter written by Transport Minister Andrew Constance has been circulated among councillors, in which he reiterates the land is no longer required for transport.
Supporting submissions argued the rezoning would “dramatically” improve connectivity, reuniting the city with the working harbour.
Other benefits were bringing people back to the CBD, improving tourism and supporting the creation of jobs, education, housing and a high quality public domain.
There was “excitement” about the development of the university precinct and Market Street lawn.
“Council received positive comments on the changes happening to the city, since the closure of the heavy rail in 2014,” the report said.
