The City of Newcastle is seeking community feedback for the future of TOD precincts around four key public transport hubs: Newcastle Interchange, Hamilton, Adamstown and Kotara. Council is adapting the NSW Government’s new housing and TOD planning rules to local conditions, creating place-based frameworks that respond to the current and future needs of people who live, work and spend time in these areas. 

As Newcastle continues to grow and the Hunter region increasingly absorbs population growth, planning for more homes in well-located areas is critical, particularly when many people living on lower incomes face increasingly unaffordable rents in many parts of the Hunter region. 

Shelter NSW supports well-planned growth around public transport, but we also believe that new development should deliver meaningful affordable housing outcomes. Affordable housing should be provided in perpetuity, managed by experienced not-for-profit providers (or Homes NSW) and rented at rates linked to occupants incomes rather than simply offered at a discount to market rents. We also support much higher affordable housing contribution requirements than the measly 2% minimum set by NSW Government for TOD precincts. 

If you live, work or have a connection to Newcastle, we encourage you to review the proposals and have your say. Community input will help shape how these precincts grow and ensure that future development delivers more housing (and importantly, more nonmarket housing that is affordable to people on lower incomes), better neighbourhoods and diverse and connected communities.