Broadmeadow Rezoning to Deliver 3,200 Homes and 2,350 Jobs

newy.com.au – The Minns Government on 8 August 2025 finalised state led rezoning for the first four government owned sites at Broadmeadow in Newcastle, clearing the way for up to 3,200 homes on public land, including 5–10 per cent affordable housing, and supporting as many as 2,350 construction jobs. The Hunter Central Coast Development Corporation will co-ordinate delivery and prepare an infrastructure plan with the City of Newcastle and state agencies, while the controls preserve key heritage places and add new open space, pedestrian links and transport connections to Broadmeadow Station.

“This rezoning is a huge win for the Hunter and marks another important step towards making this major project a reality,” Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said. “People have been waiting a long time for clarity around this site. The community has been calling for certainty and that’s exactly what we’re delivering today. This project isn’t just about building homes; it will also create thousands of new jobs for our region, a clear sign that the Minns Labor Government is serious about backing the Hunter and setting it up for a strong future.”

The decision gives statutory effect to the Broadmeadow Place Strategy, developed by the NSW Government and the City of Newcastle, after public exhibition from 12 June to 24 July 2024 and council adoption on 25 March 2025. The exhibition drew 333 submissions, prompting post-exhibition changes to clarify how affordable housing policy will apply and to add an action for a precinct wide integrated transport strategy, covering parking, active transport and potential fast or light rail.

“Broadmeadow is about to enter an exciting new chapter,” Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said. “This rezoning will help deliver new homes, including much-needed affordable housing, and jobs right in the heart of Greater Newcastle. The NSW Government is working to provide new well-located homes for Broadmeadow, that will deliver new jobs and an economic boost in the Hunter region. Rezoning this land will create a new and vibrant community that is better connected to essential services and transport to support the City of Newcastle’s growing population.”

The broader Place Strategy spans about 313 hectares across Broadmeadow and Hamilton North, with parts of Hamilton, Hamilton East and New Lambton, divided into nine sub-precincts and planned to roll out over 30 years. Beyond the initial government sites, it envisages capacity for up to 20,000 homes and 15,000 jobs, a new town centre at and around Broadmeadow Station and Nineways, a pedestrian “station to stadium” boulevard, relocation of the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, and a mass transit corridor with a possible light rail extension. Flood resilience measures referenced in the strategy include the revitalisation of Styx Creek, raising Griffiths Road and Lambton Road, and designated flood storage areas for rare events, underpinned by the Throsby–Styx–Cottage Creek Flood Study adopted in December 2023.

“With new pedestrian links, green spaces, and better transport connections to places like Broadmeadow Station, this renewal will breathe new life into this area of Newcastle,” Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp said. “Locals will be able to live, work and play in a community that’s vibrant, sustainable, and well-connected. This project will create thousands of jobs for our region, both during construction and over the long term, bringing new energy and opportunity to Broadmeadow. It’s about investing in our future and creating a thriving, connected community.”

Broadmeadow has been flagged for renewal for years, listed as a Catalyst Area in the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan 2036. Infrastructure Australia’s December 2020 Priority List identified the precinct’s regeneration as the next step after the CBD program, highlighting poor connectivity across the sports and entertainment lands. In the June 2021 NSW Budget, $6.7 million was allocated to develop the Hunter Park business case over roughly 63 hectares around McDonald Jones Stadium, the Newcastle Entertainment Centre and the Showground. In December 2022 the precinct was named a Regionally Significant Growth Area in the Hunter Regional Plan 2041. Venues NSW owns and operates the stadium, entertainment centre and showground and has promoted a vision for the Hunter Sports and Entertainment Precinct.

As part of the first move state program, the rezoning’s Explanation of Intended Effect proposed amendments to the Newcastle Local Environmental Plan 2012. Council has foreshadowed a section 7.12 contributions plan for Broadmeadow and will seek a higher rate to fund local infrastructure. Industry submissions during exhibition indicated Stage 1 could also enable about 3,300 additional dwellings on private land in the first decade alongside the government land program.

Further information, including the Finalisation Report and supporting documents, is available on the NSW Planning Portal.