Independent panel reviews nearly $1 billion in Newcastle developments

newy.com.au – City of Newcastle’s independent urban design panel assessed almost $1 billion worth of developments in 2025, with a strong focus on high-quality public domain design.

The Urban Design Review Panel undertook 71 individual design sessions during the year in collaboration with City of Newcastle, providing expert advice on projects across the city. The outcomes are detailed in the 2025 Urban Design Review Panel Annual Report, which was unanimously endorsed at last week’s council meeting.

City of Newcastle Executive Director Planning and Environment Michelle Bisson said good design was fundamental to creating a welcoming, walkable and liveable city.

“Our community expects development that enhances local character and the panel is critical in guiding this vision,” Ms Bisson said.

“The Urban Design Review Panel plays a vital role in guiding development that enhances our public spaces, respects local character and delivers lasting value for our community.

“Their expertise helps ensure that even in a complex planning environment, we continue to see high-quality, thoughtful design outcomes across the city.”

The panel is an independent body made up of specialists who provide expert advice to City of Newcastle and development applicants to support high-quality design outcomes.

Alongside major civic projects, the panel reviewed a wide range of significant proposals during the year, from a $2.9 million childcare facility at Tarro to one of the year’s largest developments, a $186.6 million mixed-use project in Newcastle West featuring 14 and 15-storey towers with 280 apartments and five commercial tenancies.

Urban Design Review Panel chairperson Dr Philip Pollard said quality design extended beyond the building line.

“Good design shapes the streets, landscapes and public spaces people use every day,” Dr Pollard said.

“This year, the panel continued to provide consistent independent advice across an increasingly diverse range of proposals. Our ongoing focus on public domain quality, landscape integration and contextual fit remains central to achieving places the community can be proud of.

“One standout project that has been shaped by input from successive design panels over many years, is the newly completed Newcastle Art Gallery. This space now provides a contemporary, purpose-built home for the city’s remarkable art collection and a cultural asset the community can be proud of.

“The panel places strong emphasis on ensuring new developments respond thoughtfully to their context and contribute to a cohesive urban environment for genuine public benefit. Our role helps applicants achieve outcomes that support the people who use these places and enhance their surroundings.”

The Urban Design Review Panel also acts as a Design Integrity Panel for nominated projects, helping ensure design excellence is maintained through to delivery. In 2025, it provided advice on 17 different applications, including major mixed-use, co-living and residential proposals across the CBD, Newcastle West, Mayfield and New Lambton.