newy.com.au – Lake Macquarie councillors have recommended adopting a new 20-year plan to guide Wyee’s growth, focusing on housing, jobs and infrastructure around the town centre and railway station.
The recommendation at Monday night’s standing committee meeting would see the updated Wyee Structure Plan replace the version adopted in 2009, responding to population growth and changing housing, employment and infrastructure needs.
Council forecasts Wyee’s population will reach about 7,300 by 2046. The area forms part of the Greater Morisset Growth Area, alongside Morisset and Cooranbong. Council project information
Mayor Adam Shultz said roads, community facilities and services needed to keep pace with growth.
“As Wyee continues to grow, we want to make sure roads, community facilities and services grow with it, rather than trying to catch up later,” Cr Shultz said.
The publicly exhibited draft divided Wyee into six precincts covering the town centre, Wyee North, the railway station, employment land, rural landscapes and a predominantly low-rise residential area.
It proposed a mix of housing up to three storeys and mid-rise housing up to six storeys in the town centre and station precincts. Town centre options included terrace houses and small apartment buildings, alongside a broader range of shops, businesses, medical facilities and other services.
Around Wyee station, the draft envisaged small local shops serving residents and commuters, parks and play spaces, and better walking and cycling connections to the town centre and surrounding neighbourhoods. Draft structure plan, precinct proposals
The employment precinct was identified as an opportunity for advanced manufacturing, agribusiness and other industries, drawing on access to the M1 Pacific Motorway and connections with Wyee and Morisset. The draft identified transport and utility infrastructure as necessary to support future industrial development.
In Wyee North, it proposed investigating a mix of uses that would complement the existing retirement village, residential aged care and conference facilities, while avoiding areas exposed to flooding and bushfire.
For the low-rise residential precinct, the draft supported small-lot homes and terraces, with some housing up to six storeys close to the station. It also specified that development in the Wyee Paper Subdivision should occur only when landowners and service providers delivered essential services. Buffers along the M1 were proposed to protect residential amenity. Draft structure plan, precinct proposals
Transport priorities included safer walking and cycling routes between homes, Wyee Public School, shops and the station. The draft also identified a potential off-road cycleway connecting with Morisset, nearby centres and the Central Coast, alongside advocacy for better public transport and commuter parking.
Environmental priorities included restoring Mannering Creek and its creekside vegetation, protecting wildlife corridors and directing development away from sensitive natural areas. The rural landscape precinct was intended to retain agricultural activity and rural character while allowing low-impact nature-based recreation and tourism. Draft structure plan, planning priorities
“People tell us they value Wyee’s natural surroundings, its sense of community and its convenient location. This plan is about helping the area grow while protecting those qualities,” Cr Shultz said.
Council said amendments had been made following public exhibition before the plan returned for consideration.
The structure plan does not itself rezone land, approve individual developments or commit funding to infrastructure. Changes would occur progressively as landowners pursued rezoning and development applications, with infrastructure delivery dependent on government funding and priorities. Council’s explanation of implementation
