Honeysuckle
The urban renewal of Honeysuckle is a signature project for HCCDC.
Work began in 1992 with a plan to remediate and repurpose seven precincts, spanning four kilometres of prime waterfront.
The 50-hectare site now supports a diverse mix of employment, residential, tourism, recreation and public domain uses for the community. It also celebrates and enhances heritage and is known as one of the most successful urban renewal programs in NSW.
- Honeysuckle News, Summer 2019 - Download PDF
HCCDC will soon commence the final stage of Honeysuckle’s transformation.
This will involve construction of new seawalls, the realignment of Honeysuckle Drive, and reopening the Cottage Creek waterway before delivering new public spaces along the waterfront.
To keep informed about what's changing:
- Visit the Honeysuckle Works page for latest notifications
- Register your email to join our mailing list: honeysuckle@hccdc.nsw.gov.au
- Honeysuckle News, Summer 2019:
Download PDF >
- Honeysuckle - Fact Sheet:
Download PDF >
For most of the 20th Century, the Honeysuckle project area was dominated by railway workshops, wool stores, cargo sheds and warehouses, both active and dormant. In more recent decades the rich and important industrial heritage of the land left it contaminated, derelict and blocked off from the people of Newcastle.
By the late 1980s it was recognised that there had been a gradual but sustained period of decline in the number of people living and working in Newcastle. Formed by the State Government in 1992 and initially funded with $100 million from the Commonwealth/State Building Better Cities program, the Honeysuckle Development Corporation set about working in partnership with the local community to transform 50 hectares of surplus government land.
At the heart of one of the biggest urban renewal projects in Australia was the task of opening up Newcastle Harbour to the community. By creating quality residential, commercial and recreational waterfront areas, the project has unlocked lifestyle, economic and environmental benefits for the city and received urban design awards and international recognition along the way.
Lee Wharf A, now known as The Wharf, is a heritage building located in the centre of Honeysuckle.
It was built in 1910 in the Federation style and was used for wool storage, as a cargo port, and place of immigration after World War 2. The building is listed as a local heritage item and is much loved by the community. HCCDC recently undertook restoration and structural repairs to the building, along with stabilisation and seawall repair works, and reinstated its harbourside deck.
HCCDC is looking for a new tenant who will make the most of the unique building to attract both locals and visitors to this key harbourside location.
Creating great places in vibrant communities.
Watch the Honeysuckle public domain video here.
Through community consultation, some fantastic ideas for the transformation of Newcastle's iconic waterfront precinct have been identified.
Our plan to invest $55 million into foreshore infrastructure and public domain works will see Honeysuckle thrive for future generations. This will include seawall works, landscaping of waterfront green spaces, planting over 150 trees, and creating attractive promenades that stretch from the Marina through Honeysuckle, and along Bathers Way to Merewether Beach.
Worth Place Park West
The Development Application (DA) for Worth Place Park West has been approved, marking a significant step in the delivery of new public domain, and the continued revitalisation of the Honeysuckle waterfront.
The park will include sandstone block steps into the harbour, shelter with picnic seating, covered barbecue facilities and a Maritime inspired play area. Native trees, including banksia, tuckeroos and pines, will line new pedestrian links, making it easier to move from the waterfront to the Honeysuckle Light Rail stop.
Construction of this park is an important step in completing the public connection between Wickham Marina and Bathers Way through to Honeysuckle. It is expected to get underway in 2020.
HCCDC maintains three kilometres of seawall along the Honeysuckle promenade.
This part of the waterfront has a rich and colourful history, and ongoing maintenance will ensure that this space can be accessed and enjoyed by the public for years to come.
Current works include rebuilding the seventy five year old harbour seawalls at Lee 5 and Throsby in preparation for new public domain.
To date we have recycled 8000 tonnes of processed concrete from the old wharves into new seawalls.
Click here for current work details >
Video: Honeysuckle seawall works
Honeysuckle Drive upgrade
Work commenced in February to widen, straighten and improve Honeysuckle Drive.
The works form part of our $55 million investment in infrastructure and public domain improvements throughout the Honeysuckle precinct. Honeysuckle Drive is being straightened to improve traffic flow and enhance sight lines along the road while the works around Cottage Creek decrease the risk of future flooding. The road works and construction of a new Cottage Creek bridge are also being undertaken to provide a designated heavy vehicle route into the city.
To maintain access to and from the city while we upgrade Honeysuckle Drive, a temporary diversion road has been constructed through the Throsby car park. The road diversion accommodates all traffic and has a separated cyclist / pedestrian path along the Northern (harbour) side of the temporary road. The diversion road opened on 28 March 2020.
We will maintain access to the Throsby car park throughout the works. Changes have been made to the configuration of the car park and there has been a temporary reduction in the number of car spaces.
Every care will be taken to minimise impacts, and any changes to parking will be communicated to affected stakeholders and the wider community prior to the works taking place.
- More information - Honeysuckle Works page>
- Click here to enlarge map >
The next phase of Honeysuckle
Through the Honeysuckle urban renewal program, the government has paved the way for private sector investment to deliver new homes, jobs and economic activity.
As the Honeysuckle project draws closer to completion, exciting new projects are planned for the remaining Honeysuckle lands and the highest standards of built form and urban amenity will be applied.
Horizon
The architecturally designed ‘Horizon’ development is a 105-apartment residential and retail proposal by the Miller Property Corporation, which includes leading firms Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects and CKDS Architecture in its design team.
HCCDC released the site for expressions of interest (EOI) in 2017, and attracted significant interest from the property market, demonstrating ongoing demand for waterfront residential and retail opportunities.
Images by CKDS Architecture & Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects
Lume Apartments
The construction of Doma Group's Lume Apartments at 21 Honeysuckle Drive is due for completion in mid-2020, delivering on the demand for attractive architecture and high quality dwellings in the evolving precinct.
With approximately 150 residential units and associated commercial uses, Lume will integrate with the brand new public domain at Worth Place Park West being delivered by HCCDC mid year.
The Little National Hotel
Doma announced plans to build a 149 room, four-star hotel in Newcastle - the first for the Honeysuckle urban renewal area - in June 2018. Construction is currently on hold as Doma await approval of a revised proposal to include commercial space in this development.
Located at 42 Honeysuckle Drive, the $41 million project will help address the shortage of tourism accommodation in the city.
Huntington
Work commenced in November 2019 on a new residential and retail offering at 35 Honeysuckle Drive. Doma's Huntington features 88 apartments and 1500m2 of retail opportunity, with significant and attractive public open space that will integrate with the picturesque Honeysuckle harbourfront.
HCCDC will deliver the new public domain in line with the building's completion.
Honeysuckle is experiencing the next stage of transformation. To keep informed about what's changing:
- Register your email to join our mailing list: honeysuckle@hccdc.nsw.gov.au
- Visit the Honeysuckle Works page for latest notifications.
As Newcastle grows, changes are being made to the ways we visit and get around the city centre. There are 20 off-street parking stations in Newcastle city centre and many of them offer all day parking for reasonable fees.
Public transport, cycling and the City of Newcastle Council Park and Ride service are also options for your journey into town.
Gallery
Video: Honeysuckle seawall works - Stage 1
Video: Honeysuckle seawall works - Timelapse
Video: Honeysuckle public domain
Video: Honeysuckle waterfront works