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.
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 current works page for latest notifications.
- Register your email to join our mailing list:
honeysuckle@hccdc.nsw.gov.au
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.
HCCDC is committed to creating great places in vibrant communities.
Through community consultation, some fantastic ideas for the transformation of Newcastle's iconic waterfront precinct have been identified.
HCCDC's plan to invest $55 million into foreshore infrastructure and public domain works will see Honeysuckle set to thrive for future generations. This will include seawall works, superior landscaping of waterfront green spaces, planting of over 150 trees, and the creation of attractive wide promenades stretching from the Marina through Honeysuckle, and along Bathers Way to Merewether Beach.
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:
- important seawall construction works to rebuild the seventy five year old harbour seawalls at Lee 5 and Throsby in preparation for new public domain;
- stabilisation and upgrade repair works to the building foundations of Lee Wharf A.
Recently completed ...
Two new finger wharves have been built to host more boats on the Honeysuckle promenade, and recent seawall works saw around 250 metres of Honeysuckle shoreline repaired and rebuilt for the future.
In preparation for new waterfront public domain, this repair work included the placement of approximately 27,000 tonnes of rock along a stretch of shoreline built between 1936 and 1958, now known as the Lee 4 and Lee 5 wharves.
Watch the timelapse video to see the important seawall repair works in action.
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
Doma Group's Lume Apartments are currently under construction at 21 Honeysuckle Drive delivering on the high demand for attractive architecture and high quality dwellings in the evolving Honeysuckle precinct.
With approximately 150 residential units and associated commercial uses, Lume will integrate with the brand new public domain being planned, adding to the precincts vibrancy with more people living and playing in the area.
The Little National Hotel
Construction of the first hotel development in the Honeysuckle urban renewal area in more than a decade is now underway.
Located at 42 Honeysuckle Drive, the $41 million project will deliver a unique 149 room, four-star hotel in Newcastle.
The hotel will address the shortage of tourism accommodation in the city and will be complemented by a number of serviced apartments, and approximately 128 public car parking spaces.
Huntington
An exciting proposal for a new residential and retail offering at 35 Honeysuckle Drive has been unveiled following a competitive, design-focussed tender. Doma Group's plan for 35 Honeysuckle Drive features 92 apartments and 1533m2 of retail opportunity, with significant and attractive public open space that will integrate with the picturesque Honeysuckle harbourfront.
Following development approval, construction is anticipated to commence around mid-2019.
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 current 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.