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.
Lee Wharf A, now known as The Wharf, is a heritage building located in the centre of the Honeysuckle precinct.
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.
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.
Worth Place Park West
The Development Application (DA) for Worth Place Park West has now been lodged, 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, barbecue facilities and a soft-fall 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.
The lodgement of this DA is an important step in completing the public connection between Wickham Marina and Bathers Way through to Honeysuckle.
The works are scheduled to commence in early 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:
- 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.
Honeysuckle Drive realignment
Preparation works for the realignment of Honeysuckle Drive are proposed to commence early next year. The first phase of work will mean building a temporary diversion road through Throsby carpark so the Cottage Creek bridge can be replaced. The road diversion will accommodate all traffic and include a cyclist and pedestrian path along the Northern (harbour) side of the temporary road. We propose to build the diversion route before commencing road works in the first quarter of 2020.
Honeysuckle Drive is being straightened to assist with flood mitigation measures associated with Cottage Creek. 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. When these works get underway, we will maintain access to the Throsby carpark however there will be a temporary reduction in the number of car spaces and some changes to the carpark configuration. 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.
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 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 late-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.