HCCDC is tasked with helping deliver NSW Government's vision for creating strong and sustainable regions in the Hunter and Central Coast, with thriving metropolitan cities in Newcastle and Gosford.
We act for Government to unlock opportunities - to foster and encourage new economic development, jobs growth and new homes.
Constituted under the Growth Centres (Development Corporations) Act 1974, HCCDC encompasses the Central Coast local government area and Hunter Region’s ten local government areas: Cessnock, Dungog, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Mid-Coast, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Port Stephens, Singleton and the Upper Hunter.
Our role in these regions is significant and leverages decades of work already undertaken by the Hunter Development Corporation and Central Coast Regional Development Corporation.
Newcastle and the Hunter
The Hunter is entering a new and exciting phase with a growing metropolitan area, greater economic diversification and global gateways that link the region to the rest of the world.
The region has thriving communities and a diverse natural environment that will help to underpin not just the future prosperity of the region but also the State.
In 2016, The NSW Government announced a new framework for the future direction for the Hunter Region with the release of the Hunter Regional Plan 2036. HCCDC is tasked with delivering, coordinating and being accountable for achieving the vision and goals of the Plan.
In Newcastle, we lead the Revitalising Newcastle program and the Honeysuckle Urban Renewal project, as well as significant remediation and rehabilitation projects on former BHP steelworks sites.
In Lake Macquarie we're realising the potential of Cockle Creek precinct by creating opportunities for jobs, housing and economic benefit on the former industrial land.
Hunter Regional Plan 2036 (PDF, 3.5 MB) will guide the NSW Government's land use planning priorities and decisions until 2036, providing a framework to guide more detailed plans, development proposals and infrastructure funding decisions.
Through its role working closely with other government agencies and local councils, HCCDC will help the government achieve a number of goals for the region, enabling:
- the leading regional economy in Australia
- a biodiversity-rich natural environment
- thriving communities
- greater housing choice and jobs.
The Plan focuses on new housing and jobs and targets growth in strategic centres and renewal corridors. HCCDC will oversee and report on progress to ensure the vision in the plan is achieved.
The Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan 2036 (PDF, 14.6 MB) was launched in September 2018.
Newcastle is Australia’s seventh largest city and global gateway for northern NSW. It has a bright future with significant opportunities in aviation, transport, education, health and tourism.
The Metropolitan Plan for Greater Newcastle is the first of its kind released in a non-capital city in Australia. It is a significant milestone and aims to drive sustainable growth across Cessnock City, Lake Macquarie City, Maitland City, Newcastle City and Port Stephens communities, which together make up Greater Newcastle.
The Plan also helps to achieve the vision set in the Hunter Regional Plan 2036 - for the Hunter to be a leading regional economy in Australia with a vibrant new metropolitan city at its heart - Australia’s newest emerging economic and lifestyle city, connected with northern NSW and acknowledged globally as:
- dynamic and entrepreneurial, with a globally competitive economy and the excitement of the inner city and green suburban communities
- offering great lifestyles minutes from beaches or bushland, the airport or universities, and from the port to the lake
- a national leader in the new economy, with smarter cities and carbon neutral initiatives, and with collaborative governance that makes it a model to others in creating and adapting to change.
Gosford and the Central Coast
The Central Coast is Australia's ninth largest population centre.
With its proximity to Sydney, great natural beauty and growth projections, the region offers exciting and diverse opportunities for business investment.
On the Central Coast, our work includes the management of Mount Penang Parklands, a widely acclaimed destination for tourism, business and education that incorporates Mount Penang Gardens, outdoor event spaces, and a heritage business park. We are continually improving Mount Penang, with vital infrastructure works recently completed that will enhance amenity for visitors and to support future investment and activity.
In Gosford, we have worked with the University of Newcastle to secure a site for a new world-class campus in the heart of the city; and in 2021 we completed the $10 million transformation of Leagues Club Park, creating a dynamic and award-winning regional play space in the heart of Gosford.
Central Coast Regional Plan 2041 (PDF, 11.6 MB) recognises Gosford as a regionally significant growth area and the revitalisation of the CBD is a Ministerial objective.
This revitalisation aims to evolve Gosford into a vibrant, more liveable hub to attract new businesses, jobs and services, and promote recreational and cultural pursuits in the city centre.
The Central Coast community will benefit from having a thriving regional capital where more people can work close to home. In early 2018, Government publicly exhibited a comprehensive range of measures to revitalise Gosford city centre.
The measures aim to facilitate investment in the city to attract new residents, business, tourists and cultural activity to allow Gosford to fulfil its enormous potential as the vibrant, thriving and liveable capital of the Central Coast.
So far, Government's revitalisation package has included:
- up to $42 million earmarked from the Housing Acceleration Fund (HAF) to upgrade vital infrastructure in Gosford City Centre to ensure it can cater for the growing influx of businesses, residents and visitors into the city
- an additional $10 million to fund public domain upgrades at Leagues Club Park Gosford in the city centre and support the Government Architect’s recommendations for a significant regional playground
- the revitalisation of Gosford City Centre via Setting the Scene and Early Recommendations Discussion Paper and three place-based reports.
The Central Coast has outstanding natural assets, enjoys close proximity to the Hunter and Sydney and has an enviable lifestyle. It continues to be a very attractive region to live and work, and is expected to have a population of 404,000 in 2041.
Managing the growth and change in the region over the next 20 years to ensure it remains a great place to live, is the impetus behind Government's delivery of the Central Coast Regional Plan 2041 (PDF, 11.6 MB) – a 20 year blueprint for the future.
Through this Plan, Government's vision is to create a globally focused, resilient and equitable region, where people and businesses are well connected and efforts are driven by a need to care for Country.