NACRPA's Vision:
"Sustainable, Smart, Solutions to Development at North Arm Cove"
🌿 NACRPA’s Vision
• Core principle: Development that is sustainable, inclusive, and aligned with state planning policies
• Community-driven: The Association represents both non-urban and village landowners, ensuring all ratepayers have a voice in shaping the future
• Strategic alignment: Their vision ties into the Hunter Regional Plan, which sets NSW’s priorities for growth and infrastructure
• Core principle: Development that is sustainable, inclusive, and aligned with state planning policies
• Community-driven: The Association represents both non-urban and village landowners, ensuring all ratepayers have a voice in shaping the future
• Strategic alignment: Their vision ties into the Hunter Regional Plan, which sets NSW’s priorities for growth and infrastructure
🏡 The Paper Subdivision Context
- Historic roots: The subdivision dates back over 100 years, with 3,500 house-sized lots mapped on paper but never serviced with roads, water, or electricity.
- Ownership: Around 2,000 landowners hold non-urban lots, while 500 owners hold urban village lots. MidCoast Council itself has acquired about 1,000 lots from owners who gave up paying rates and had their land acquired in lieu of paying rates.
- There is a Development Plan on the horizon, being prepared by the 3rd largest landowner, Alathan Pty Ltd, yet MidCoast Council refuses to share this information with rate payers.
- Frustration: For decades, owners have paid rates on land they cannot legally build on, leading to financial loss and community dissatisfaction.
✨ Outlook
- NACRPA is pushing to “activate” North Arm Cove, positioning it as a potential residential hub close to Newcastle Airport and the Pacific Highway. MidCoast Council’s Draft Rural Strategy recommended down-zoning much of the land to environmental protection, highlighting the ongoing clash between development ambitions and conservation priorities. But this DID NOT HAPPEN.
- In 2024 the NSW State Government directed MidCoast Council to zone the land to Environment Living C4 - which means for the first time ever there is an opportunity for development on the non-urban lots at North Arm Cove.
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How the NACRPA Vision aligns with State Government Policies.
The Hunter Regional Plan is developed by the NSW State Government Planning & Environment Department.
The Plan sets out what is important to the State Government in terms of planning priorities for the future. FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, North Arm Cove is specifically mentioned on Page 165 as part of the Coastal area's Planning Priority 6 - Consider Historical Paper Subdivisions. In reference to Paper Subdivisions, the Hunter Regional Plan also states "Further investigation will identify whether options exist that could enable cost effective development". |
Here are a few ideas -
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Here are a few ideas:
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The 20-Year Economic Vision for Regional NSW, released in 2018, sets out the Government's priorities and plans to achieve long-term social and economic success for regional communities across the state.
Hunter
The Hunter is Australia’s largest regional economy, valued at over $40 billion. While the cumulative impacts of recent shocks have severely affected the tourism sector, the NSW Government has identified opportunities to accelerate recovery through investments in the Williamtown Special Activation Precinct, renewable energy and a range of infrastructure. Regional specialisations such as mining and tourism will continue to drive employment and economic growth despite bushfire and COVID-19 related disruptions.
Coastal
By 2038, Coastal regions could grow by more than 11,000 people, particularly around the Mid-Coast. Together, these regions have the potential to add more than 3,000 jobs to the NSW economy by 2038.
Hunter
The Hunter is Australia’s largest regional economy, valued at over $40 billion. While the cumulative impacts of recent shocks have severely affected the tourism sector, the NSW Government has identified opportunities to accelerate recovery through investments in the Williamtown Special Activation Precinct, renewable energy and a range of infrastructure. Regional specialisations such as mining and tourism will continue to drive employment and economic growth despite bushfire and COVID-19 related disruptions.
Coastal
By 2038, Coastal regions could grow by more than 11,000 people, particularly around the Mid-Coast. Together, these regions have the potential to add more than 3,000 jobs to the NSW economy by 2038.
How the Gateway Report from the Department of Planning to MidCoast Council is good news for North Arm Cove
So we have had great news in recent times.
The NSW Dept. of Planning (Housing & Infrastructure) directing MidCoast Council (via the Gateway for the new LEP) to rezone North Arm Cove (NAC) non-urban lots to C4 'Enviromental Living', instead of Council's desire for C3 'Envronmental Management'.
This is incredibly exciting, because the State Govt now see a possible residential solution for NAC. This also reflects well for those villagers zoned urban, because it gives hope to the possibility of sewer, much needed infrastructure and commercial shops and services such as medical, which are of much benefit to them, and which will only enhance their property values.
But of course, the 'old guard' hate any change, and want the status quo to remain. But its like the boy who stuck his finger in the dyke, there will be no stopping the progress that is coming their way. Currently, the recommended zone of C4 has a minimum Lot size of 5 ha, which of course is still way too large, but this can be worked down to much smaller lot sizes once the authorities are satisfied that there is feasible outcomes for biodiversity, bushfire, infrastructure costs and an overall business case for development.
In my opinion, the current footprint of Burley Griffin's subdivision unfortunately won't work, because of the above challenges, but a new footprint with appropriate corridors for ecological and biodiversity measures can be drafted and presented to all landowners in a future Development Plan, which is currently being investigated with advice from both Dept of Planning and Council.
If its found that sensible development can occur with the required independent studies, then the next stage will see support from all sides of government, and it will come down to a landowner vote.
Slow but steady as she goes, but we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
Once again, I can't emphasize enough how important it is to have numbers in the Association, because it tells the decision makers that we have the support behind us, and demand change.
Please take the time to join - you can click on the Membership tab above, or the link below.
https://northarmcove.org.au/membership.html#
Membership - North Arm Cove Rate Payers Association
Contributed by
David Buxton
President, North Arm Cove Rate Payers Association
nacrpa@gmail.com
27 May 2024
The NSW Dept. of Planning (Housing & Infrastructure) directing MidCoast Council (via the Gateway for the new LEP) to rezone North Arm Cove (NAC) non-urban lots to C4 'Enviromental Living', instead of Council's desire for C3 'Envronmental Management'.
This is incredibly exciting, because the State Govt now see a possible residential solution for NAC. This also reflects well for those villagers zoned urban, because it gives hope to the possibility of sewer, much needed infrastructure and commercial shops and services such as medical, which are of much benefit to them, and which will only enhance their property values.
But of course, the 'old guard' hate any change, and want the status quo to remain. But its like the boy who stuck his finger in the dyke, there will be no stopping the progress that is coming their way. Currently, the recommended zone of C4 has a minimum Lot size of 5 ha, which of course is still way too large, but this can be worked down to much smaller lot sizes once the authorities are satisfied that there is feasible outcomes for biodiversity, bushfire, infrastructure costs and an overall business case for development.
In my opinion, the current footprint of Burley Griffin's subdivision unfortunately won't work, because of the above challenges, but a new footprint with appropriate corridors for ecological and biodiversity measures can be drafted and presented to all landowners in a future Development Plan, which is currently being investigated with advice from both Dept of Planning and Council.
If its found that sensible development can occur with the required independent studies, then the next stage will see support from all sides of government, and it will come down to a landowner vote.
Slow but steady as she goes, but we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
Once again, I can't emphasize enough how important it is to have numbers in the Association, because it tells the decision makers that we have the support behind us, and demand change.
Please take the time to join - you can click on the Membership tab above, or the link below.
https://northarmcove.org.au/membership.html#
Membership - North Arm Cove Rate Payers Association
Contributed by
David Buxton
President, North Arm Cove Rate Payers Association
nacrpa@gmail.com
27 May 2024
