The three sites, located near key train stations, will soon be home to thousands more homes as their councils embrace higher density.
Local plans for the suburbs of North Wollongong, St Marys in western Sydney, and the Lake Macquarie suburb of Cockle Creek have just been released.
Each of these sites were identified as part of the NSW government’s Transport Oriented Development (TOD) program, which aims to increase housing density around public transport hubs, jobs and amenities.
In this initiative, 37 areas were identified in Sydney and the state’s other smaller cities, where the government said it would introduce new zoning to increase density within 400 metres of train stations. At the outset, the project was anticipated to lead to the construction of 138,000 new homes in Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and Hunter regions.
Local councils, however, were given the opportunity to create their own plans for these neighbourhoods, so long as the housing component was met or exceeded. If they missed the deadline to do so, the TOD controls would be implemented automatically.
To date, plans for 28 of the 37 sites have been adopted and 34 development applications submitted.
What is expected for Lake Macquarie Region ?
Cockle Creek, located near Newcastle in the Lake Macquarie region, could see 1200 new homes.
The Lake Macquarie Council is working with the NSW Government on rezoning the Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation (HCCDC) owned site at Munibung Road, Boolaroo.
The area partly falls within the TOD area for Cockle Creek, and the HCCDC, Lake Macquarie Council, and the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure will finalise the rezoning proposal over the coming months.
“It’s exciting to see this project moving forward,” mayor of Lake Macquarie Adam Shultz said.
“With HCCDC and the NSW Government on board, we’re one step closer to transforming underused land into a thriving new part of our city.”
Source: Realestate.com.au
Vivien Topalovic, Property Journalist
First published 5 May 2025, 1:48pm