Hunter Business News

New town for 20,000
The NSW Minister for Planning, Kristina Keneally, has approved the development of a new town to be built near Branxton in the Hunter Valley. To be known as Huntlee, the town, when fully developed will be home for around 20,000 people with 7,200 lots being produced. The Huntlee project will comprise:
  • 600 hectares of residential land (7,200 lots);
  • 93 hectares of rural-residential land (300 lots);
  • 160 hectares of employment lands;
  • Provision of associated infrastructure; and
  • Almost 6,000 hectares of land for conservation and environmental purposes.

Stage 1 includes:
  • 2000 residential dwellings;
  • 300 large lots (2000sqm and above); and
  • 40 hectares of the Town Centre which will allow for a mix of uses including retail, education, commercial and bulky goods.

It is expected that completion of Stage 1 will take between 7-9 years, depending on market conditions.
The first residents of Huntlee Stage 1 are likely to be in situ from the last part of 2010 or early 2011.
Huntlee Holdings – the developers – expect to begin civil construction works in the last half of 2009.
Huntlee Holdings is significantly owned by LWP Property Group Pty Ltd – a Western Australian-based land developer, specialising in medium to large scale urban projects with extensive experience in delivering master-planned communities.

Minister rezones land at Newcastle Airport
The Minister for Planning, Kristina Keneally, in February announced the rezoning of 88 hectares of land adjacent to Newcastle Airport to be developed for industrial purposes. The announcement sets up the airport at Williamtown to become an aviation hub and take advantage of the opportunities being generated by the continuing growth of the RAAF Base. The land is owned by the Hunter’s largest developer of industrial and commercial land, Hunter Land Pty Ltd.

Gas pipeline approved
The missing link in the east Australian gas network will be built, after the NSW Government approved the project in February.
The privately-funded Queensland Hunter Gas Pipeline (QHGP) will transport coal seam gas collected in the southern central Queensland fields to Newcastle, through an 820km underground natural gas pipeline.

The pipeline will provide an energy alternative to the Hunter and increase competition, bringing the price of gas down and in addition significantly add to the region’s energy capacity. Construction of the pipeline is anticipated to start next year with gas flow expected to commence in 2012-2013.

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