Month: April 2021

The services and facilities required in 2040 are being explored as City of Newcastle prepares a new Community Strategic Plan on behalf of the community.
The new Community Strategic Plan, Newcastle 2040, is the city’s contract between the community and City of Newcastle. It is important that residents, ratepayers, businesses and community groups from across Newcastle work with the City in planning for the next decade and beyond.
Over the coming months, the City will lead face-to-face and online engagement asking the community to consider what they want Newcastle to look like in 2040.
Newcastle 2040 will be used by the City to develop its investment priorities, whether it be how much to spend building footpaths through to the types of festivals the City hosts and attracts.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said that Newcastle 2040 will reflect the community’s values and will guide the City’s project delivery plans and annual budgets.
“Now is the time for the community to have their say in developing a blueprint for the future of our city,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Everyone is encouraged to give feedback, from large and small business operators, not-for-profit organisations, parents, newly arrived citizens and university students.
“While City of Newcastle takes the lead role in driving the city towards our shared vision, we all play a part in making Newcastle a place we love now and into the future.
“It’s important that we hear from as many people as possible from all areas of Newcastle so that the priorities we identify match the future everyone in our community wants.
“Newcastle 2040 will define the community’s vision for Newcastle and we’ll look to it for everything we deliver, at every stage, from planning through to investment.”
The City’s current Community Strategic Plan, Newcastle 2030, was developed in 2010, a time when the iPhone 4 was the latest technology, and Eminem was on the top of Australia’s music charts. A lot has changed and there are new and emerging megatrends that must be considered.
City of Newcastle looks forward to listening and learning from the community and have already received ideas from school students at Callaghan College Waratah.
Engagement opportunities will be hosted in a range of locations over the coming months including various community events and throughout Youth Week (16-24 April).
To stay up-to-date with opportunities for community feedback, visit City of Newcastle’s Have Your Say page, and share your ideas on the digital vision wall.

Newcastle’s identity as a cycling friendly city continues to evolve with construction scheduled to commence mid-year on a cycling path along Hunter Street in the city’s west end.
The construction is in addition to the new cycleway bypass at Queens Wharf which was also funded by NSW Government’s Streets as Shared Spaces initiative.

The Hunter Street West End Cycleway received $525,000 and will trial a range of features between National Park Street and Worth Place, including two single direction cycleways which will be considered as an option in the City Centre Revitalisation West End Stage Two development.
The Hunter Street West End Cycleway follows the successful completion of the Queens Wharf Cycleway Bypass last month, which received $100,000 in funding from the program and provides cyclists with a safe 3m wide shared pathway one block behind the high-traffic main street to provide safe access through the area.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said funding support for projects like these allows cycling to play an important role within Newcastle’s transport mix.
“Cycling is a genuine transport option for families, commuters and recreational users, which is why expansion and improvement of the cycleway network is essential and why it stands as one of the City’s priority projects.
“The Streets as Shared Spaces initiative has allowed us to trial a solution that makes it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to get around the Queens Wharf precinct and the Hunter Street cycleway trial will provide connections to several key north and south links, which will enhance Newcastle’s inner-city cycleway network.”
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said he was glad to see new cycleway infrastructure in Newcastle.
“Active transport is something I am passionate about and it’s wonderful to see City of Newcastle using our Streets as Shared Spaces funding to create these types of public spaces,” Mr Stokes said.
“The $15 million Streets as Shared Spaces program was designed to enable the creation of safe and enjoyable public spaces in the wake of the pandemic and will make a positive difference to our cities and suburbs for years to come.”
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin said quality cycling and transport infrastructure would benefit residents and visitors to Newcastle.
“Creating safer ways for cyclists to get around our city will ensure that people who want to use active transport are able to,” Mr Martin said.
The Streets as Shared Spaces initiative has provided funding to 48 projects across the state and encourages new and improved pedestrian and active transport links.
Works on the Hunter Street West End Cycleway trial are scheduled to start in mid-2021 and take several months to complete. To follow its progress visit our Works page.