Community feedback shaping next steps for harbourside landmark

Novocastrians have thrown their support behind the revitalisation of the Queens Wharf precinct.

Almost 1,800 comments and suggestions are being considered by City of Newcastle following an invitation for the community to share their memories and ideas for the popular harbourside location.

City of Newcastle’s Executive Director of Corporate Services David Clarke said the feedback had been overwhelmingly positive, with 97% endorsing City of Newcastle’s overall vision for the project. 

“We reached out to the community to test our vision for this precinct and seek their input into what types of vibrant mixed-use outcomes people would most like to see as part of the redevelopment,” Mr Clarke said.

“The transformation of Queens Wharf is a complex undertaking, and we’ll consider this valuable feedback from the community alongside a variety of technical, financial, social and economic factors to guide its progression.”

Councillor Declan Clausen, Chair of City of Newcastle's Asset Advisory Committee, said it was important to involve the community in reimaging this key waterfront precinct.

“It was fantastic to have so many people engaged in the process, sharing their memories of the Queens Wharf area, their big ideas for the future and their priorities for how it should be used,” Cr Clausen said.

“This is a unique opportunity to celebrate our local identity and establish a legacy for future generations, and we’re excited to bring our community along on this journey with us.”

Key themes have been identified from the feedback, with around a quarter of the comments highlighting a desire for Queens Wharf to be a community and family-friendly destination with activities and events for all ages.

Submissions showed support for a diverse and mixed-use precinct with food and dining, retail, arts and culture, night-time activation, open spaces, amenities, and recreation opportunities. 

Supporting local businesses, creating jobs and opportunities and a renewed sense of pride in showcasing Newcastle to tourists and visitors were also suggested in the comments.

A range of short-term ideas to bring the precinct to life were proposed during the consultation and will be considered for implementation while the long-term transformation is underway.

Mr Clarke said City of Newcastle will work with stakeholders, community, businesses, government and agencies to bring a shared vision for Queens Wharf to life.

A development application for the demolition of the fire-damaged western building has recently been submitted, while an expression of interest process for prospective development partners will be launched on 9 October.

“We are committed to ensuring this iconic location at the heart of our waterfront remains open and accessible to all members of the public,” Mr Clarke said. 

“Our vision is to create a vibrant and dynamic space that supports a variety of uses and activities.

“Next week we will invite expressions of interest from the market to help us identify and select an appropriate partner who will transform Queens Wharf in accordance with our vision, building on the feedback from this engagement process.

“Our aim is to attract quality proposals through a competitive process that will revitalise this landmark site for future generations.”

Queens Wharf sits at the heart of the Newcastle harbour foreshore, connecting Stockton, Honeysuckle, Foreshore Park and Newcastle East.

The waterfront precinct has been a popular destination since it was constructed as a Bicentennial project and officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1988. 

It includes two separate buildings, two car parks, a public promenade and the Transport for NSW owned ferry wharf. The western building has been vacant since a fire in May 2020 rendered it unusable. 

The results of the recent community engagement are available to view on the Have Your Say page on City of Newcastle's website.