Newcastle = boom town

[roopy]

It's interesting to see that during a recession the unemployment in Newcastle has dropped from over 6%, or nearly 2% above the national average, to just over 4%, or 1% below the national average (the national Average has gone up).
The massive amount of work around the Hunter is supposed to upgrade the port to double the capacity from around 100 million tonnes a year to 200 million tonnes a year, so as soon as that is done the local mines will have to double capacity as well.
I don't know about other parts of the Hunter, but everywhere I look around the south of the lake there are building projects and subdivisions going ahead.
All that is happening, but the centre of town is still like a slum and shows no sign of ever going ahead - while Charlestown is turning into a real CBD.
Anyway, it looks to me that the population of the Hunter will grow very strongly with all the extra work and infrastructure - not sure if that's a great thing - but we are finally seeing the region get big investment money spent - pity very little of it seems to be being spent on cleaning up the CBD.

 

[antonius]

It's interesting to see that during a recession the unemployment in Newcastle has dropped from over 6%, or nearly 2% above the national average, to just over 4%, or 1% below the national average (the national Average has gone up).
The massive amount of work around the Hunter is supposed to upgrade the port to double the capacity from around 100 million tonnes a year to 200 million tonnes a year, so as soon as that is done the local mines will have to double capacity as well.
I don't know about other parts of the Hunter, but everywhere I look around the south of the lake there are building projects and subdivisions going ahead.
All that is happening, but the centre of town is still like a slum and shows no sign of ever going ahead - while Charlestown is turning into a real CBD.
Anyway, it looks to me that the population of the Hunter will grow very strongly with all the extra work and infrastructure - not sure if that's a great thing - but we are finally seeing the region get big investment money spent - pity very little of it seems to be being spent on cleaning up the CBD.

The biggest problem with the Newcastle CBD are the minority groups that live there. Any proposal to build or change is met by protest from these groups who seem to think the CBD is theirs. They complained about the noise when the big trucks rolled along wharf road for their annual charity run. They complain about the noise from the Matara festival. They didn't want anything built on the old surf house land. Anyone that wants to build anything over a few stories high is met with these protest groups, who think their views will be ruined, and the additional population will disturb their peaceful existance.

Add to that a council that can't decide how to move a boulder from the middle of the road without spending thousands on committees to decide
for it. Or who procrastinate for months on spending the government money donated to upgrade Newcastle baths to a point where the government is going to take it off them. Or spend council time arguing over whether the prayer should be said before meetings. Then try to ban council members from talking to the media. Is it any wonder nothing ever gets done there?

The area is booming, but Newcastle itself is locked into a roundabout of indecision.

Personally I'm happy I live in neighbouring Lake Macquarie.

 

[Misanthrope]

It's a shame, really. Newcastle's CBD could be a really beautiful area (and should be) but the place just seems to stagnate. The city could be so much better than it is.

 

[antonius]

The wharf area and Carrington/Wickham are good examples of what can be achieved with a bit of foresight. The foreshore was a vision of Joy Cummins (ex lord mayor) many years ago and look how great that is now. We need another one of her in Council. There's no reason the the Honeysuckle precinct couldn't progress across the rail line to Hunter street, Oh wait on lets get rid of the rail line!! Oh no we can't those protest groups want to keep it, that's right I forgot!

 

[macavity]

I can't comment much more, but you are a fair way off on some of your observations on Council Tony.

 

[antonius]

I can't comment much more, but you are a fair way off on some of your observations on Council Tony.

I can only go on what is reported Mac. The rock in the middle of the road was a farce. They nearly lost the money for either the ocean baths or fort scratchly because of inactivety. The prayer thing was widely reported last week, as was the proposed media ban.

I am not blaming the rail line thing on them. That's more a state Gov thing. What I am saying is it is almost impossible to get a decision out of council without comittees being formed, and consultants consulted over and over again. That all costs money, something the council doesn't have. They need to use money much more wisely. Most of the derilict buildings in town are council owned and have been left to rot. Hunter street is an embarasment, I shudder when those cruise ships come in and passengers venture beyond the rail line. They are going to spend a fortune on a new art gallery, when we have one that is perfectly good. They are moving the museum at an extraordinary cost, when the one we had was great, ATM we don't have one, and when we will get one is anyones guess.

 

[macavity]

you assume reports are accurate.

 

[Misanthrope]

You've got your finger to the pulse, macavity? What can you tell me about my adopted home?

 

[roopy]

Lake Macquarie will eat Newcastle within 10 years IMO.
The lower Hunter is booming.
Nelsons Bay is booming.
Lake Macquarie is booming.
Newcastle is dieing a slow and painfull death.

 

[antonius]

you assume reports are accurate.

I know what I see in Hunter street Macca, and I know we don't have a museum, I know how long it took to remove that rock. The plans for the art gallery are in the pipeline. Though the speed council move at we wont see the gallery for years, and for that matter probably the museum.

 

[antonius]

Good thread by the way Roops

 

[Misanthrope]

Should the 'consumption of Newcastle' take place, I can't imagine the city being called Lake Macquarie. Nobody outside of the Hunter even knows Lake Macquarie is a separate entity.

 

[roopy]

Should the 'consumption of Newcastle' take place, I can't imagine the city being called Lake Macquarie. Nobody outside of the Hunter even knows Lake Macquarie is a separate entity.

The current boundaries need to be changed.
Half the population of Lake Macquarie really do live in Newcastle according to everyone except the people who designed the boundaries 60 years ago.
The centre of the city of Newcastle really is Charlestown already, but that is officially part of Lake Macquarie - despite being closer to the Harbour than the Lake (I think).
Newcastle should be the 400 or 450k people who live in what most people think of as the greater city of Newcastle - and Lake Macquarie should be the 60 - 80k people who live in the suburbs around the Lake.

 

[hgfds]

Newcastle will never die a slow death as it has the great assets of the beach,ocean baths boardwalk and harbour foreshore with stunning cliff scenery. Eventually catching the train to newcastle will be like visiting one of the upmarket beachside areas of sydney,as the oldies die out more apartments will be built which will bring people into the cbd.absolutely no need for the city to panic and gift valuable harbourside land to developers.

 

[Big Tim]

Newcastle will never die a slow death as it has the great assets of the beach,ocean baths boardwalk and harbour foreshore with stunning cliff scenery. Eventually catching the train to newcastle will be like visiting one of the upmarket beachside areas of sydney,as the oldies die out more apartments will be built which will bring people into the cbd.absolutely no need for the city to panic and gift valuable harbourside land to developers.

Would involve hopping on a tram at Wickham...... well we can dream cant we?

Get rid of the damn train line and then the city will be opened up to the foreshore and Hunter Street will not be an eyesore, but an extension of the impressive work that is being done in Honeysuckle.

But if you remove the train people will have to catch a bus!!!!!! And then they will have the choice of approximately 10 different stops to get off at.... we only want to get off at Newie station, or maybe Civic if the train would kindly stop there.......... Some people will argue the stupidest points if it stops change.

 

[Misanthrope]

Trains are far better (for the environment and in terms of carrying capacity) than buses. What Newcastle needs to do is invest the time and money to set up a system similar to the MAX train in Portland. Tram style transportation is both efficient and it adds a kind of rustic charm. You can have just as many stops as bus, carry more people than a bus, and you get the added bonus of beautifying the city.

 

[macavity]

Trains are far better (for the environment and in terms of carrying capacity) than buses. What Newcastle needs to do is invest the time and money to set up a system similar to the MAX train in Portland. Tram style transportation is both efficient and it adds a kind of rustic charm. You can have just as many stops as bus, carry more people than a bus, and you get the added bonus of beautifying the city.

Mate Trains are only better for the environment if they are being used.

I will have to dig up the figure but there was a study done not too long ago and the amount of CO2 pumped into the air for every passenger carried between Wickham and Newcastle is something outrageous - near empty trains are a very inefficient form of transport no matter which way you slice it.

Elements of the environment are certainly the functional environment and the aesthetic environment - and the rail destroys both in Newcastle.

Not another out of towner telling us what to do with our city..... ;-)

 

[Misanthrope]

Not another out of towner telling us what to do with our city....

:lol: I'm only an out of towner now that I've left. Still raised there.

Mate Trains are only better for the environment if they are being used.

My love for trains is more out of spite for the trucking industry. You wouldn't find many happier people than me if trucking took a hit. That said, there's a difference between a MAX train and a train. The train system as it is in Newcastle is vastly different to a streetcar style setup.

 

[macavity]

:lol: I'm only an out of towner now that I've left. Still raised there.

I know mate, hence the ;-)

My love for trains is more out of spite for the trucking industry. You wouldn't find many happier people than me if trucking took a hit. That said, there's a difference between a MAX train and a train. The train system as it is in Newcastle is vastly different to a streetcar style setup.

the best decisions always come from spite.... :sarcasm:

the problem with some of the solutions proposed that work in other cities.... is that they work in other much larger cities without the topography problems Newcastle has. Yet to be seen if they will work here with our unique issues, and unless the state pours a billion or so in, we are unlikely to see if they will work.

 

[roopy]

Property boom tipped in 10 regional centres
October 26, 2009 - 3:33PM
Ten key regional centres in Australia are positioned to experience booming property prices as the economy recovers, a real estate researcher says.
Real estate forecaster Terry Ryder has tipped the Western Australian resource boom towns of Port Hedland and Karratha to again grow strongly while agriculture and tourism are tipped to benefit Orange in NSW and north west of that state.
In his ‘‘National top 10 Boom Town Hotspots’’ report Mr Ryder recommends investing in the cities of Bunbury in WA and Newcastle in New South Wales.
The remaining eight towns to make it into the list include Ceduna in South Australia, Gladstone in Queensland, Geraldton, Port Hedland and Karratha in WA, Portland in Victoria, Orange and the north-west of NSW.
Mr Ryder also warned investors to shy away from buying in ‘‘pure mining towns’’.
He said investors could benefit from Australia’s new wave of mining by focusing on strategically located regional centres that were set to benefit from major new projects.
‘‘While investors who get in early can make big capital gains, most mining towns exist in a bubble, which can burst if demand for resources drops, the local mine closes or housing demand falls away after construction of a major project is completed,’’ Mr Ryder said in a statement.
Mr Ryder is the director of the property webiste www.hotspotting.com.au.
‘‘Property buyers looking for boom town investments are better served looking for nearby regional centres that will enjoy the economic surge of major new projects, but are not solely dependent on it for their prosperity.’’
Mr Ryder said all the locations on the list had exposure to the mining and resources sector while being based on well-rounded regional economies.
He identified the desalination plant in Bunbury, a port upgrade in Ceduna, port and rail links in Geraldton, industry and tourism in Gladstone and port and rail links in Newcastle as major factors in their inclusion in the list.

http://www.smh.com.au/business/property-boom-tipped-in-10-regional-centres-20091026-hg6c.html