Description / context

Adjacent to the Newcastle CBD, and fronting the harbour, Honeysuckle is one of seven precincts that make up the 50 hectare site of one of Australias largest urban renewal projects. The Honeysuckle project has seen a significant area of previously derelict harbourfront land redeveloped for a mix of retail/commercial, residential and recreational uses. The completed section of the Honeysuckle precinct includes various small shops and commercial premises along with cafes, bars and restaurants, a hotel and residential apartments and townhouses. Adjacent stages of the overall project, known as Lee Wharf and Cottage Creek are currently under development. Due to open in mid-2009, Lee Wharf will include further retail shops, cafes, restaurants and residential apartments. The nearby heritage-listed railway workshops have been redeveloped and until recently hosted weekly markets as well as regular community events. Newcastle City Council has now obtained planning approval to relocate its regional museum into the buildings.

The development of this site has provided public access to the harbour and waterfront and increased opportunities for recreational walking, jogging and cycling. A largely pedestrianised area, Honeysuckle is bordered by a section of the 4 kilometre publicly owned shared pathway that runs along the waterfront, continuing west to the rest of the redevelopment area, and east to the headland and beaches. There are significant areas of well-designed public space throughout the precinct that provide opportunities for a range of informal recreational uses as well as a number of live sites used for a community cultural events program run by Newcastle City Council, the Hunter Development Corporation and Arts NSW.

There is currently reasonable pedestrian access to the site, and the nearby bus interchange and three local train stations allow visitors to access the area by public transport. Nevertheless, it should be noted the passenger railway line has been identified as creating a sense of separation between this new precinct and the old Newcastle CBD, and restricting connectivity across these areas.[i]