Project Overview
| Project Type | Mixed-use waterfront precinct |
| Location | Western end of the Honeysuckle precinct, Newcastle Harbour |
| Development Partner | DOMA Group |
| Development Authority | Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation |
| Masterplan Architect | SJB |
| Design Architects | Stewart Architecture, Architecture AND, and Curious Practice |
| Landscape Architect | Turf Design Studio |
| Construction Timeline | Site preparation: 2026; Stage 1 groundworks: 2028 |
| Expected Completion | 2041 |
Newcastle Quay is a planned mixed-use waterfront redevelopment proposed for the last remaining undeveloped sites within the Honeysuckle precinct in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the harbourfront, the project was initially referred to as Honeysuckle HQ and includes residential, office, retail, hospitality, cultural and public spaces.
The redevelopment is being delivered through a partnership between Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation and DOMA Group, with SJB serving as masterplan architect. The project is expected to be delivered in stages over approximately 15 years, with site preparation works anticipated from 2026, Stage 1 groundworks expected to commence in 2028, and final delivery currently projected around 2041.
DOMA publicly unveiled the Newcastle Quay masterplan in May 2026, following its selection as development partner for the former Honeysuckle HQ site. The announcement outlined plans for a large-scale harbourfront precinct incorporating residential, commercial, hospitality and public infrastructure alongside the adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed Wickham School of Arts building.
Location and site details
The site occupies the western edge of the harbourfront district around Honeysuckle Drive and Hannell Street, including the last remaining waterfront development land on the northern side of Honeysuckle Drive and gateway land on the southern side.
The broader Honeysuckle transformation programme began in the early 1990s and has reshaped more than 50 hectares of former industrial harbourfront land into a mixed-use district for residential, employment, tourism, and recreation uses. According to the Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation, the wider renewal programme has attracted more than A$1bn ($717.4m) in private investment and generated more than A$3bn in economic activity.
Newcastle Quay masterplan and development details
The redevelopment is expected to be delivered over approximately 15 years through a staged east-to-west construction programme.
Ground-level uses proposed across the mixed-use precinct include cafés, dining venues, cinema space, a brewery, grocery retail, cultural facilities and health and wellness businesses. The project is also planned around an 18-hour day-to-night economy model intended to extend activity across the waterfront precinct beyond standard business hours.
The masterplan includes the development of approximately 1,000 homes alongside more than 28,000m2 of office space, 6,000m2 of retail, a 180-room hotel, a 500-seat conference and exhibition centre, and more than 11,000m2 of public open space.
The conference facilities are intended to be integrated with the heritage-listed Wickham School of Arts building.
The development is expected to contribute about A$80m annually to the economy during construction and approximately A$133m annually once completed. According to the NSW Government, the commercial and retail components are expected to support approximately 4,000 jobs once the precinct is complete.
Public spaces and waterfront infrastructure
More than 11,000m2 of public open space is planned across the precinct. Planned public realm infrastructure includes a new waterfront park known as Honeysuckle Green, an Arts Square surrounding the Wickham School of Arts building, upgraded pedestrian links, shared public areas, and new laneway connections.
Additional public domain works are planned along Cottage Creek, through Tree of Knowledge Park and along the waterfront promenade connecting Cottage Creek with Wickham.
The wider Honeysuckle renewal programme has already included promenade upgrades, seawall works, landscaping and new pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. These works form part of an uninterrupted 11km coastal pathway extending from Wickham towards Merewether Beach.
Parking facilities
The development is planned to include approximately 2,400 parking spaces, including a public parking station with more than 200 spaces. Parking infrastructure is intended to operate alongside public transport, walking and cycling links across the precinct.
As redevelopment progresses, the existing Throsby commuter car park is expected to be gradually removed to accommodate future stages of construction.
Sustainability targets and planning controls
According to DOMA, Newcastle Quay is planned to contain the largest concentration of buildings targeting Green Star certification across both Green Star Communities and Green Star Buildings rating tools in the Newcastle Hunter region.
The Newcastle Local Environment Plan 2012 allows for some of the tallest buildings proposed in the city within the precinct, with heights reaching around 100 metres in parts of the site closer to the CBD. Building heights are planned to reduce towards the waterfront, where development steps down to about 30 metres.
Heritage and cultural integration
The heritage-listed Wickham School of Arts building is planned to remain as part of the redevelopment.
The building will undergo adaptive reuse works incorporating restaurant and bar uses linked to the conference centre and hotel development. The surrounding land is planned to become a new public plaza and cultural gathering space.
The precinct masterplan also proposes a dedicated cultural centre on Hannell Street, together with additional cultural facilities integrated into the redevelopment.
Newcastle Quay construction timeline
Site preparation works are expected to begin in 2026, while Stage 1 groundworks are anticipated to commence in 2028.
The first stage is expected to include new homes and ground-floor retail space, with development continuing progressively from east to west across the site.
DOMA expects to lodge both the masterplan and Stage 1 development applications by the end of 2026. The project is expected to be completed in 2041.
Key players involved in the redevelopment
Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation is the NSW Government agency overseeing the Honeysuckle renewal programme and managing the delivery of the final redevelopment lands.
DOMA Group, based in Canberra, was selected as development partner following an expressions of interest (EOIs) and detailed proposal process undertaken in 2022. The developer is responsible for delivering the master-planned redevelopment.
SJB, a multi-disciplinary architecture practice based in Australia, is acting as masterplan and executive architect for the precinct. Stewart Architecture, Architecture AND, and Curious Practice contributed to the architectural design of the precinct, while landscape design has been undertaken in collaboration with Turf Design Studio and planning services provided by SJB Planning.
