A project that will see more than 100 new apartments built within walking distance of Newcastle CBD has been given the green light.

The NSW Government approved the final plans for the Horizon Lee project – a mix of residential apartments, commercial space and street-level retail across three, seven and eight storey buildings – at 45 Honeysuckle Drive.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Catherine Cusack, believed the project would be a great addition to the ongoing transformation of the Honeysuckle precinct.

“Not only will this project see 110 new apartments built within walking distance of the CBD, it will also inject $59 million into the Greater Newcastle economy and create 540 local jobs during construction,” Ms Cusack said.

“The redevelopment of this area – from an aging maritime precinct to a thriving hub that mixes residential, commercial and retail developments – is a fundamental part of the broader transformation of the Newcastle waterfront.”

NSW Planning and Public Spaces Minister, Rob Stokes, said construction would start within the next three months.

“This approval demonstrates the government’s commitment to the redevelopment of Honeysuckle into a vibrant waterfront precinct with more jobs, homes and public spaces for the community to enjoy,” he said.

The NSW Government’s Honeysuckle Urban Renewal Project is a state significant urban transformation, taking more than 50 hectares of former industrial and maritime land and transforming it into a precinct with broad promenades, quality architecture and quality green open space on the edge of Newcastle Harbour.

The Horizon Lee project at Honeysuckle was one of 24 projects included in Tranche 2 of the NSW Government’s Planning System Acceleration Program that is fast-tracking planning assessments to keep people in jobs and the economy moving during the COVID-19 crisis.

To date, the program has created opportunities for more than 23,000 direct jobs and almost $13 billion worth of economic investment across NSW.