It appears City of Newcastle’s (CN) plans to revitalise the Queens Wharf precinct has the full backing of Novocastrians.

Following an invitation for the community to share their memories and ideas for the popular harbourside destination, council is now considering almost 1,800 comments and suggestions.

In fact, 97% of the feedback positively endorsed CN’s overall vision for the project.

Key themes were identified, too, with about a quarter of the ideas highlighting a desire for Queens Wharf to be a community and family-friendly locale with activities and events for all ages.

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

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

“We reached out to the community to test our vision and seek their input into what types of vibrant mixed-use outcomes people would most like to see as part of the redevelopment,” council’s executive director of corporate services David Clarke said.

“The transformation of Queens Wharf is a complex undertaking.

“So, we’ll consider this valuable feedback from the community alongside a variety of technical, financial, social and economic factors to guide its progression.”

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.

However, the western structure has been vacant since a fire in May 2020 rendered it unusable. 

Mr Clarke said CN would work with stakeholders, community, businesses, government and agencies to bring a shared visualisation for Queens Wharf to life.

A development application for the demolition of the fire-damaged building has recently been submitted, while an expression of interest (EOI) process for prospective 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 EOIs from the market to help us identify and select an appropriate partner who will transform Queens Wharf in accordance with our notion, 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.”

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