The Hunter Regional Plan 2036 is the product of extensive consultation with councils, stakeholders and the wider community, conducted around a discussion paper (Lower Hunter) released in 2014 and a draft plan released in 2015. The feedback from these consultations was integral to finalising the Plan released in November 2016. It acknowledges the importance of the region and provides a 20 year blueprint to achieve four goals for the region:

• The leading regional economy in Australia

• A biodiversity-rich natural environment

• Thriving communities

• Greater housing choice and jobs

 

To deliver the Hunter Regional Plan 2036 all levels of government, the private sector and the community will have to work together. The Plan needs to be incorporated into each stakeholder’s future activities.

 

The Hunter Development Corporation has the important responsibilities to deliver, coordinate and be accountable for achieving the vision and goals of the Plan. The Hunter Development Corporation will listen and work with all stakeholders and the community to make sure that growth is

aligned with infrastructure and delivered in the right places at the right times.

 

They also take ownership for implementing the Plan. In the short term, it will develop a Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Area Plan and oversee action on planning for land along the Hunter Expressway; global gateways; economic changes in the Upper Hunter; and the protection of regionally significant biodiversity corridors.