HDA Uplift Sought for $185m NSW Precinct 50 Years in the Making

A Central Coast residential project is seeking upscaling into a $185-million mixed-use precinct and developer Darcy Smith told The Urban Developer that the vision had been half a century in the making. The builder/developer first bought land at the Long Jetty site in 1977, and received approval in 2004 for 217 apartments in seven buildings up to 10 storeys. SEARs have now been requested for six buildings up to 21 storeys on the former timberyard yielding 420 apartments, under the state-assessed Housing Delivery Authority pathway. But Smith says that there is more to come. “I've got approval for 217 units and we have physical commencement on that. The rest of it is now in various stages,” Smith told The Urban Developer . “The density: 217 units is really inadequate for what it should be. What's being proposed is more in line with the needs of the Central Coast, and the needs of NSW and Australia,” he said. “We are short on housing, and infill development is the way to go...I have strategically located other land holdings that will help reduce the housing shortage which will be revealed in the future.” Under the HDA proposal, the 12,041sq m site at 30-36 Toowoon Bay Road at Long Jetty would generate 36,123sq m of gross floor area at a floor space ratio of 3:1. Retail space at the site, about 65km north of the Sydney CBD and 55km south of the Newcastle CBD, would be allocated 4579sq m. The housing mix would include 10 studios, 90 one-bedroom, 250 two-bedroom, and 70 three-bedroom units. A 15 per cent affordable component would yield 63 apartments. ▲ The public art team includes award-winning artists from the Australian Chinese Institute of Arts Xiu Ying Chen, Ai Hua Zhang and Yazhen Hu. Designed by JS Architects, the project would emphasise place-based elements and materials, according to the scoping report, with public art featuring pelican statues. Timber bridges connecting the commercial levels of the towers would reference the jetties of the suburb. The scoping report argued that the corner site’s proximity to existing nearby commercial centres, public open spaces and parks justified the intensification. Nearby approvals for developments up to 30 storeys mean that the uplift is appropriate for the area, while local strategic planning would support variations to the site’s controls, according to the report. Smith told The Urban Developer that his quest for the precinct has been long in the making, based on an appreciation of how the Central Coast would evolve over time. “What’s happening now, I could see 50 years ago,” Smith said. ▲ The towers would feature timber and sandstone elements, and an earthy palette, the report says. “Once you travel around the world you realise what a special place the Central Coast is, and Toowoon Bay in particular. It has all the facilities, it’s a great place to live.” The site was accumulated piece-by-piece and held until the time was right. “It's quite a substantial chunk of dirt, right on top of a hill, in a spectacular place,” Smith said. “I bought parts of it over a 40-odd year period. I've added different allotments as they've become available...I have many other pieces of ground, and I’ve bought and sold stuff over the course of decades, but I’ve kept the strategic bits. “The vision for this particular site is a long vision, but it’s starting to come together. There’ll be more happening in the not-too-distant future.” ▲ Intensification is appropriate for the HDA project on the Central Coast, Smith said. Development and transaction activity are continuing to pick up steam on the Central Coast, with Lendlease finalising the $900-million sale of the Erina Fair shopping mall in January . In December 2025, SEARs were issued for a $260-million film studio project at Calga . A long-mooted Newcastle to Sydney high-speed rail line is also progressing, with Infrastructure Australia suggesting a 2037 opening date for the Newcastle-Central Coast stretch may be feasible .

HDA Uplift Sought for $185m NSW Precinct 50 Years in the Making

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