Coffs Harbour Gears Up to Seize What $2.2bn Bypass Can Deliver

For generations, Coffs Harbour was known for The Big Banana and as a stopping point half-way between Sydney and Brisbane on the Pacific Highway. But the NSW regional centre is gearing up for a new phase of investment as the Coffs Harbour bypass nears completion and the state finally unlocks the redevelopment of the Jetty Foreshore. After years of speculation and heated community debate, the NSW Government this month finalised rezoning for the foreshore precinct, establishing a planning framework for about 250 homes, 200 hotel rooms, new public open space and improved connections between the city centre and harbourfront. The final plan allows for buildings of two to six storeys and includes a 3 per cent affordable housing component. After public exhibition, which drew 1724 submissions, the government reduced building heights and introduced design guidelines to protect views towards Muttonbird Island and Corambirra Point. The state has also committed funding towards supporting infrastructure, including $8.2 million for open space and foreshore park upgrades, and $750,000 for road improvements. ▲ The NSW Government this month finalised rezoning for the Jetty Foreshore precinct at Coffs Harbour. Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper says the revitalisation of the Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshore was a significant advance. “This is an important step in revitalising the Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshore and positioning it as a leading regional tourism destination,” he says. Beyond the bypass The foreshore rezoning comes ahead of the imminent opening of the $2.2-billion bypass that will route a 14-km Pacific Highway upgrade west of the city from Englands Road to Sapphire. By the end of this year, it will divert through-traffic from the CBD, bypassing 12 sets of traffic lights, and open up the former highway corridor for a new era. The City of Coffs Harbour general manager Murray Wood says the bypass and jetty redevelopment are just the tip of the iceberg for the city. “The beauty of Coffs is there’s lots of good things happening that present both risks and opportunities,” he says. “But what we’re seeing is much more opportunity from the bypass.” Wood says the changes will improve pedestrian connections, cycling routes, streetscapes and public spaces. ▲ The $2.2-billion bypass is scheduled to open at the end of 2026, creating opportunities to revitalise the CBD. For the city’s planning and communities director Ian Fitzgibbon, the bypass is an opportunity to rethink the CBD’s relationship with surrounding areas. “The bypass sets a good framework and a guide for how we can reimagine and stitch our city back together,” he says. The diversion will affect a number of long-established businesses on the well-travelled tourist route, including The Big Banana, Australia’s first “big” thing and a Pacific Highway landmark. The Big Banana chief executive Michael Lockwood says while travellers will no longer pass the 62-year-old icon, he expects many to make the detour. “I’ve been running the park for nearly 14 years and one of the first things the owners said to me was ‘We’ve got a bypass coming, what are we going to do about it?’,” he told The Urban Developer . “So, we’ve been preparing. That’s why we’ve put all the effort into turning it into a fun park. Now it’s a destination.” ▲ The Big Banana at Coffs Harbour repositioned ahead of the city bypass. Lockwood says the bypass would be a bonus for the city. “Once we’re bypassed, we’re going to become a better tourism town. At the moment, we’re a frustration for tourists, so we’re moving past that last frustration,” he says. Moving into Coffs Harbour Third.i founder and director Luke Berry says Coffs Harbour caught his attention for a number of reasons. The Sydney-based developer moved into Coffs Harbour’s Jetty precinct in 2022 with Sable, a 35-home mixed-use project about 500m from the foreshore. “Coffs has a strong health and education, trade and services component and the region needs housing, it’s very undersupplied,” Berry says. “What they’d proposed down on the waterfront made sense and we thought even if it takes a lot longer to get approved or doesn’t happen at all we knew what we were developing was always going to be in demand. “While it wasn’t the reason for us to go into Coffs Harbour and build Sable, it certainly was a consideration.” ▲ A rendering of the soon-to-be-completed Sable by Third.i; the latest Coffs Harbour Jetty development to rise in the city. He says his team crunched the numbers and found the region stacked up. “Its gross regional product is $4.89 billion, it’s got a really strong economy with around 38,000 jobs locally, it’s diverse, with more than 6500 businesses and about 81,000 people,” he says. “They’re the sort of numbers a developer like us looks at.” “That’s the macro. Drill down and it’s quite a desirable place to live and visit. “We’re now wedded to the area and we’ll be continuing to invest in Coffs Harbour.” A planned approach City planner Fitzgibbon says that as the city evolves, there will be a balance of new housing within established areas along with greenfield development on the edges of town. “Coffs Harbour has a best practice growth strategy, which balances infill development, urban renewal, as well as greenfield urban releases,” he says. “The Jetty Foreshore, the Jetty strip and Park Beach have all been identified for infill housing.” The City of Coffs Harbour Local Growth Management Strategy has estimated demand for an additional 10,650 to 13,267 homes by 2040. Coffs Harbour’s geography has limited the possibilities for greenfield development. It is between the Great Dividing Range to the immediate west, with a train line and the ocean to the east. There is significant farming land and national parks to the north and south. Local infill projects to win the green light include an $11.05-million, 11-home scheme with commercial space at 81 Ocean Parade, and an SSD-approved four-storey residential building with 60 social and affordable housing units at 211 Harbour Drive. An SSD application has also been filed by the Uniting Church for a 150-apartment tower at 19A-21 Gordon Street, which would include an affordable housing component, a place of worship and commercial space. Land estates in the LGA currently on the market include the 221-lot Elements Estate in Coffs Harbour, the 49-block masterplanned community Swell at Woolgoolga, the 103-block Moonee Beach Estate and a 259-plot community at North Boambee Valley.

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Kirsten Craze
Thu 15 Oct 26

Coffs Harbour Gears Up to Seize What $2.2bn Bypass Can Deliver

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