Tuggerah Town Centre: Major steps in $2.8 billion revamp including 5000 homes and 10,000 jobs

Two steps in just over a week have been ticked off in the $2.8 billion revamp of Tuggerah that will bring 5000 homes, 10,000 jobs, medical and sporting facilities.

A planning proposal for the eye-popping $2.8 billion redevelopment of Tuggerah is going ahead.

At Tuesday night’s meeting, Central Coast Council’s Administrator Rik Hart voted in favour of preparing the proposal for the Scentre Group’s 35-year vision for Tuggerah to include 5000 new homes, a new Westfield shopping precinct, 10,000 jobs and more than 70ha of land harnessed.

Concept plans released for the Tuggerah Town Centre in 2019.

Last week, the project passed it’s first hurdle with the Central Coast Local Planning Panel giving council the all clear to prepare a planning proposal for 60 Wyong Rd between the existing Westfield Tuggerah and the M1 Motorway.

The proposal will look to rezone part of the land from “transition” to “general residential”, retain environmental conservation land and initiate a maximum floor space ratio along with a maximum height limit for the mixed use land from 16m to 42m.

“The proposal respects the scenic values and character of the site, ensuring the environmentally sensitive areas of the site will be retained, enhanced, and protected,” the panel stated.

The land set to be transformed into the Tuggerah Town Centre.

The current carpark would be turned into residential, retail and commercial blocks, as well as hotels and serviced apartments.

Mr Hart said he was more than happy to tick off next step in the process, describing Scentre Group as a “a responsible entity” to carry out the project.

“This plan fits in with our draft regional plan which lists Tuggerah as a major centre,” he said. “It’s actually ranked higher than Wyong.”

He said the plan would attract new people to the area as well as benefit existing Tuggerah residents with more amenities.

“It’s a plan that will see more people living in Tuggerah,” he said. “It will also include much-needed affordable housing,” he said.

Mr Hart said it would take around a year to prepare the planing proposal and there would also be many opportunities for the community to comment.

It’s been more than three years since the eye-popping $2.8 billion plans were announced to transform the 42 hectare site at Tuggerah.

Land between the M1 and Westfield, a former abattoir currently used for grazing, will be included in the transformation.

It was February 28, 2019, when NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts made the multi-billion dollar announcement to turn Tuggerah Town Centre into a “ultra-modern lifestyle hub”.

“Let me tell you I never forgot the north,” he said.

“Opportunities like this proposal have the potential to realise the profound life-changing prospects for people of this community today and for generations to come.”

Concept plans revealed 5000 new homes and units, medium to high rise residential blocks, a seniors living facility, an outdoor adventure park, as well as an education precinct with a new primary school.

NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts, who announced the plans in 2019, is back in the role to see plans progress.

Central Coast Council Administrator Rik Hart supports the plans.

The current carpark at the front of Westfield would eventually be turned into residential, retail and commercial blocks, as well as hotels and serviced apartments.

In 2021, the Scentre Group told the Express there were no updates to share on the redevelopment with plans progressing in the background.

Once completed, the council’s planning proposal for the 42 hectare site will be sent to the NSW Planning Minister for “gateway determination”.

The council report states that pre-gateway consultation had been held between the Department of Planning and Environment and its biodiversity conservation division, Transport for NSW, NSW Rural Fire Service, Ausgrid and Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council with no objections raised.

In 2019, a NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts, Scentre Group director of development Stewart White and former Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council Chairperson Matthew West

“The development of the site will assist Tuggerah to evolve as a more integrated centre, contributing to its desired future character as a sustainable and vibrant centre, and bringing increased activity, vibrancy and viability to the centre,” the report states.

“The planning proposal will seek to create a new community to support the existing Tuggerah Centre with a range of low, medium, and higher-density housing options to meet future housing demand.”

The land between Westfield Tuggerah and the M1 was bought by the Scentre Group, formerly Westfield, in 1990.