$19m: Catholic Church proposing to develop much-needed housing in Lochinvar

There’s more activity in one of the Hunter’s newest growing suburbs with the Catholic Church planning to spend up big in response to the housing crisis.

Land at Lochinvar which is owned by the Catholic Church - it has a proposal for a subdivision and creation into 138 residential lots. (Maitland Council documents)

The Catholic Church is set to splurge more than $19 million to help develop much-needed homes in one of the Hunter’s most popular and upcoming housing estates.

Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle has lodged a development application with Maitland City Council to subdivide 14.6 hectares at Lochinvar as part of the Urban Release Area.

Plans for the land, which has been cleared and largely used for pastoral activities since the 1970s, is to create 138 residential lots, roads, infrastructure and amenities to service the area.

Costing just shy of $19.5 million, the proposal, which adjoins Holy Trinity Church and St Joseph’s College, is set to facilitate the current demand for housing and to help meet the needs of a growing and changing population.

The Maitland Local Housing Strategy 2041 estimates that the region will need approximately 1260 new dwellings per year to accommodate population growth.

Land at Lochinvar owned by Catholic Church, which has a development application for a subdivision and 138 residential lots. (Maitland Council documents)

The Catholic Church has a proposal for a subdivision and creation into 138 residential lots at Lochinvar. (Maitland Council documents)

Lochinvar’s Urban Release Area has a potential of 5000 lots and this new proposal would constitute 2.7 per cent of the supply.

Planners have stated the development would not have a significant environmental impact and could achieve clear planning outcomes to nurture future urban development.

“The development will not jeopardise the public interest, which lies firmly in seeing the rational, orderly and economic development of the land for its intended urban and conservation purposes,” they said in council documents.

“Maitland City Council is therefore requested to grant approval, subject to appropriate conditions of consent.”

The proposed development is currently on public exhibition until April 16.