A PLAN to unlock potential for major retailers, homes, schools or parks on the old Pasminco smelter site has been given the tick of approval.
Lake Macquarie City Council moved to rezone three lots on Munibung Road to allow for public facilities and raise building heights to attract new businesses to land nestled between Bunnings and Costco.
It feeds into a broader plan for the area designed to create 6000 jobs and welcome 10,000 new residents.
It's a case of a "problem" area becoming an opportunity, Cr Brian Adamthwaite said.
"This is sort of moving towards the end of a longer process, when the main site which was Pasminco, became vacant, it became a dramatic change and perhaps for a slight time a bit of a problem - but it's become an opportunity," he said.
"This is one of the areas in which I've seen opportunity blossom over a number of years and it is really good to get to this next and almost last stage of being able to engage business, community and this property so it can be optimised for the city."
The proposal received one submission from the Hunter Community Alliance, which suggested the council should capture the increased land value from rezoning and height changes to levy developers to make contributions for affordable housing on site or elsewhere in the area.
In its response, the council said that because it initiated the proposal, a planning agreement was unwarranted and unreasonable, especially only applying to that site.
It said it was investigating ways to increase affordable and social housing across the city, including looking at an affordable housing contributions policy.
Mayor Kay Fraser said it was an important proposal to boost the "north west catalyst area".
"We've seen how the Boolaroo area has changed over the last couple of years, all for the better, and we can see the type of investment that's happening around this area which is really very exciting," she said.
"There's a lot more work to be done there in the Boolaroo area, but it's one of those areas we know will strive and thrive and this will support that ongoing development in the area for us."
The plans have raised building heights on one block from 8.5m to 18m and from 13m to 18m on another.
Two of the blocks were previously used to manage the Pasminco containment cell, but after remediation they were no longer needed.
According to the council, the changes will expand economic opportunities close to Cockle Creek train station and other commercial and light industry areas.
