IT takes a long time to understand nothing. That zen-like concept could be the next slogan for marketing spivs seeking to draw more visitors to the future jewel of the Asia Pacific.
Accepting nothing is something can help calm the mind when waiting for Newcastle 2.0 to become the city former premier Mike Baird said it would be following truncation of the rail line. This city, like all cities, is never 'finished' but remains in a state of continuous evolution. But sometimes nothing appears to be happening for what seems an exceedingly long time.
South Newcastle's skate park and the closure of that section of the Bathers Way seems to have been going on forever. A major concern in this area is cliff instability. The area is known by the Awabakal name Yirannali, which means "a place of falling rocks". In 2002, it took council more than three years and almost $3 million to move the rock and reopen Shortland Esplanade. Thumbs up to the result, but three years was too long. South Newcastle Bathers Way has now taken four years.
Would the CoN (City of Newcastle) have proceeded with the project if they knew South Newcastle Bathers Way would take as long as it has, and that cost blowouts (total of more than $20 million - around double the original estimate of $10.997 million) would be so massive? Last August after the appointment of Daracon, CoN told the community they had "expectations" of the lower promenade being re-opened prior to Christmas 2023. In February, they put the opening date back to mid-2024. I guess we will know soon enough if another extension will be necessary.
Herald correspondent Julieanne Jenkins from Wallsend ("Limbo for Queens Wharf building comes at cost to Newcastle's facade" Letters, 17/4) wrote that she emailed CoN regarding the western building at Queens Wharf - which has been vacant since a fire affected all three floors of the former function centre in May 2020 -"but they told me there's still no decision on whether they will renovate or sell the building...Why does it take so long, and how much is it costing taxpayers to have it left in this state?" Why indeed?
According to a CoN spokesperson "the planning process will take time and will involve community consultation and detailed investigations and approvals. We expect to undertake community engagement and approach the market through an expression of interest process in late 2024." At least it's on the radar. I don't care if they bulldoze it or flog it off, as long as they do something rather than let it sit there as an everyday reminder of not giving a toss.
Another asset sitting in determination limbo is the Mall Car Park at 92 King Street. A CoN spokesperson said CoN has not been made aware of Iris Capital's intentions following the refusal of its modified concept plan by the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel.
"City of Newcastle remains committed to exploring the potential for the Mall Car Park site to be redeveloped but of course needs certainty in terms of Iris Capital's Stage 3 and 4.
"Preliminary analysis demonstrates that the Mall Car Park site can provide a range of high quality, mixed uses that combine housing, commercial spaces (retail and office) and community spaces, while maintaining public car parking and providing superior public domain that realises the vision of the Harbour to Cathedral concept," the spokesperson said.
Iris plans changed when City of Newcastle demolished the car park in 2021 because it had concrete cancer. Iris has threatened that a key part of the Newcastle City Centre redevelopment might be left as a hoarded-up hole in the ground for years to come following the state planning panel unanimously refused to accept a massive modification to the DA - aided and abetted by a compliant CoN - was substantially the same to the approved plan.
I would be surprised if Iris do not appeal, or perhaps park the project for a few years until there is a change in government regimes at state and council levels, make a concession here and a concession there, cop an overnight rezoning and hey presto, up they go.
The Harbour to Cathedral concept - formerly known as "Stairway to Heaven" lives on. Nothing will appear to be happening for a long time. Nothing is something. Just a few more years of apparent inertia until the developer gets their way.
They mostly do in the future jewel of the Asia Pacific.
