Dear Assessment Officer,

I'm writing to object to the proposed 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham.

As a flood risk professional, I work regularly with infrastructure and spatial planning issues, and I have concerns about whether this application has adequately demonstrated that a development of this scale can function properly in the Wickham, Newcastle West and Newcastle Interchange area without creating real problems.

My main objection relates to the parking shortfall. This isn't just about whether you can physically construct a tall building — it's about whether the applicant has actually shown a fair and workable outcome for the area. The numbers simply don't add up, and I haven't seen any analysis that convinces me the shortfall has been properly thought through.

I'm also troubled by the aviation and crane risk considerations, which add another layer of concern about whether this application is genuinely ready for determination.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I'm writing to object to the proposed 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham (SSD-89869959).

As a building manager in the area, I deal with the day-to-day realities of how developments function on the ground. What concerns me most about this application is the hotel pick-up and drop-off arrangements. The plans don't adequately address how this will work in practice, or what the actual traffic and pedestrian impacts will be on surrounding streets.

A building this size will generate constant vehicle movements — guests arriving and leaving throughout the day and night. The application hasn't demonstrated that the local road network can handle this without creating congestion and safety issues for pedestrians and other traffic. Being close to public transport doesn't solve the problem of where taxis and ride-share vehicles will queue and manoeuvre.

I'm also concerned about the public domain impacts. The roads and footpaths around here need to function properly, and I'm not convinced the applicant has properly assessed how a development of this scale will affect that.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I work in traffic management, and I've looked at this proposal for the 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street with real concern about whether it can actually work without causing serious problems in Wickham and Newcastle West.

The main issue for me is the public domain and road reserve. The application assumes certain outcomes around how the public space will function and how the development interfaces with the road network, but I don't see evidence that these have been properly locked in or agreed. The applicant seems to be relying on things happening in the detailed design phase, but that's not good enough. We need to know now whether this development can actually fit into the street and precinct without creating bottlenecks and safety issues.

I'm also concerned about design excellence. The drawings and commitments in the application are quite vague. What I'd want to see is specific detail about how traffic flow, pedestrian movement, and the interface with the Newcastle Interchange will actually work — not just statements that these things will be "managed appropriately" or "considered further."

Because this is such a large building, it needs closer scrutiny, not less. The decision-maker needs to see real evidence that the technical problems have been solved, not assumptions that they will be sorted out later.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I'm writing to object to the 43-storey development proposed at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham in its current form.

As an environmental professional, I've spent years looking at how developments interact with their surroundings, and what I'm seeing here concerns me. A building of this scale needs to demonstrate it can work within the existing constraints of the area — and from the material I've reviewed, that case hasn't been made convincingly enough.

My main issue is traffic and road safety. The access arrangements have real problems that haven't been properly resolved. The driveway sightlines don't look adequate, there's no clear plan for managing heavy vehicle movements, and the impact on pedestrians and cyclists using Dangar Street isn't addressed. This street has a civic function that matters to how the precinct works, and it can't just be treated as a service lane. I need to see proper evidence that these safety issues have been worked through, not assumptions that they'll be fine.

On top of that, flood risk is a genuine concern in this part of Wickham. The area's already under real strain from traffic, public transport, foot traffic, bikes, and the wave of new development. Adding another 43 storeys without demonstrating how flood risk will be managed — particularly given existing pressures, isn't acceptable.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I'm writing to object to SSD-89869959 for the proposed development at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham. As an urban planner, I've spent enough time looking at precinct strategies and development controls to recognise when a proposal sits well outside the intended framework, and this one does.

My primary concern is the height and scale. A 43-storey building with an FSR that significantly exceeds both the current planning controls and the incentive framework for Wickham needs proper justification. I haven't seen evidence in the application that explains why this particular site warrants such an exceptional uplift from what's already been determined for the area. That's a significant question that deserves a substantive answer, not just a marketing argument.

There's also the matter of bicycle and motorcycle parking. This section of Wickham is already managing a lot — traffic flows, public transport movements, pedestrian activity, and a pipeline of new development. The application doesn't adequately address how additional demand for bike and motorcycle parking will be handled without creating more pressure on an already constrained area.

Before any approval moves forward, I think there's a case for requiring clearer evidence from the applicant about why these controls should be lifted, along with binding commitments that actually stick. An independent peer review would be useful too. The community shouldn't be asked to accept a departure of this magnitude without stronger documentation and enforceable conditions that can actually be monitored.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I'm writing to object to the proposed 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street Wickham. As a civil engineer, I've spent years working on projects across Newcastle, and I have serious reservations about whether this application is ready for approval.

My main concern is design excellence. The design excellence pathway hasn't been properly resolved. There's an Alternative Design Excellence Strategy that needs to be completed, and the State Design Review Panel has raised issues that haven't been adequately addressed. This isn't something that should be sorted out later during detailed design — it's fundamental to whether the building should be approved now.

Looking at the construction phase, I'm also troubled by the lack of detail. The application includes broad statements about managing impacts, but there are no detailed drawings, no concrete operational commitments, and no clear conditions that would actually guarantee these impacts are controlled. For a project this size in a built-up area, that's not acceptable.

The assessment needs to be based on the actual impacts this development will have on Wickham, Newcastle West, and the Newcastle Interchange precinct — not just the fact that it's near public transport or general claims about housing need. A 43-storey building at this location has real consequences that deserve proper analysis.

See attached submission.

I object to the height of the development. Which is significantly beyond the approved height for the area. If this to be allowed to progress it would send the message that town planning is worthless resulting in people considering who consider buying in a high rise area to rethink their choices- impacting on the support of high density housing as buyers as the example would mean any guidance provided from town planning regulations would be worthless.
I would not have bought my property if I knew this ridiculously tall building could have existed and if allowed who knows what will follow in the future. I expect an over congested locality which will loss its livability appeal - ruining what should be a nice living precinct because planning requirements are ignored.
Please allow a building in compliance with the current guidelines.
David

Dear Assessment Officer,

I'm writing to object to the proposed 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham.

As a local architect working in this area, I've watched how development decisions shape our neighbourhoods. What concerns me here is whether the applicant has actually demonstrated that infrastructure can handle a building of this scale without creating real problems for Wickham, Newcastle West and the Newcastle Interchange precinct.

My main objection is about community infrastructure. This isn't about whether a tower can technically be built—of course it can. It's about whether we've got solid evidence of a fair outcome that doesn't push unacceptable burdens onto residents and services.

The height and scale of this proposal only sharpen that concern. I think the application is being pushed forward before the harder questions are answered.