Dear Assessment Officer,

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

I work as a traffic professional and have spent years dealing with parking and transport issues across Newcastle. What concerns me about this application is that it hasn't adequately shown how a building of this size can operate without creating serious parking problems for Wickham, Newcastle West and the broader Newcastle Interchange area.

My main objection is the parking shortfall. This isn't just about whether the building can technically be constructed — it's about whether the applicant has actually demonstrated a workable outcome that won't push problems onto neighbouring streets and precincts. The numbers don't stack up.

There's also the separate issue of aviation and crane risk, which adds another layer of concern that makes this application feel premature.

I walk through Wickham most days getting to and from the station, so I've got a real stake in what happens with this 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street.

My main concern is community infrastructure. A building this size needs proper supporting services — schools, health facilities, transport capacity — and I don't see evidence the application has actually worked through what that looks like. It's not enough to say a tower can physically stand there. The real question is whether Wickham, Newcastle West and the Newcastle Interchange can handle the extra demand without everything grinding to a halt.

The height and scale of the proposal make this worse, not better. You're concentrating so many people in one spot that the infrastructure gaps become harder to ignore. I'm not against new housing — we need it — but it has to be done properly. Right now this application doesn't show it's been thought through on flooding, traffic, wind impacts, how it fits with existing buildings, what the streets will actually look like, or whether the services can cope.

I'm asking that you refuse this proposal until someone independent has properly reviewed these issues and shown they can actually be resolved. We shouldn't just accept these risks to get housing numbers up.

Dear Assessment Officer,

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

As an environmental professional, I've spent years looking at how major developments interact with their surroundings, and this application concerns me. The scale of this building hasn't been matched with a credible assessment of what it actually means for Wickham and the broader precinct around Newcastle Interchange.

My main issue is the hotel pick-up and drop-off arrangements. The applicant hasn't adequately addressed where this traffic will go, how it'll move through local streets, or what the cumulative effect will be on an area that's already managing significant transport demands. This isn't about whether a tower can technically be built on the site—it's about whether the planning outcome is fair and workable for people who live and work here.

The public domain and road reserve issues compound this. They suggest the application hasn't fully thought through how this development sits within its actual context, not just its theoretical proximity to transport.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I work in flood risk management, and I've been reviewing this proposal for the 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street. What concerns me most is whether the application actually demonstrates that a building of this scale can operate here without creating serious problems for Wickham, Newcastle West, and the Interchange precinct.

The streets around Dangar, Charles, and Hannell are already complicated. There's a lot happening in that space — pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles, deliveries. It's tightly choreographed. The application hasn't shown me adequate detail on how loading and servicing would actually work, or how basement safety would be managed. These aren't minor details that can be sorted out later. They need to be resolved now, with real answers, not pushed into operational plans after approval.

Given the scale we're talking about here, I think the consent authority needs to take a careful, evidence-based approach. The applicant should be required to work through these issues properly rather than making broad statements and hoping conditions will sort things out down the line.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I have mobility concerns that mean I need to think carefully about how developments like this will affect me getting around the area. I'm worried this application hasn't actually shown how it will manage the impacts on people like me.

I live in Wickham and use the Newcastle Interchange regularly. A 43-storey building at this scale needs to demonstrate it won't create unacceptable problems for the local area. Right now, it hasn't done that.

This site floods and the infrastructure here is already stretched. That's serious. We need to know what happens in a flood — how do people get out of basement carparks safely? Where do emergency services go? How do residents actually shelter? These aren't theoretical questions for people with mobility issues.

The real problem is that CPTED and management haven't been properly worked out, and neither has the loading and servicing. Those things matter. You can't just approve it as is and hope it gets sorted later. It needs an independent technical review to sort this out properly.

I object to the development for the following reasons.
Traffic implications - Whilst numbers have been provided, any reductions due to proximity to public transport and the use of motel numbers where a car is allocated per room, the fact that the development is under delivering on required spaces per unit taking into consideration the number of persons per unit would be above 1 in most cases, this will ensure maximum predicted rates are met. Therefore a net increase to the area of which it is not reasonably able to handle. If the intent is to bring more people to the area through the mixed use concept then further visitor parking and traffic would be expected.

Size and impact
The effect of shadowing on surrounding properties would be significant due to the size of the proposed development. Blocking of views for those who have recently bought into other properties under construction would also be affected. The noise pollution from building would also be increased due to the necessity for increased length of construction and heavy equipment requirements to complete.

Architecture
The building is not in keeping with the rest of the area. If higher buildings are required then a further thought out and zoned area would be more beneficial than rushed through proposal which forgoes the aesthetic of existing buildings and area. Current zoning does not permit this level of elevation and setting precedent for the entire area would only result in further congested living rather than thought out town planning.

I've lived in this area for many years and I'm writing to object to the proposed 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street. I'm concerned that the application hasn't properly demonstrated how a building of this size can work without serious problems for Wickham and the surrounding area.

The stormwater and drainage arrangements worry me most. The proposal doesn't show clear evidence that the existing systems can handle the extra demand from a development this large. We already deal with drainage issues in wet weather, and I don't see how adding 43 storeys will improve that situation. The application talks about future operational plans, but that's not good enough — these details need to be sorted out now, before anyone approves it.

Beyond drainage, I'm also concerned about the pressure on community infrastructure and the traffic situation around Dangar Street, Charles Street, Hannell Street and the Interchange. There's already a lot happening in those streets with pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles and deliveries all competing for space. Adding a building of this scale will make that worse.

What I'm asking for is proper, binding commitments from the applicant on stormwater and drainage rather than vague promises about working it out later. The community shouldn't have to accept such a big change to the planning rules without clear answers to these fundamental questions.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I manage a building in Wickham and I've been thinking about this 43-storey proposal at 10 Dangar Street. The scale of it concerns me, particularly because I don't think the application has properly shown how the impacts can actually be handled in this area.

Wickham is already stretched for infrastructure, and this location floods. That's not something to take lightly when you're putting a building this tall in the middle of it. Emergency access alone worries me — basement safety, getting people out if something goes wrong, where they shelter — these things matter.

What's really stuck with me is the parking situation. The application doesn't properly address where bicycles and motorcycles are going to go. Combined with what looks like unresolved stormwater and drainage issues, it feels like there are gaps that haven't been filled in. I don't see how you can sign off on a development this size when those technical problems are still hanging.

I'm not against new housing — Wickham needs it. But not at the cost of brushing past unresolved problems with flooding, traffic, wind impacts, design, public space, or infrastructure. That's not a fair trade.

Dear Assessment Officer,

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

I cycle through Wickham regularly, and I'm worried that this application hasn't adequately addressed how a building of this size would actually work for the area. The impact on Wickham, Newcastle West and the Newcastle Interchange isn't something that's been properly thought through as far as I can see.

A development at this scale would fundamentally change what Wickham looks like and set the tone for how the western edge of Newcastle city centre develops going forward. That's a big decision, and it needs to be made carefully.

What's missing for me is any real evidence that the cumulative impacts have been sorted out, or that the affordable housing and public benefits on offer actually justify asking for this kind of height uplift. They don't seem to add up to a case strong enough for approving something this large.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I'm writing to object to the proposed 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street in Wickham. As a member of the strata committee here, I've got a responsibility to look out for what this kind of change means for the buildings and residents already in the area.

My main concern is flood risk. I've looked at what the applicant has submitted, and I don't think they've made a convincing case that a building this size won't create serious drainage and flooding problems for Wickham and the surrounding precincts, including Newcastle West and the Newcastle Interchange. The site is already in a sensitive location when it comes to water management, and adding a structure of this scale without genuinely addressing the impacts doesn't seem right.

This isn't just about one building. A development like this sets the tone for what comes next. It changes what people think is acceptable in this part of the city. The applicant is asking for a major departure from what the planning framework currently allows, and they need to back that up with solid evidence and real commitments—not just assumptions.

I'm also not confident that traffic and road safety issues have been properly worked through. But the flood risk is what worries me most.