I say NO to the proposed 12 Storey development at 47 Darby Street, Newcastle. The watered down heritage laws will destroy decades of careful planning, with local planning controls ignored and Heritage disrespected.
We can do better than this development.
We need your support more than ever.

Newcastle is a Regional City, known and needed for its light and space. This is why we live here. We do not want this regional city to become just another heaving metropolis.

Some reasons for the application not to be supported include:
- Excessive breach of local planning controls in terms of height, bulk, position not on high density city corridor. Has the site been thoroughly assessed for mine subsidence, flooding, water storage, protection of surrounding residential and commercial buildings?
- Disregard for protection of Newcastle's Heritage Civic Precinct from overbuilding around perimeter. Most great cities and towns around the world observe the preservation of green and open spaces supporting their Civic buildings. Newcastle Art Gallery has only just reached completion and at a modest 2 storeys will be swamped by the towers directly across Darby Street.
- Lack of sympathy for the village style of Cooks Hill on the rim of this regional city where medium to high density is out of place and out of character.
- Traffic reports suggest this development will not greatly increase traffic however the narrow streets and lanes around the site are already struggling with current levels of traffic and there is a significant project already underway nearby which will add to the load, not only for vehicular traffic but also parking issues and the safety of pedestrians in this high foot traffic zone. The effects of this development cannot be considered in isolation.
- I am a resident of the adjoining low level Regency Park residential complex. I have attended the two Residents Committee information presentations by Vivacity and am greatly concerned for the potential loss of daylight, sunlight, privacy, safety, additional pollution, possible damage to our buildings and amenities during and post construction. A significant section of our boundary borders the rear tower building and Regency Park.

In summary, the Mixed-Use DA for 47 Darby Street as a questionable State Significant Development (SSD) should not be supported in its current format.

Fiona Tarento
10/1 Queen Street Cooks Hill

I do not believe rezoning this area to be 3 times the current height requirement will be beneficial to the area. A building over 45m high will over shadow the park, art gallery and library. It will be an eye sore in a beauitful area.
A luxury apartment is not affordable housing and will have a negative impact on this area.

I am writing to object to the proposed development at 47 Darby Street Cooks Hill. It is excessively bulky and high, and will overwhelm the key civic assets sounding the location. I also think a building of this size will create traffic and safety concerns. I have written to Ms Dolwer in the NSW planning department to formally object. Thank you for receiving this feedback.

I have become aware that Newcastle Council planning control has been removed for projects greater than $30m. And that a property company is taking advantage of this with a proposed development at 47 Darby Street, Newcastle. The development is poised to set a highly undesirable precedent that could also threaten Heritage areas like the one that I live in. The proponent appears to be Vivacity Property working with capital partner DFCorval. The combined enterprise is profit orientated not community orientated. Investors are encouraged on basis of high returns. I believe that could mean, high end prices for the finished products (not community sympathetic) and, a possible short fall in building and construction outcomes.
For these, and other reasons, I would like to oppose the development at 47 Darby Street. And hope that you as our local member will convey these feelings to the appropriate places.

In regard to the proposed development at 47 Darby St . I would hate to see the cultural fabric of our fine city destroyed by such large and ugly buildings within the civic precinct.
As our state representative, I urge you to oppose all such manifestations of high rise blocks in the most beautiful part of our city and protect what we have.
Please do consider this request.

I am writing to lodge a formal objection to the proposed development at 47 Tyrell Street, Newcastle. While I understand the need for thoughtful growth and renewal within our city, this proposal represents an inappropriate and excessive form of development that threatens the character, heritage, and civic integrity of its setting.

1. Impact on Newcastle’s Major Civic Square
The site sits in close proximity to Newcastle’s principal civic square — the area formed around Civic Park and fronted by some of the city’s most important civic and cultural buildings: the Town Hall, the Round House, the Conservatorium of Music, the Library, and the newly extended Newcastle Art Gallery. Together, these create a cohesive civic and cultural precinct of exceptional significance. The Margel Hinder fountain, a recognised public artwork and landmark, contributes further to the cultural and aesthetic unity of this square. Any new development in its visual catchment must therefore be sympathetic in scale, form, and materiality. The proposed development fails to respect this context and would detract from the visual coherence and dignity of this important civic setting.

2. Impact on the Heritage Conservation Areas of Cooks Hill and The Hill
The site sits on the edge of, and within view of, two of Newcastle’s key heritage conservation areas — Cooks Hill and The Hill. These areas are valued for their historic streetscapes, human-scale development, and architectural cohesion. The proposed building, by virtue of its bulk, height, and modern form, would be visually intrusive and inconsistent with the established heritage character of these neighbourhoods. It risks undermining the heritage values that have long been protected and celebrated in this part of the city.

3. Availability of Suitable Areas for High-Rise Development
Newcastle has already identified and zoned appropriate precincts for high-rise and intensive urban development, notably in Newcastle West and parts of Honeysuckle. These areas have the infrastructure, planning controls, and urban form suited to such density. The proposed development at 47 Tyrell Street falls outside these designated zones and therefore represents an inappropriate location for high-rise construction.

4. Inappropriate and Overdevelopment of the Site
The proposal constitutes overdevelopment, both in terms of its scale and its disregard for the surrounding urban and heritage context. Its height, bulk, and massing are excessive relative to neighbouring properties and would create overshadowing, loss of visual amenity, and an imbalance in the established built form. The design fails to respond sensitively to the site’s constraints and the broader civic setting.

In conclusion, I urge the Government to refuse this application in its current form. The proposal is inconsistent with the character and planning intent of the area and would have lasting negative impacts on Newcastle’s most significant civic and heritage precincts.

Thank you for considering this submission. I would appreciate being kept informed of any future amendments or decisions regarding this proposal.

Hey mate, my wife and I live at 17 Bull St.
The development at 47 Darby street is insulting.

There’s all that land in the rail corridor along the train line being wasted. You have also just advertised that some ‘low income housing’ is being built near the lucky hotel and it’s only like half a dozen story’s if that.

I’d love to see more development around Darby street like a Melbourne style tram system running from civic out the the junction, so appartments are good….. but if I need to jump through hoops to paint the facade of my terrace to “maintain a heritage community” why on earth is a tower taller than the round house down the road.

That area DESPERATELY needs a low cost parking tower!! Every weekend the nesca park area is filled to the brim with people parking and walking to Darby street.
People from out of town are also begging to avoid Darby due to parking issues.

Public transport, then parking station THEN build the towers…….

I understand this is a state government thing but that planning website is awful and I couldn’t get access so this is my last effort.

Thankyou for your time