Morisset Place Strategy

The site of the proposed Cedar Mill development, on the corner of Wyee Road and Dora Street, is identified in the Morisset Structure Plan as ‘Recreation land – future use opportunities’.

The former Morisset Golf Course site is strategically important due to its size, central location, history and strong community interest in its future role. The land is privately owned and zoned for private recreation, enabling its use for private open space, recreational activities and other compatible land uses.

The site may be influenced by future transport opportunities being explored through integrated transport planning with Transport for NSW to manage through traffic and support the long-term growth of Morisset and surrounds. Its scale and location present opportunities for a range of land uses, subject to further planning and statutory processes.

As a result, the land is identified as an investigation area. This recognises private ownership while ensuring land use decisions are coordinated with long-term infrastructure planning and broader strategic outcomes. Further consideration of the site’s future role will be informed by ongoing transport planning, any development proposals, and engagement with landowners, agencies and the community.

Supporting a civic meeting place in the centre of Morisset is identified as a ‘priority move’ in the Morisset Place Strategy. These moves will guide Council’s planning and advocacy priorities and rely on partnerships, coordination and external funding to be realised. 

Council will plan for, and support, Bawarramalang as a future community facility within the centre. Envisioned as a place for learning and connection, the hub will support place making and centre amenity and service the existing community and future residents. 

Council has completed concept designs to inform future consideration. The scale, form and timing of the facility continue to be considered to support a deliverable outcome and is subject to the identification of appropriate funding pathways. 
 

Planning for a future health facility is identified as a ‘priority move’ in the Morisset Place Strategy. These moves will guide Council’s planning and advocacy priorities and rely on partnerships, coordination and external funding to be realised. 

Council will work with NSW Health, service providers and the private sector to understand service needs, site requirements and potential delivery models. Opportunities for co-location and integration with other services will be explored, subject to further investigation, State priorities and funding.
 

A future high speed rail station at Morisset is under investigation by the Australian Government. No alignment or station location has been confirmed.

The transport improvements identified in the Morisset Place Strategy will be essential regardless of a future station and would become even more important if high speed rail proceeds. 

High quality walking and cycling links, improved bus access and a more efficient local road network will be necessary to support increased activity, new development and additional trips to and from the station. 

You can learn more about high speed rail, including the proposed Lake Macquarie station on the Newcastle to Sydney line at hsra.gov.au.

The Morisset Structure Plan within the Morisset Place Strategy highlights current and future transport priorities including managing movement through the centre, creating a strong active transport network, strengthening public transport connections and future high speed rail. 

Current projects, such as the upgrade of Mandalong Road, the Alliance Avenue and Wyee Road intersection upgrade and Deaves Road rehabilitation will all contribute to improved transport outcomes for Morisset. 

The structure plan also identifies future opportunities, including improvements to key intersections, upgrades to walking and cycling connections, measures to reduce congestion in the town centre, streetscape improvements and upgrades to Morisset Station.

We’ve also partnered with Transport for NSW to prepare an Integrated Transport Plan to complement our Morisset Place Strategy. This work is ongoing and we will share the Integrated Transport Plan on our project webpage when it is completed.
 

The draft Morisset Place Strategy outlines a clear vision and direction to guide growth and development in Morisset, and recommends how land can be most appropriately used into the future.  

Adoption of the Morisset Place Strategy does not mean approval of any specific development in Morisset. The place strategy provides guidance on the types of development that may be appropriate in different parts of Morisset into the future.

Any future rezoning of land would occur via a planning proposal, which is subject to a public exhibition period that gives community the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposal.

Individual developments would require a Development Application or similar approval pathway, which are subject to a similar notification and community consultation period.   

The draft Morisset Place Strategy brings existing plans for the future of Morisset together into one coordinated framework to guide future land use.

It identifies key areas of growth and community priorities for transport, health and community infrastructure, helping guide Council decision-making and strengthen advocacy.

Areas previously identified for potential urban expansion have been refined through technical studies, helping to clarify where future growth may be most appropriate.

The strategy also identifies investigation areas where further work is needed to determine appropriate long-term land uses. Ongoing investigations and planning processes, such as high speed rail and major transport upgrades, as well as collaboration with landowners and agencies, will continue to inform these areas. Outcomes for these areas are not yet determined and will continue to evolve over time.

Feedback received during public exhibition will be considered in refining and finalising the strategy.

The boundary for the Place Strategy is based on the ‘Morisset regionally significant growth area’ identified in the Hunter Regional Plan 2041.

A place strategy is a long-term, place-based planning framework to guide growth in a defined area. It brings together technical studies, community input and government priorities to set a shared vision and spatial framework for how an area will grow and change over time. This includes identifying areas for housing and jobs, where environmental and heritage values need to be protected, and what infrastructure will be needed to support growth.

Place strategies do not rezone land. Instead, they provide the strategic foundation for future planning proposals, infrastructure investment and decision making, ensuring growth is coordinated and aligned with regional and local planning priorities.

Under the Hunter Regional Plan 2041, place strategies are prepared for regionally significant growth areas to provide coordination and delivery of planning, infrastructure and government services. In Lake Macquarie, Council has already prepared a place strategy for the North West Catalyst Area, and is currently preparing this place strategy for Morisset.

Feedback may result in changes being made to the draft place strategy prior to a report being prepared for Council.

You will be notified again, prior to Council considering the matter, which will include a link to the Council report containing a summary of submissions and how feedback was considered.