Character is a critical element of our neighbourhoods that needs to be understood and considered while planning for change in the City of Newcastle. All areas have character and to help with future development approvals, we want to understand what aspects of the buildings, their settings, fencing, landscaping, trees and gardens you value and want to retain while our city continues to evolve and change.

Local character is comprised of many things, both tangible and non-tangible. The aspects of local character we are considering in this study is limited outcomes that are influenced by the local environmental plan and development control plan. This includes land use type, form and design.

The area surrounding Westfield and the industrial area has been designated a ‘Catalyst Area’ by the Department of Planning. Planning for this area will be addressed through a separate study at a later date so is not in the scope of the Kotara Local Character Study. Further information on this area can be found in the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan and the City of Newcastle Local Strategic Planning Statement.

The study is a two-stage project, with Kotara being part of the initial pilot stage.

2021, we worked with the Kotara community through a number of online engagement activities to understand what aspects of Kotara the community values and wants to retain as our city evolves.

Summary of Kotara engagement:

Thanks for having your say! We are currently reviewing your feedback and will report back soon.

Please view the below presentation for an introduction to local character and the importance of the study in Kotara. In the presentation we also address some of the questions we have received so far.

The character of Kotara is constantly changing, with some elements of the history being retained for longer than others. Have a look into the past with the photos below and think about how it has created the Kotara we see today.