The Minns Labor Government has today released new plans to revitalise Nowra's CBD, deliver more jobs, boost the local economy, and create a vibrant riverfront precinct that will unlock more than 900 new homes.
The Nowra City Centre Strategic Roadmap, sets out a blueprint for long-term growth in the city's commercial heart, unlocking investment opportunities, supporting new jobs and businesses, and expanding people's ability to live, work and access essential services within the City Centre.
Alongside this, two rezoning proposals for land near the Nowra riverfront will help to unlock hundreds of well-located homes, while improving links between Nowra's city centre and the Shoalhaven River.
The Nowra Riverfront Precinct proposal will rezone 3.4 hectares of land between Bridge Road, Hyam Street and Scenic Drive. In parallel, Homes NSW is leading a rezoning proposal for the Mandalay Sub-Precinct site, on 2.7 hectares of adjacent riverfront land.
Both precincts are located within 200 metres of schools, parks, the newly upgraded hospital, transport connections, and key community facilities.
The Nowra Riverfront Precinct Rezoning Proposal will:
- Enable up to 377 new homes.
- Introduce a two per cent affordable housing requirement.
- Apply new building heights of between 20m-44m at the Hyam Street, Scenic Drive and Bridge Road sub-precincts (from the previous limit of 11m-28m).
- Floor space ratios ranging from 0.6:1 to 2:1.
- Allow boatsheds to operate on land fronting the river at Scenic Drive.
The Mandalay Sub-Precinct Rezoning Proposal will:
- Unlock approximately 530 new homes, including approximately 100 social and affordable homes.
- A minimum of 30 per cent social and affordable housing across Homes NSW-owned sites.
- Increase the building height limit from 2 storeys to between three to six storeys.
- Create opportunities for new restaurants and cafes along the Nowra riverfront.
The NSW Government's is working closely with Shoalhaven City Council to deliver more homes through these proposals and jobs by revitalising the Nowra City Centre, which is a priority of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Regional Plan 2041.
The planning builds on recent NSW Government investments in city-shaping projects for Nowra, including the Princes Highway upgrade and four-lane Nowra Bridge, and the $440 million Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital upgrade.
The Nowra Riverfront Precinct and Mandalay Sub-Precinct proposals are now on public exhibition until 5pm 17 December 2025.
A drop-in community engagement session will be held between 4pm and 6.45pm on 27 November 2025. To secure your place, please sign-up for a free ticket to the event here.
For more information on the Nowra City Centre Strategic Roadmap, visit NSW Planning.
Minister for the Illawarra and South Coast Ryan Park said:
"Each of these projects supports the Minns Labor Government's plan to deliver more homes and jobs for the growing communities, so families and key workers can continue to live and work locally.
"With the Shoalhaven council area expected to grow by more than 43,000 people by 2041, we're acting now to ensure the community has access to affordable, well-located homes, supported by a strong local economy."
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:
"The Nowra City Centre Strategic Roadmap alongside the two proposed rezonings is an opportunity to create a thriving hub with new jobs and homes.
"Through projects like this we're enabling more well-located homes close to jobs and services, to give young people, families, and key local workers greater choice in where they live."
Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said:
"Nowra is ideally positioned to deliver new social housing for the wider Shoalhaven area, supported by high-quality community services and infrastructure.
"I'm so pleased to see a purpose-built precinct such as Mandalay planned with social housing at its core, providing more than 100 social homes within walking distance of public transport, jobs and essential services."
Member for South Coast Liza Butler said:
"Revitalising Nowra City Centre is a key action in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Regional Plan 2041 and this roadmap provides a clear, long-term vision that supports more homes and jobs.
"These rezoning proposals will greatly improve connections between the CBD and the Shoalhaven River, while supporting new riverfront dining and entertainment options for our growing community."
Member for Kiama Kaitlin McInerney said:
"The strategic roadmap and proposed rezonings released today will together shape the future of Nowra.
"I encourage the community to have their say on both proposed rezonings so together we can build a strong future for our community."
