Property Council welcomes mining land reuse plans
The Property Council of Australia today welcomed the release of plans to transform former mining land at Mt Arthur and the Macquarie Coal Complex into new industrial and employment precincts.
Property Council Hunter and Central Coast Regional Director Stephen Crowe said the plans demonstrated the enormous potential of mining and energy land repurposing to help secure the region's economic future, support new industries and create thousands of jobs.
"The Hunter has powered the state's economy for generations, and these plans show how former mining land can continue to create jobs and investment long after mining operations have ceased.
"More than 7,000 potential jobs, hundreds of hectares of employment land and opportunities across advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, logistics and warehousing represent exactly the type of economic diversification the Hunter needs," Mr Crowe said.
Mr Crowe said the announcement aligned closely with the Property Council's advocacy priorities.
"Today's announcement aligns strongly with our recent calls to unlock housing and employment land through catalyst precincts, including repurposed mining lands.
"We've consistently argued former mining and energy sites represent one of the Hunter's best opportunities to support new industries, attract investment and create future jobs.
The draft plans identify around 950 hectares of priority land for early activation at Mt Arthur near Muswellbrook and at least 500 hectares of developable land at the Macquarie Coal Complex, creating one of the largest industrial land opportunities in regional Australia.
"The next challenge is translating these plans into real jobs, real investment and real projects on the ground - including a clear role for government in attracting the private capital needed to make these precincts a reality," Mr Crowe said.
"Businesses and communities want to see certainty around delivery, infrastructure investment, planning approvals, targeted investment attraction and a sensible approach to remediating land, particularly where its future use is earmarked for industrial activity."
Mr Crowe said land repurposing should form part of a broader strategy to support the Hunter's transition and future growth.
"Unlocking employment land is critical, but it needs to come with more investment in housing, transport connections and enabling infrastructure. The housing focus must be on the Hunter's fastest-growing LGAs – Cessnock, Maitland and Lake Macquarie – where further greenfield development has huge potential if managed and resourced well.
"If we're creating new industrial precincts, we also need to give workers the chance to live nearby, move efficiently across the region and access the jobs being created," Mr Crowe said.
