City of Newcastle acknowledges the ongoing impact to residents in the area affected by the New Lambton landslip, which occurred in May 2025. We recognise the hardship faced by both residents who have had to leave their homes and those who are living nearby.
We remain committed to working with the impacted residents and neighbours as recovery efforts continue. We understand how distressing the uncertainty is, and will continue to provide clear and timely updates, and maintain individual contact with impacted residents and near neighbours.
Site status
Following last night's intense rainfall, further structural damage to several properties on Baker Street has been observed this morning. We acknowledge that this is upsetting news for impacted residents, and the residents of these specific properties have been briefed this morning on the current status and offered support services to help them process this news.
Communication with residents
Since the incident on 23 May 2025, residents have received regular updates through phone calls, text messages and emails, as well as via a dedicated incident web page on the City of Newcastle website. In the early emergency response phase, community meetings were convened by Police in the role of the Local Emergency Operations Controller (LEOCON).
Since transitioning to the recovery phase, City of Newcastle has appointed an experienced Recovery Coordinator and established the Local Recovery Committee. A community meeting was held on Wednesday night, where residents received detailed updates on emergency works, the geotechnical investigations, and input and updates from relevant agencies. Residents also had the opportunity to ask questions of all agencies and raise any concerns.
Geotechnical investigations are ongoing, with findings subject to peer review by the NSW Government's Public Works Authority and Transport for NSW. These studies will play an important part in guiding decisions about the site's future. However, this work will take time, and it's too early to determine recovery timeframes or outcomes at this stage.
Representatives from Hunter Water and the NSW Red Cross also attended the meeting, providing information and offering support services to residents. Impacted residents were briefed on the role of the Local Recovery Committee and were invited to nominate themselves as community representatives on the Committee.
The Committee's approach for meetings and consultation follows the NSW Recovery Plan, under the NSW State Emergency and Rescue Management Act 1989, and aligns with the NSW State Emergency Management Plan.
Clarity on responsibilities
City of Newcastle is responsible for public infrastructure such as roads, footpaths and stormwater systems.
Responsibility for privately owned land and property rests with individual landowners and their insurers. City of Newcastle does not fund works or repairs on private land, unless required to do so under specific laws or supported by state or federal disaster recovery programs.
Conversations with the NSW Government regarding this will commence once the geotechnical investigations are complete and the size and complexity of the situation is better understood.
Safety
Site safety remains a concern for City of Newcastle, with unauthorised people breaching the security measures in place and accessing the site.
Given the instability of the land and the likelihood of further movement, we cannot stress enough the importance for all residents and members of the community to remain outside the danger area unless their visit is authorised.
Authorised access to the site, such as for the removal of any remaining items or make-safe works to buildings, has been and will continue to be managed based on a task-specific basis including risk assessment on the proposed activity, duration of stay, and the status of the site and/or structures at that point in time. Given the unpredictability of the site, an assessment and clearance given on one day may not be applicable the next.
We continue to actively monitor the site closely and assess the ground conditions.
We appreciate that the uncertainty for residents about whether they can repair or rebuild and return home is distressing. We will continue to work on getting information to residents as quickly as possible to help them make decisions about their future.
