Booming suburb's future locked in as council adopts new growth plan

A Hunter council has charted the way forward for the future of a fast-growing southern suburb as they replace a 17-year-old plan with a new blueprint.

Lake Macquarie City Council adopted its long-term blueprint for Wyee on Monday night, setting the framework for how the suburb will handle housing, jobs, transport and infrastructure over the next two decades.

The previous plan was adopted in 2009.

The council said the plan no longer reflected recent population growth or current state and council planning priorities, prompting the overhaul.

Wyee has grown rapidly over the past decade, with its population rising from 2406 to 2909 residents between 2016 and 2021.

This was a jump of almost 21 per cent, well above the citywide average of about 5.7 per cent.

Under the new plan's projections, Wyee's population is expected to reach 7308 by 2046, while the broader Greater Morisset Growth Area, which takes in Wyee, Morisset and Cooranbong, is forecast to increase from 18,096 to 38,000 residents over the same period.

Lake Macquarie mayor Adam Shultz said the plan would help ensure growth was carefully managed and matched by the right infrastructure.

"As Wyee continues to grow, we want to make sure roads, community facilities and services grow with it, rather than trying to catch up later," Cr Shultz said.

"People tell us they value Wyee's natural surroundings, its sense of community, and its convenient location. This plan is about helping the area grow while protecting those qualities."

"We want Wyee to remain a well-connected community where people can access housing, jobs, services and public transport close to home, while maintaining the character and environmental values that make the area unique."

The plan will guide growth around the Wyee town centre and railway station, while aiming to protect environmental assets and the area's character.

It carves the suburb into six precincts, the Wyee Town Centre, Wyee North, Wyee Train Station, an employment precinct, a rural landscape precinct and a low-rise residential precinct, and identifies opportunities to improve walking and cycling links and guide future infrastructure delivery.

The plan was on public exhibition from May 26 to June 22.

Fourteen submissions were received from community members, along with feedback from five state agencies and service providers.

As a result, council staff made several changes to the draft, including updating precinct maps to better protect high environmental value land and habitat corridors, correcting zoning inconsistencies, and reclassifying land near the M1 Pacific Motorway from a "buffer" area to "rural and environmental living" to better reflect how that land can be used.

The updated plan responds to significant growth in the area, changing planning priorities and emerging opportunities for housing, employment and infrastructure investment.

It also identifies opportunities to improve walking and cycling connections and guide future infrastructure delivery.