Wallsend Local Centre

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What's coming for Wallsend?

We have a range of projects planned for Wallsend Local Centre over the next ten years. These projects aim to:

  • Renew aging infrastructure including roads, footpaths, lighting and drainage.
  • Improve the look and feel by providing new good quality infrastructure including trees and landscaping.
  • Make Cowper Street a 40km/hour High Pedestrian Activity Area between Bulkara Street and Newcastle Road.
  • Improve safety by upgrading Cowper Street including the Kokera Street, Nelson Street and Newcastle Road intersections.
  • Create safe and direct connections by providing missing sections of shared path in line with the Newcastle Cycling Strategy and Action Plan 2012.
  • Relocate the northbound bus stop on Bunn Street away from Merindah Childcare Centre to address problems with antisocial behaviour affecting children in the play area.
  • Provide free WiFi on Nelson Street.

Background

In May 2015 Newcastle’s elected Council resolved to develop a Town Centre Master Plan for Wallsend. This became part of the Local Centres Public Domain Renewal Program, which commenced in 2016.

Under the program, Wallsend Local Centre was audited and assessed as a high priority for renewal.

The objectives of the Wallsend Local Centre Public Domain and Traffic Plan (PDP) include:

  • Improving safety for pedestrians, cyclists and traffic.
  • Reducing crime and improving safety from crime.
  • Improving connectivity, accessibility and wayfinding.
  • Improving the look and feel, as well as human comfort by providing more seating and shade.
  • Environmental improvements including planting more trees.
  • Improving the business environment.

Get involved

To make Wallsend's town centre a great place to work, shop, study and socialise we want to make sure everyone has a say in how the local area is developed. Visit our Engagement Hub to get involved as opportunities become available for you to give feedback.

Project status - May 2021

A flood mitigation project with measures to reduce the frequency and severity of flooding in Wallsend has been developed alongside the Wallsend Public Domain Plan. We have combined the public domain renewal project with the flood mitigation project, to form one long term vision staged for delivery over the coming years.

Further engagement with the Wallsend community was undertaken across July and August 2020 to share information and gather ideas on how future construction stages will be designed and delivered.

Visit our Engagement Hub to see the outcomes of the engagement and next steps.

Overall project status is as follows:

  • Stage 1: Complete. We relocated the northbound transport stop on Bunn Street and landscaped the area. The mural outside the Merindah Childcare Centre was completed in late September 2020.
  • Stage 2: Complete. We replaced the Tyrrell Street bridge, which was completed in March 2020.
  • Stage 3: Underway. This stage is being delivered in coordination with the design for Ironbark Creek Stage 7 Works and investigation into potential channel widening and naturalisation through the Wallsend CBD. The project has been split into two stages: Stage 3A is an upgrade of the stormwater infrastructure at Cowper Street to enable Stage 3B which is the installation of traffic lights at the intersection of Cowper and Kokera Streets. A tender has been awarded for Stage 3A, which involves installation of a culvert bypass alongside the existing channel underneath the Cowper Street bridge to help water flow more easily through Ironbark Creek. As well as improving the flow of stormwater, the upgrade will improve the amenity of this section of channel leading into Wallsend Park, with the upgraded creek to be widened, realigned and flanked by sandstone to renew the existing concrete walled channel. We will provide updates to the community on construction timing and impacts before we start work on site.
  • Stage 4: Detailed design of Boscawen St and Nelson St bridges is underway. These works will be undertaken in coordination with the channel widening and naturalisation investigations through the Wallsend CBD.

  • Stage 5: Detailed design for the installation of traffic lights at the Nelson Street and Cowper Street intersection and the proposed roundabout at the intersection of Cowper St and Newcastle Road will commence later this year. Construction will then follow the completion of Stage 3, subject to funding approval. The stage has received blackspot funding from TfNSW.

View the Wallsend Local Centre Public Domain Planning Process Flow Chart (PDF).

Latest News

Completed Projects

Tyrrell Street Bridge Replacement
Completed in March 2020, the $3.3 million replacement of Tyrrell Street Bridge marked the first milestone in the Ironbark Creek Flood Mitigation Plan, which proposes another two bridge replacements at Boscawen Street and Nelson Street, and Wallsend's long-term renewal.

Together, these projects will significantly improve Wallsend's resilience to floods by enabling the widening of Hunter Water's channel so that water may flow more freely during heavy rain events.

This project included demolishing the former smaller and lower structure, and constructing the new 26.6-metre-long, two-span, two-lane concrete plank road bridge.

Work also included changes to Tyrrell Street itself next to the bridge to match the raised bridge levels, replacing utilities through the bridge, and stormwater and landscaping works.

Bunn Street Bus Stop Relocation
We have completed upgrades to Bunn Street and the relocation of the bus stop from outside Merindah Childcare Centre to outside the Wallsend Library.

The new bus stop includes a shelter and new landscaping, footpath and pedestrian crossing improvements to improve the look and feel of the area.

Documents and Reports
Fact Sheets and Flyers

Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)