Newcastle Golf Club and Principle Living have announced that development consent has been granted by the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel for a substantial retirement village on the Club’s land fronting Nelson Bay Road at Fern Bay.
The proposed village involves 172 independent living units and associated infrastructure, with the development consent following on from approval granted in 2023 for course improvement works aimed at providing a significant course upgrade while accommodating the proposed retirement village.
“The grant of the development consent for the retirement village is the final hurdle for the Club’s development project and will now allow us to commence work to deliver the much-anticipated golf course improvement works under the guidance of course architects, Harrison Golf,” Newcastle GC President, Alan McKelvey said.
“This is the culmination of 10 years of careful planning. We are now at a point where the Club can make its great golf course even better.
“The course will be amongst the very best regional courses in Australia, and is sure to attract attention locally, nationally, and internationally.
“The works are anticipated to take about two years to complete. Because of the nature of the changes, the works will involve limited disruption to normal play, and 18 holes will remain open during the construction work.”
The Newcastle Golf Club is set to undergo substantial upgrades to the course.
Respected Golf Course Architect Bob Harrison will oversee the course re-design.
“Newcastle has been a favourite of mine since university days,” Harrison said.
“It’s been a long time in planning and approval, and I can’t wait to get under way on the ground. With seven new holes in sandy ground, and the remodelling of the remaining holes, we hope to move Newcastle to Australia’s top ten.”
While Chris Old, on behalf of Principle Living, added.
“The village will be Principle Living’s flagship retirement community and will provide premium retirement living for retirees alongside a top tier golf course.
“We are very excited to be working with the Club to deliver the project and create a vibrant community for our new residents, with a range of beautifully designed golf homes and units.
We expect to start construction of the project in mid-2027, and will start to market the project shortly, now the necessary approvals have been obtained,” Old said.
Principle Living is a partnership between the Stevens and Mann Groups, a team of local and respected leaders in award-winning property developments and quality home care. Together, the Principle Living team have combined their experience and visionary thinking to create a refreshingly different senior living communities in the Greater Newcastle region.
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