Set within one of Australia’s fastest-growing regional corridors, Huntlee is a new, entirely privately developed, and award-winning master-planned town in the Hunter Valley. The $1.5 billion development is an example of how regional growth can be delivered at scale through strategic planning, private investment and a commitment to genuine master planning. The project consists of the development and building of three residential villages surrounding a town centre zoned for retail, commercial employment, education and urban (townhouse) living. By completion, the overall development will be home for about 20,000 residents living in around 8,000 homes.
Vacant (build-ready) lots through to turnkey house and land packages are progressively being made available to owner occupiers and investors for purchase, with a view that the town offers both owner occupier and rental housing. Lot sizes range from as small as 225m2 through to as large as 10 acres. The construction phase of the development will span some 20-25 years.
The master plan also includes a 200-hectare town centre, extensive public open spaces and conservation zones. These features are complemented by strong community development programs, such as a community grants initiative, community liaison officers and resident-led events.
Its success has been underpinned by several factors: early access to large, aggregated landholdings; a design-led, developer-controlled delivery model; and crucial support through the State Significant Development planning pathway. The project has demonstrated that with the right enabling conditions, regional areas can absorb higher-density housing, privately delivery infrastructure and deliver significant economic outcomes—including job creation and long-term housing supply.
Background
The Huntlee master-planned development is spread over two local government areas; most of the development is within the Cessnock City LGA, while part is located within the Singleton LGA. It is proximate to the Upper Hunter coal mines and Newcastle, among the strongest growing regions across the country.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated regional population statistics show Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, Maitland and Cessnock have each been population growth hotspots, not only for New South Wales, but also nationally, in recent years. They ranked the 10th, 11th, 13th and 16th among all regional Local Government Areas across the country for absolute population growth, respectively, in the year to June 2024.
Housing diversity and the development model
At the heart of Huntlee’s success is a commitment to housing diversity, which the project’s proponents cite as central to the community’s long-term success. The development incorporates a mix of lot sizes and housing types, including higher-density, ‘lock-and-leave’ dwellings, that defy traditional regional market expectations. The relatively small lot sizes surprised many in the development industry, but have proven successful, revealing strong demand and the capacity to pay for more compact living in regional Australia.
The project is unique in its developer-led approach, which includes control over the community’s urban form, design quality and delivery sequence. A comprehensive design handbook ensures consistency and aesthetic appeal, with land specifically allocated to target volume builders. Annual land releases typically range from 100 to 120 lots, crucial for meeting builder appetite and maintaining economic viability. The capacity to consistently deliver this volume is a defining feature of the project’s success.
Statutory planning – A state significant development and the state Biodiversity and Conservation Act
Also central to the development’s success is its status as a State Significant Development. This status qualified the development for streamlined planning approvals and brought state-level agencies into the decision-making process. Local councils played an advisory role, aligning with the regional scale of the project.
The development was grandfathered under the former Threatened Species Act, preceding the introduction of the more restrictive NSW Biodiversity and Conservation Act. Project proponents note that Huntlee would not have proceeded under the current regulatory regime.
Infrastructure, financing, and delivery challenges
The delivery of Huntlee has required a highly strategic and long-term approach to financing, infrastructure provision, and construction delivery, especially given its location in a non-metropolitan area and the scale of ambition underpinning the project.
A significant challenge was the need for extensive upfront investment in trunk infrastructure, including water, sewer, roads and energy systems. This infrastructure—crucial for supporting the residential development and long-term population growth—were largely funded privately and amortised over a 25 to 30-year development horizon. The scale of this investment highlights the critical importance of private, patient capital in making large-scale, regional master-planned communities feasible.
The development team identified that a minimum of 100 lots per annum was necessary for the business model to remain viable. This throughput not only stabilises cash flow, but critically, was the basis for a dedicated and localised construction workforce. While the early stages faced challenges in attracting trades to the region, the sustained scale of delivery has helped establish a stable civil and residential construction ecosystem.
Find out more in the full “Answering the Call for Regional Housing” Report.
Acknowledgment of Funding
The research presented in this report was funded by the RAI’s Intergovernmental Shared Inquiry Program. The program delivers an annual public interest research agenda focusing on topics of strategic importance to regional Australia through a partnership with federal, state and territory governments.
The RAI acknowledges our funding partners: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts; New South Wales Government Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development; Queensland Government Department of Natural Resources, Mines, Manufacturing, Regional and Rural Development; South Australian Government Department of Primary Industries and Regions; Victorian Government Department of Jobs, Skills, Industries and Regions; and Western Australian Government Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
The views expressed in this report are those of the Regional Australia Institute and are not necessarily those of the Australian Government or the Department.