Friends of Huntlee

The proposed new town development "Huntlee" has been lost twice on appeal in the NSW Land & Environment Court. The appellant, SWAG (Sweetwater Action Group) number less than a dozen members.

The vast majority of the populace want the development to go ahead. They are blocking a much-needed development that will provide affordable, well-designed homes, social infrastructure, employment and business opportunities.

The court rulings were not critical of the development itself, the ruling was against technical issues, that is, it criticised the former Labor government’s planning laws and process.

SWAG also claim the development is too far from anything. Huntlee is ideally positioned at the economic axis between Newcastle and the Coal Fields, enabling mineworkers to live closer to work instead of travelling from Newcastle and surrounds to the Upper Hunter. It will ease the population pressures from Sydney and the F3 extension is at Huntlee’s doorstep providing easy access to Newcastle and a less than two-hour commute to Sydney.

The developer has also set aside land to protect the endangered native Persoonia plant & will remediate the old Ayrefield Colliery which is contaminated. Huntlee offers overwhelming positives.