GWH recently welcomed senior local and state government leaders from South Australia to ONE Apartments, sharing candid insights on planning, design excellence and delivery. These are the people shaping how their communities grow, which is why the chance to share what we have learnt delivering in Newcastle carries real weight.
When Holmes Dyer asked to include GWH in their Building Better Communities study tour, we saw it as far more than a site visit. The South Australian planning consultancy brought a group of local and state government leaders to Sydney and Newcastle in October to see firsthand how strategic planning, design quality and collaborative delivery are shaping contemporary cities. Being invited to host them at ONE Apartments recognised the role GWH has played in Newcastle’s growth over the past 30 years. It also let us take the conversations we have with councils and government here in NSW to decision makers interstate.
The calibre of the group is what made the visit so valuable. Alongside Stephen Holmes, Natasha Holmes and Nitsan Taylor from Holmes Dyer, we welcomed senior staff and development managers from;
- Renewal SA (South Australian government)
- Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Growth and Infrastructure Coordination Unit, (South Australian Government)
- Alexandrina City Council
- ProspectCity Council,
- Marion Ciry Council and;
- Murray Bridge City Council
Between them, they are responsible for coastal and wharf precincts, urban renewal on former industrial land, satellite city growth, and joint ventures that combine community facilities with new housing. These are the people who will shape how South Australian communities grow over the coming decades, which is why the chance to share what we have learnt delivering in Newcastle carries real weight.
GWH Planning Manager – Sam Coles and Development Manager – Loughlin Jordan led the group through the building, and they kept the discussion candid rather than simply presenting a polished finished product. They walked the group through the challenges ONE Apartments faced from the outset, including on-site waste management and keeping existing access arrangements in place for neighbouring properties. Sam and Loughlin talked through how variations to height and DCP controls, along with public art requirements, carried through into the finished building, and how the project moved through Council’s design excellence process. Seeing the Apartment Design Guide applied in real apartments, and experiencing the rooftop spaces, pool, gym and sauna that resulted, showed the group what good planning frameworks can achieve when developers and councils work towards the same outcome.
We were just as open about the harder side of delivery. The group heard how delays in the NSW planning system flow directly into time and cost, and how those pressures ultimately affect housing supply. Our vertically integrated model, where our own companies feed into the construction of each building, drew strong interest as an example of how a builder developer can keep efficiency and certainty in a tough market.
For GWH, working with government and councils has always been about delivering infrastructure that meets community needs while bringing lasting economic and social benefit to the region. Those values do not stop at the state border. The conversations at ONE Apartments might help a council on the Fleurieu Peninsula structure an affordable housing joint venture with more confidence, or help Renewal SA anticipate the practical issues that come up when shop top housing meets the street. If they do, the Hunter’s experience is contributing to better outcomes elsewhere, and that is something our whole team takes pride in.
Hosting the Holmes Dyer study tour reinforced the trust we have built with stakeholders over three decades, and showed that the lessons learnt in Newcastle have value well beyond it. We thank Holmes Dyer and every attendee for their time, curiosity and thoughtful questions, and we look forward to seeing these ideas take shape in communities across South Australia.