FAQ

The precinct extends along the southern foreshore of the Shoalhaven River on either side of the Nowra Bridge. It is generally bound by Hawthorn Avenue to the east, Hyam Street and Graham Street to the south and Shoalhaven Street to the west. For more detail view the map on Council’s website.

The Nowra Riverfront Precinct has been considered in a number of strategic studies over many years that were first formalised into a preliminary master plan in 2018.

In 2020, the NSW Government formed the Nowra Riverfront Advisory Taskforce (NRAT)  to help drive the precinct revitalisation, source government investment, ensure the planning is coordinated and aligned to other major projects and prioritise development opportunities. As part of the work of the NRAT, Council is currently managing the preparation of a range technical and cultural studies and plans necessary to determine how the precinct could be used in the future. 

The supporting studies include  a ‘Connecting With Country’ Framework, Integrated Transport Plan, Flood Impact and Risk Assessment, Geotechnical Study, Urban Design Review and more specific Cultural Heritage studies. The results of the studies will provide input into an updated precinct masterplan.

Information about the project and updates about community consultation are available on Council’s website.

The NSW Government introduced a State Significant Rezoning Policy in September 2024 to identify and deliver strategically important rezonings under two state-based pathways: state-led rezonings and state-assessed rezoning proposals. 

The State Significant Rezoning Policy is aimed at identifying land to address the housing and employment needs of the growing population in NSW. 

It also streamlines planning efforts of local councils and the department, cutting rezoning timeframes by up to 200 working days. 

The policy sets two distinct pathways for rezoning: 

• State-led rezoning for large-scale areas or precincts 
• State-assessed rezoning proposals for smaller sites of state planning significance 

Due to the significant planning work already completed for the Nowra Riverfront Precinct, the NSW Government nominated part of the Precinct as suitable to be progressed as a State-assessed rezoning proposal. This will help to accelerate the delivery of housing within the Nowra Riverfront Precinct.

Shoalhaven City Council is partnering with the Department on the State-assessed rezoning to ensure a collaborative approach to enabling additional housing, supporting improvements to public spaces and infrastructure.

Flood investigations completed to date show that the land in the western part of the Precinct is less flood constrained and more suited to be fast tracked under the State Significant Rezoning Policy. It will progress the rezoning of 3.4ha of land within the Hyam Street, Bridge Road and Scenic Drive sub-precincts. The land east of the Princes Highway requires further flood related investigation to determine how and to what extent it could be safely developed.

On 14 January 2025, the Albanese Government awarded Council $5 million in funding, under the Federal Government’s Regional Precincts and Partnership’s Program. The funding will enable Council to finalise an open space masterplan and designs for key public realm improvements (new central parkland, new road access and drainage), in consultation with the community.

The NSW Government’s State-Assessed Rezoning Proposal will fast-track changes to building height and other controls in Shoalhaven Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 2014 for 3.4ha of residential zoned land within the Hyam Street, Bridge Road and Scenic Drive sub-precincts. The amendments will enable medium density forms of development, for example residential flats and shop-top housing, allowing for an estimated 270 new dwellings to be built close to employment, services and amenities. The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) will work with Council to finalise supporting technical studies to inform the rezoning proposal.

The Mandalay Avenue Precinct includes 25 social housing properties owned by Homes NSW and 11 privately owned properties. Homes NSW is preparing a proposal through the NSW Government’s rezoning pathway for social and affordable housing to renew and expand its housing portfolio in Mandalay Avenue. The proposal seeks to increase LEP building height to enable development of up to 500 new social, affordable and market homes throughout the Precinct. This proposal will support housing needs generated by the Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment, which is expected to bring an additional 600 plus health care workers to the area. 

Enquiries about Homes NSW’s Mandalay Avenue Precinct proposal should be directed to Homes NSW on 1800 738 718 or by email at CommunityEngagement@homes.nsw.gov.au

The $5 million in funding, under the Federal Government’s Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program will fund the detailed designs for key public realm improvements (new central parkland, new road access and drainage). The future delivery of essential infrastructure and other public benefits will potentially be funded by a combination of sources, including:

• Upgrades that support the development of sites to be delivered by development (i.e., vehicle access, drainage, pathways),
• Developer contributions and other mechanisms to leverage private investment and zoning uplift for broader public realm upgrades (i.e., central parkland, access roads and pathways),
• Government grant programs to support regional development, new housing, and related infrastructure

The State-Assessed Rezoning Proposal work will include the preparation of a suitable infrastructure funding framework.

The assessment and coordination of State-Assessed rezonings are carried out by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. 

Council and DPHI acknowledge there are technical investigations that need to be undertaken to support the delivery of this precinct, including traffic and transport, Integrated Water Cycle Management Plan, Urban Design Report, updated Precinct Masterplan and Economic Feasibility Assessment Report. A State rezoning pathway will enable the Department to allocate resources to enable completion of these investigations and to accelerate the rezoning of the site in partnership with Council.   

The Nowra Riverfront Advisory Taskforce was established in November 2020, by the NSW Government to drive the Nowra Riverfront Precinct Activation, facilitate coordination and commitment from levels of government, facilitate stakeholder engagement and ensure alignment with other major projects underway.

The Taskforce includes the Federal Member for Gilmore, State Members for Kiama and South Coast, the Mayor of Shoalhaven City Council, as well as representatives from the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Shoalhaven City Council, Homes NSW, Transport for NSW, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

In 2023, two key engagement activities were completed under the Taskforce:

• The Nowra Riverfront Activation Plan was developed in 2023 based on more than 700 ideas shared by the community during consultation activities held between February and July 2023. It illustrates a potential community vision for a refreshed, activated and engaging riverfront precinct that supports the wellbeing of the community, the health of the river and the economy of the Nowra CBD. The Activation Plan will help inform the finalisation of the Precinct masterplan.
• The Nowra Riverfront Designing with Country Framework developed Aboriginal design narratives and principles to inform the future design and activation of the Precinct, in close collaboration with the local Aboriginal community. This approach follows the Connecting with Country Framework (Government Architect of NSW) and seeks to meaningfully embed Aboriginal knowledge and culture into the planning and design of the Precinct from early on. Collaboration with the local Aboriginal community will continue throughout the future design and construction phases of the Precinct.

There will be further targeted stakeholder engagement to inform the preparation of final planning investigations, followed by broader community consultation on the rezoning proposal and draft Precinct Masterplan. Information on future community consultation activities and opportunities will be published on the project’s Get Involved webpage.