Developer briefs

NSW council planning evidence

Newcastle City Council DA tracker & development applications

9,664 development applications since 2019, proposing 10,016 new homes. A decision takes 55 days at the median.

9,664Applications
10,016Homes proposed
55 daysMedian decision time
$177kMedian cost of works
0.3%Refused, of 8,263 decided

Two registers, side by side

What is proposed here versus what is approved. These are separate government registers that nobody publishes together: the NSW Planning Portal records what people apply to build, the ABS records what is actually approved. Over the last 12 months the ABS recorded 925 dwellings approved in Newcastle City Council worth $669M. The application pipeline is running at about 1.64× that rate. Substantially more is being proposed than approved.

Applications lodged by year

Applications lodged by year09852.0k2020: applications 2812021: applications 1,9692022: applications 1,7442023: applications 1,4672024: applications 1,3692025: applications 1,3582026: applications 8972020202120222023202420252026
applications · 2020 to 2026. Select a year to see the applications lodged in that period. Lodgements are applications, not approvals or completed homes. The most recent year may be incomplete; coverage follows this council’s NSW feed.
Applications lodged by year — underlying values
Period or categoryapplications
2020applications 281
2021applications 1,969
2022applications 1,744
2023applications 1,467
2024applications 1,369
2025applications 1,358
2026applications 897 (partial period)

Source: NSW Planning Portal Online DA · Source snapshot: 2026-08-22.

Types of work proposed

Type of workApplications
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure1,972
Erection of a new structure1,969
Dwelling house1,800
Alterations and additions to residential development1,600
Demolition1,529
Pools / decks / fencing916
Dwelling748
Garages, carports and car parking spaces718

Heritage

793 heritage-listed items, 48 on the State Heritage Register — see them all. A listing restricts what can be altered or demolished.

Latest development applications

AddressWhatLodgedStatus
9 Hooper Street New Lambton 2305Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah21 Aug 2026Under Assessment
54 Close Street Wallsend 2287Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Garage, carport or carparking space21 Aug 2026Additional Information Requested
109 Frederick Street Merewether 2291Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation21 Aug 2026Under Assessment
24 Croudace Road Elermore Vale 2287Demolition; Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support20 Aug 2026Withdrawn
4 Norris Avenue Mayfield West 2304Erection of a new structure; Recreation facility (outdoor)20 Aug 2026Additional Information Requested
14 Cedar Crescent Merewether Heights 2291Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure20 Aug 2026Under Assessment
17 Jerrawa Close Lambton 2299Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool20 Aug 2026Under Assessment
13 Russell Road New Lambton 2305Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation20 Aug 2026Under Assessment
141 Parkway Avenue Hamilton South 2303Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Garage, carport or carparking space; Swimming pool20 Aug 2026Under Assessment
22 Imperial Avenue Black Hill 2322Industrial development; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; General industry20 Aug 2026Under Assessment
40 King Street Adamstown 2289Seniors housing; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure20 Aug 2026Under Assessment
37 Springfield Avenue Kotara 2289Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure20 Aug 2026Under Assessment
22 John Parade Merewether 2291Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses; Swimming pool19 Aug 2026Determined
3 Carbora Close Maryland 2287Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support19 Aug 2026Additional Information Requested
350 Wharf Road Newcastle 2300Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Recreation facility (outdoor)19 Aug 2026Under Assessment
45 Crown Street Stockton 2295Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation19 Aug 2026Additional Information Requested
170 Dunbar Street Stockton 2295Secondary dwelling; Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure19 Aug 2026Additional Information Requested
3 Bennett Avenue New Lambton 2305Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool19 Aug 2026Additional Information Requested
74 Tudor Street Hamilton 2303Commercial development; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure19 Aug 2026Under Assessment
86 Turnbull Street Merewether 2291Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)19 Aug 2026Under Assessment

All 9,664 applications →

Follow this council

New applications as they are lodged, without visiting: RSS · JSON Feed. Both update when the nightly refresh runs.

What this council page tells you

Use the evidence in context. Applications show what has been proposed, not what has been approved or built. The figures above bring the NSW Planning Portal application feed together with the ABS approvals register and heritage data where a reliable council match exists.

Evidence boundary

Evidence found9,664 applications since 2019; 10,016 proposed homes; 925 dwellings approved in the current ABS comparison period.
Source coverageNSW Planning Portal Online DA, with ABS Building Approvals and NSW heritage registers where matched. Application data checked through 22 Aug 2026.
What this meansThis is the complete evidence currently loaded for this named council from the stated source universe.
What this does not meanZero or missing values do not prove no activity outside those sources. An application is not an approval or a completed project, and the NSW feed does not publish applicant, owner, architect or developer identity.

Applications: NSW Planning Portal Online DA API (CC-BY). Approvals: ABS Building Approvals by LGA (CC-BY 4.0). Decision time is measured from lodgement to determination on the 8,248 applications carrying both dates. Cost of works is the applicant's own estimate.