Local Authority Collaboration Regarding Planning and Development

Across 2025, the University of Newcastle actively collaborated with local authorities on planning and development issues, including coastal safety and remediation, heatwave resilience, environmental monitoring, housing affordability and regional planning data. Examples include:

Newcastle City Council – coastal cliff monitoring and remediation

In 2025, researchers from the University of Newcastle’s Centre for Geotechnical Science and Engineering worked directly with Newcastle City Council to assess instability along the coastal cliffs at South Newcastle Beach following intense rainfall in May 2025. University researchers identified areas of instability and subsequently collaborated with Council on monitoring and remediation of the coastline. The University reports that the research team's data and understanding of cliff formation and evolution are informing Council decisions concerning coastal safety and economic viability. This provides strong evidence of direct university–local authority collaboration in which research is being translated into practical planning, risk management and infrastructure decisions affecting a major urban coastal area. The case study was updated by the University in November 2025: University of Newcastle – Rockfall research that's saving lives

Heatwave resilience – collaboration with NSW local governments

The University of Newcastle is also leading a three-year $1.3 million Heatwave Resilience project involving collaboration with NSW local government areas. The project assesses current and future heatwave risk across LGAs and works with high-risk local governments to understand local impacts and preparedness. Researchers and local government representatives participate in workshops to co-design resilience strategies and tailored heatwave preparedness plans, supported by a digital Heatwave Hub. The University's research specifically identifies Lake Macquarie and the Central Coast among eastern-seaboard areas experiencing increased heatwave risk. This provides evidence of University expertise being integrated with local government knowledge to develop locally appropriate approaches to urban resilience, infrastructure, service delivery and planning for climate-related hazards. The project was active during 2025 as part of its three-year delivery period. Link: University of Newcastle – $1.3m funding to better prepare for heatwaves

Lake Macquarie City Council – coastal conditions monitoring

In 2025, Lake Macquarie City Council provided $8,000 through its Environmental Research Grant program to support University of Newcastle research into continuous monitoring of coastal conditions in the Lake Macquarie region. Led by Dr Arthur Zhou and Professor Shin-Chan Han, the project commenced and was completed in 2025. The collaboration demonstrates a direct relationship between a local authority and University researchers to generate locally specific environmental information. Such monitoring provides an evidence base relevant to Council's ongoing coastal management, environmental planning, risk assessment and development decisions, particularly in a region experiencing increasing pressures from climate change and coastal hazards.

Lake Macquarie City Council – resilience of coastal vegetated landscapes

A second 2025 collaboration with Lake Macquarie City Council involved a $5,800 Environmental Research Grant for the University project How resilient are our coastal vegetated landscapes in Lake Macquarie? Led by Dr Chris Owers, the research examined the resilience of coastal vegetated landscapes, generating place-specific evidence relevant to environmental management and future planning. This is particularly relevant to the Sustainable Cities and Communities indicator because it demonstrates Council investing directly in University research to improve understanding of the environmental systems underpinning the region and to support evidence-informed approaches to managing coastal landscapes.

Built Environment Research Forum – collaboration on housing affordability and development

In April 2025, the University of Newcastle’s School of Architecture and Built Environment hosted the Built Environment Research Forum, bringing together representatives from government, industry, academia and the community to address regional housing challenges. The forum focused on housing development and affordability, exploring policy reform, advanced construction technologies and sustainable approaches to increasing housing supply. Newcastle City Council was among the stakeholders engaged in the forum, demonstrating local-authority participation in this University-led initiative. By facilitating collaboration across research, government, industry and the community, the forum provided a platform to explore practical solutions to housing availability and affordability and contribute to a more equitable and sustainable housing market across Newcastle and the wider region.

Hunter Insight Dashboard – supporting regional planning and housing

During 2025, the University of Newcastle's Institute for Regional Futures continued to provide comprehensive regional data through its Hunter Insight Dashboard. The July 2025 edition was explicitly designed to provide decisionmakers in government, industry and the community with current information directly relevant to planning and development across the Hunter, including house prices, rental prices and building approvals. These data provide an evidence base for understanding housing availability, affordability and development pressures across Hunter communities. The dashboard covers the Hunter's local government areas, including Cessnock, Dungog, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Mid-Coast, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Port Stephens, Singleton and Upper Hunter. By bringing together and interpreting regional data at this scale, the University provides local authorities with an evidence base for understanding population growth, housing and development pressures, infrastructure needs and regional economic change. Together with the University's 2025 housing forum, the Dashboard strengthens the evidence base available to government and other regional decision-makers by documenting local housing affordability and supply pressures. Check out the dashboard here: University of Newcastle – Hunter Insight Dashboard, July 2025