City Hill Analysis and Scoping

City Hill is a Council-owned site on the corner of Hogbin Drive and Albany Street where the National Cartoon Gallery @ the Bunker and the Bridge Club are located. In 1986, most of the site was acquired for large-scale cultural facilities and is subject to a covenant restricting uses to a range of cultural, community and related tourism activities. For various reasons, the various 1990s concept plans did not proceed. These reasons included funding, community feedback on location and the adoption of the Coffs Harbour City Centre Strategic Plan – A people place in 2001.

Since that time Council have resolved to explore development at City Hill for various uses such as a performing arts space in 2010, subdivision and, most recently, extension of the National Cartoon Gallery.

The current City Centre Masterplan 2031 identifies the City Centre as the core entertainment precinct and performing arts facilities.

Understanding City Hill site and development potential

At the 11 May 2017 Council meeting, it was resolved to allocate $75,000 to “undertake studies, concept designs, and preliminary budgets associated with the cultural development at City Hill.” The same Council resolution determined the scope of the co-located library, regional gallery, customer service area, Council Chambers and Council staff office accommodation within a Cultural and Civic precinct within the CBD.

In 2019, Locale Consulting were engaged to complete a site analysis for the City Hill site to assist Council and the community in better understanding the land use planning, land titles and urban design context across the northern and southern portions of the site. This process aimed to assist realistic land use options for the site, in particular for cultural facility development, once the site potential was more readily understood.

City Hill Scoping Project Revised Site Analysis

Council at its Ordinary Meeting of 12 December 2019 resolved to note the final City Hill Scoping Project Site Analysis and place the Site Analysis on public exhibition, with a further report presented to Council in relation to the preferred use options once the broader Community and Cultural Facility planning process and Issues and Options Discussion Paper for Performing Arts Space (Indoor and Outdoor) had been finalised.

The City Hill Scoping Project Site Analysis was placed on public exhibition between 18 December 2019 and 3 March 2020 and four information and consultation sessions were held. Forty written submissions were received within the timeframe. The submissions have been reviewed and considered in the City Hill Scoping Project Revised Site Analysis.

The City Hill Scoping Project Revised Site Analysis was considered and adopted by Council at its 26 November 2020 Meeting. This Site Analysis provides an overview of the site development history, consideration of land uses, and future development options for both the northern and southern portions of the City Hill site.

Scope of future planning for City Hill

In considering the scope of future planning for City Hill the following steps were recommended in the City Hill Scoping Project Revised Site Analysis:

• Continue to review the available information relating to the site with respect to current planning practice, rectifying inaccuracies in applicable mapping wherever possible.
• In the context of broader community and cultural facility planning processes, consider the potential for the role of the City Hill site in the delivery of a Cultural Collections Facility
• Undertake more detailed concept or master planning of the site based on the outcomes of the above, with a view to retaining the site for future community and cultural needs, including necessary environmental studies to understand the extent and significance of constraints based on preferred land use scenarios.

Council at its 26 November Meeting resolved to consider during the preparation of the Operation Plan 2021/22, a Master Plan for City Hill which incorporates the findings of the City Hill Project Scoping Project Revised Site Analysis.

This page will provide updates to this projects throughout 2021/22.