New development approval figures show the south-west Lake Macquarie suburbs of Cooranbong and Morisset are among the Hunter's most popular growth spots.
The towns, separated by the M1 Motorway, accounted for one fifth of Lake Macquarie City Council's $1.3 billion in approved development activity in 2022-23.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show Lake Macquarie's population grew 5.9 per cent in the five years to June 2022, compared with 3.4 per cent from 2012 to 2017, 4.2 per cent from 2007 to 2012 and 1.2 per cent from 2002 to 2007.
The population of Morisset and Cooranbong grew 18 per cent from 18,741 to 22,150 in the five years from 2016 to 2021.
The council said in a media statement that "once-sleepy" Cooranbong had led the area with $195 million in development approvals, taking out top spot for the second year running.
Morisset was sixth on the list with $59 million worth of approved development.
Lake Macquarie mayor Kay Fraser said the city's south-west was booming due to its capacity for new housing, proximity to the motorway and rail transport and major developments like Cedar Mill and Trinity Point.
"There is incredible potential in this part of our city, and it is good to see developers and investors realising this," she said.
"This is an area of strategic significance for population and jobs growth, but we need to ensure it is the right type of growth and the right type of development."
The NSW Department of Planning and Environment's Hunter Regional Plan 2041 names Morisset, Cooranbong and Wyee as "the largest future growth area in the Central Coast and Hunter".
Charlestown, Edgeworth, Warners Bay and Belmont rounded out the top five suburbs for the highest value of approved development in the financial year.
The council approved almost 400 homes and 2383 development applications in 2022-23, down from the 2021-22 peak of 2763.
The approvals included a $29 million health services facility at Charlestown, multiple approvals worth a total $29 million for the new Watagan Park Town Centre in Cooranbong and DAs worth $50 million for 170 new houses on George Booth Drive at Cameron Park.
Cr Fraser has been vocal about the need to speed up state infrastructure spending to unlock housing supply in Lake Macquarie.
She launched a broadside at Transport for NSW in March over delays and a cost blowout to the Mandalong Road upgrade at Morisset.
The council said its median net processing time for DAs had dropped from 28 days in 2018-19 to 17 in the past financial year.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Join the discussion in the comment section below.
Find out how to register or become a subscriber here.
