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SYDNEY - Cities along the north coast of NSW will bear the brunt of expected population growth over the next 25 years, a government strategy reveals.
Cities such as Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie will be dramatically transformed with high-rise buildings, industrial parks and new suburbs, Fairfax newspapers report.
All told, 150,000 new residents are expected to settle along the state's mid-north and far-north coasts by 2031.
NSW Planning Minister Frank Sartor released the government's planning strategies of the coastal areas stretching from Foster to Yamba and from Evans Head to the Queensland border.
The brunt of the development will be on the mid-north coast, with a plan to accommodate 91,000 new residents in 58,400 new dwellings.
The far-north coastal population has already grown strongly, so plans for the future increase of 60,400 people in the region will be focused on inland centres such as Lismore.
Both strategies aim to limit urban sprawl along the coast by concentration future development within and around main cities.
The strategies identify sensitive lands such as wetlands and remaining seaside rainforests for protection and a promise to preserve the character of smaller towns and villages, which are central to both region's tourist appeal.
- AAP
