After three years and nine months of persistence, collaboration and problem-solving, Barker Ryan Stewart is pleased to announce that the Development Application DA/886/2022 for 157 & 163 Sparks Road, Halloran, has been approved. While the approval itself is a major milestone, its significance reaches far beyond a single development site. This consent delivers the critical piece of infrastructure needed to unlock the Wyong Employment Zone (WEZ). Being the construction of a signalised intersection at the corner of Sparks Road and Mountain Road.
The intersection that changes everything
As discussed previously in At a Crossroad: Unlocking the Wyong Employment Zone, access has long been the key constraint holding back the WEZ.
The lack of an upgraded, signalised intersection meant the remainder of the Employment Zone was preventing the engagement of further development of the area. Fortunately, this DA approval resolves that long-standing barrier to the progression of WEZ development.
The approval works include:
- A fully signalised intersection at Sparks Road and Mountain Road
- Road widening and associated civil works
- Infrastructure upgrades to support future employment uses across the WEZ
This intersection is not just an access point for a singular site, it is instead a gateway that enables the entire Employment Zone to function as intended.
Moreover, the approved DA allows for:
- 17 industrial units
- A future service centre (to be the subject of a separate approval)
- Supporting civil works, landscaping and servicing
- Extensive environmental and biodiversity management measures
Persistence pays off
This application has been a long and complex journey, involving detailed traffic, environmental and infrastructure assessments, close coordination with Central Coast Council and Transport for NSW, and multiple revisions to address technical, environmental and access constraints
The approval demonstrates what can be achieved through perseverance, evidence-based planning and a commitment to achieving outcomes that work at both a site-specific and strategic level.
Enabling jobs and economic growth
The Wyong Employment Zone plays a critical role in the Central Coast’s economic future. By unlocking access to the WEZ, this approval:
- Enables future industrial and employment development
- Supports job creation close to where people live
- Delivers infrastructure that benefits the wider precinct, not just a single development
It is an example of how the planning system, when navigated effectively, can deliver long-term economic and community outcomes.
Project Team
The project team included:
- Planning – BRS
- Civil Engineering – BRS
- Traffic Engineering – BRS
- Surveying – BRS
- Sewer Servicing Strategy – BRS
- Ecology – Wedgetail
- Flood Study – ACOR
- Architecture – AArqm
- Landscape Architecture – Conus Landscape Architecture
- Arborist – Urban Arbor
- Archaeology – Heritage Now
- Legal Services – Colin Biggers & Paisley and Justin Doyle
Looking ahead
With the DA now approved, attention turns to delivery, where progressing the intersection works and setting the foundations for the next stage of development across the Wyong Employment Zone.
For BRS, this project reinforces our role as trusted advisors on complex, infrastructure-led developments and our commitment to seeing challenging projects through to approval.
After nearly four years, the green light is finally on, and the Wyong Employment Zone is ready to move forward.
