The Hunter Economic Zone provides businesses with the opportunity to purchase fully serviced industrial land starting from $100 per sqm + GST. Land prices are therefore considerably less than Sydney industrial areas as shown below.

For land lots of 5,000sqm up to 1 hectare. Please note these costs are only approximate.

In addition, rental rates at the Hunter Economic Zone are approximately 20-50% less than those of South and Western Sydney.

Whatever business you're in, we'll use our expertise to find the right solution for you. You can choose the move that suits your business from a number of flexible HEZ options including:

• Land sale
• Ground lease
• Building and site design
• Costing and feasibility of your project
• Approvals facilitation
• Project management
• Civil works
• Construction
• Progress payments
• Complete 'turnkey' package
• Lease completed building
• Lease plant and equipment
• Lease total package

HEZ is ideally suited to:

• Manufacturing (eg. electronics, food, machinery, consumer goods, and pharmaceuticals)
• Engineering, fabrication, and assembly
• Packaging and plastics
• Recycling and resource management
• Importation, distribution and transport
• Telecommunications, data processing and call centres
• Retail and support services

The Hunter Economic Zone boasts a rapidly growing population approaching 1,000,000 people within the Hunter, Newcastle and Central Coast region. It is located only minutes from the Hunter Valley wine region, the city of Newcastle and the NSW central coast beaches, providing diverse residential living.

The region's average house price is lower than the state average with home ownership higher than the NSW average. Home options include ocean, lake and bay waterfront locations, bush retreats, rural acreages, inner city terraces and city/waterfront apartments.

The Hunter region has excellent community facilities, recreation, dining, entertainment and shopping. It is known for its quality educational establishments including respected secondary schools, Institute of TAFE, and the world renowned Newcastle University.

The Hunter Economic Zone will deliver a boost to employment prospects in the region through the creation of an estimated 26,000 jobs that will drive growth and keep the local economy buoyant.

• 1.5 to 2 hours north of Sydney CBD via F3 highway
• An economic powerhouse
• Accounts for 32% of NSW's exports
• The world's largest exporter of coal
• Generates 90% of NSW's electricity
• Large scale defence, manufacturing, maritime and IT sectors
• Port of Newcastle for bulk and container cargo
• At the centre of Australia's heavily populated east coast
• Freeway and rail to all Australian states
• 30 minutes from Port of Newcastle and Newcastle Airport

The ambitious Hunter Economic Zone project has been the passion of Duncan Hardie, who in 1997 took the project through an exhaustive process that saw the site rezoned in 2002.

Hardie Holdings retains the majority ownership in the HEZ project. Duncan Hardie is also the Chairman of HEZ Nominees for the HEZ Unit Trust. Duncan is confident that the HEZ Trust will become one of Australia's largest property investment trusts.

The Hunter Economic Zone is strategically located on an axis of electricity, gas, major national highways, rail and optical fibre communications.

Energy
The Hunter's four power stations provide Australia's highest level of supply reliability at an economical rate.

Gas
The proposed Sydney to Brisbane high pressure gas pipeline will run directly through the site providing connection for industry.

Water
Water supply is sufficient for large water consumers and will be supplemented progressively by on-site reservoirs.

Hunter Expressway
In May 2009 funding was announced for the new $1.7 billion Hunter Expressway between the F3 and the New England Highway west of Branxton.

The key features of the project include:

• 40 kilometres of new dual carriageway freeway;
• 53 bridges at 21 sites, including 840 metres of viaduct;
• Six grade separated interchanges;
• 10 kilometres of State and local road adjustments;
• $20 million of utility adjustments;
• One kilometre of railway construction, including a new railway bridge.

The new Hunter Expressway will:

• Cut travel times between Newcastle and the Hunter by 28 minutes;
• Relieve congestion between Newcastle and the towns of Thornton, Maitland, and Rutherford with forecast reductions in traffic of 15,000 to 30,000 vehicles per day from their level of 60,000 vehicles now;
• Support the growing Hunter region, where traffic is forecast to grow around four per cent a year; and
• Meet the growing freight task of the region, which is forecast to increase 30 per cent in coming years.

Construction of the Hunter Expressway will occur between 2010 and 2013 and support up to 800 direct local jobs, providing a substantial stimulatory effect to the Hunter region.

Click here to visit the RTA Website for detailed information on the Hunter Expressway.