The McCloy Group’s Bower Estate has previously won approval for 345 properties with lot sizes between 1000 and 4000 square metres. 

But with zoning changes sent by the previous Port Stephens council to state planners receiving final approval, shrunken lot sizes could allow for up to 480 properties on the same parcel of land. 

Port Stephens Council is considering a development application to change the yield to 413 lots, keeping most lots above the minimum 500 square metre size allowed under the zoning variation. 

The Bower Estate website on Friday described the estate as “an estimated 420 home sites ranging from approximately 600 square metres to 4000 square metres across 57 hectares”, noting it was subject to council approval. 

Another 70 hectares of land in the area is set aside for open space and a state conservation area. 

The Department of Environment and Planning’s director for the Hunter Region Monica Gibson said permitting smaller lot sizes was a step towards meeting the Hunter Regional Plan 2036’s goals for sustainable growth without compromising the surrounding ecology. 

One of the 2036 plan’s goals is to provide 70,000 more homes in the Hunter over the next 19 years, as well as providing a diversity of housing to accommodate different groups including the elderly, students and those on low incomes. 

Any changes to Bower Estate are yet to win approval from Port Stephens Council through a pending development application, Ms Gibson said.

​“The rezoning of this site, which has been strategically identified as an appropriate place to allow more housing, means the area can develop in a planned and orderly manner.”

“By containing residential development we can preserve the treasured nearby natural environment.”

The push for higher density follows a clear indication of demand for the land after an initial release in 2016, when the 31 first stage lots sold out in 48 hours.