The NSW Department of Planning and Environment are finalising reforms to employment zones across the State. The reform has consolidated the 9 Business and Industrial Zones in the Port Stephens LEP into 6 new Employment Zones.

The reform will increase flexibility within the new employment zones and expand the land uses that are permitted. The implementation of the new zones will provide new economic opportunities across Port Stephens.

The below table identifies the new Employment Zone for each Business and Industrial Zone in Port Stephens.

Former Zone (as of 26 April 2023)	New Zone (as of 26 April 2023)
Standard Conversions
B1 Neighbourhood Centre	E1 Local Centre
B2 Local Centre	E1 Local Centre
B3 Commercial Core	E2 Commercial Centre
B4 Mixed Use	MU1 Mixed Use
B5 Business Development	E3 Productivity Support
B7 Business Park	E3 Productivity Support
IN1 General Industrial	E4 General Industrial
IN2 Light Industrial	E4 General Industrial
IN4 Working Waterfront	W4 Working Waterfront
Non-Standard Conversion
IN2 Light Industrial in Raymond Terrace	E3 Productivity Support

For more information on the new permissible land uses in the Employment Zones, contact Gemma Wallace on 4988 0543 or the duty planner 4988 0255.