North Arm Cove, New South Wales


North Arm Cove is a suburb of the Mid-Coast Council local government area in the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia. It is located adjacent to Port Stephens and extends well north of the Pacific Highway. The suburb is sparsely populated, with most of the residents living in the southern portion of the suburb.

Land use

1918 subdivision

Port Stephens was under consideration as the main seaport for New South Wales, as well as the national capital, and a large city-style subdivision of the peninsula was designed by Walter Burley Griffin, with an architectural plan drawn by his wife Marion, on behalf of the landowner, Henry Halloran, a developer and surveyor. Griffin's plans included two railway stations, a business district, federal and state office sites, a factory district, car parks, wharves, parks and playgrounds. They were approved by Stroud Shire Council on 6 May 1918. Many dirt roads, still visible from the air, date from the original subdivision.
Land from the 1918 subdivision is now zoned "non-urban", meaning that construction of buildings is not permitted under any circumstances. Consequently, land sales at North Arm Cove have been the subject of controversy for many years, even being raised as a matter in the NSW Parliament. Despite that, many blocks are purchased as an investment and/or for use as weekend retreats. Land is regularly sold and resold as owners become frustrated with being unable to develop their properties.

Land use today

Restrictions on land use in the area has meant that only a limited number of residential blocks are available. The local population is concentrated mainly in the village of North Arm Cove, located on the western shore of North Arm cove itself, and on the northern shore of Port Stephens. Many of the small houses that used to be in the area have been demolished and replaced with more expensive homes.
North of the Pacific Highway, land use is mainly rural, and kangaroos, wallabies and koalas are commonly found throughout the area.