Ulverstone will continue to be Central Coast’s employment, business, community, and cultural heart, and home to many residents.

To make the most of Ulverstone’s most convenient and beautiful places, more people will be able to live close to shops, services, jobs, and recreation activities, with a wider range of homes to choose from.

New homes will need to comply with design guidelines that promote local character. For example:

• Minimum requirements for space between buildings to ensure privacy and prevent overshadowing.
• Landscaping requirements to increase greening.
• Character considerations, for colours, materials, and front fences, to maintain Ulverstone's look and feel.

The draft Ulverstone Structure Plan (see image below) includes four precincts:

• Town Centre Consolidation: A vibrant centre, with a mix of residents, businesses, and lots of reasons to visit. The town centre allows new shop-top homes 3-6 storeys.
• Residential Consolidation (Amenity Driven): Places where convenience meets beauty are very desirable for people to live. This area allows units, terraces, townhouses, and apartments 3-6 storeys to take advantage of areas connecting the town centre to the river and ocean.
• Residential Consolidation: Convenience is one of Ulverstone’s most valued features. The plan allows more people live walking distance to the town centre, with units, terraces and townhouses up to 3 storeys.
• Residential Incremental: New homes will continue to comprise a mix of separate houses, units, dual-occupancy, terraces and townhouses up to 2 storeys.

Where taller buildings are allowed, design guidelines heavily restrict building form to support local character. For example, any levels above 2 storeys (i.e., levels 3-6) must be recessed from lower levels, giving the impression of a 2-storey building from the street and preventing overshadowing.

Midrise buildings are not likely to be practical now, but the plan provides a 20-year framework to deliver the homes, shopfronts, and office space we will need, to capture economic opportunity as it comes, and shape growth to suit us.