
Five years on from the partial collapse of Pelican Marina, a future for the iconic site has emerged.
Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council plans to develop the site following the approval of a native title claim for the land.
The claim was lodged in May 2016 after home of the former Milano's On The Lake collapsed into the lake on February 8, 2016. The damaged building was demolished the following month.
Bahtabah CEO Carol Proctor said once the site became vacant Crown Land, a land claim was able to be lodged.
The claim was determined last year, but the land council waited until Monday to make the announcement, which Ms Proctor described as "exciting". She said the board would consult with members to decide exactly what to do with the site, but hoped it could be developed into something similar to the prior operation with dining, bait and tackle, as well as training opportunities.
"It's going to be really positive for our community," Ms Proctor said. "We do get the naysayers when these things are announced, but we have to stay positive and not let that affect us."
Swansea MP Yasmin Catley said she had made ongoing contact with Crown Lands about the claim and was pleased to see it finalised.
Ms Catley described it as a "terrible loss" when the marina and restaurant collapsed.
"We lost about 30 jobs that day," she said. "It was an amenity that people really held with pride in the community.
"It's fantastic that the Bahtabah land council is now in the position to look at options for the site so this prime piece of land can be up-and-running again as a facility that the whole community can enjoy."
The land is zoned IN4 Working Waterfront, a specialised zone that provides for maritime activities and complementary industries.
For faster access to the latest Newcastle news download our NEWCASTLE HERALD APP and sign up for breaking news, sport and what's on sent directly to your email.