From little things Wollongong will grow

With their pie-in-the-sky projects, requiring millions of dollars of investment that never comes, and over-ambitious statements about how things will change without any measurable goals, it’s easy to shrug them off as pipe dreams.

But Wollongong council’s latest effort – its draft Public Spaces Public Life strategy – is actually pretty exciting, and the focus on the small things makes all the difference.

As in years gone by, there are some lofty plans: to make Wollongong station a major arrival precinct, overhaul WIN Entertainment Centre, transform the foreshore, turn MacCabe Park into the city’s green centre, and shift major transport routes to give pedestrians a bigger place in the city.

But there are also dozens of “quick wins” – cheap, small measures, some of which will happen in the next year.

For instance - instead of waiting for the cogs of bureaucracy to allow Crown Street to be reclassified so that outdoor dining and “parklets” can flourish - the council will give the footpaths a little spit and polish and work with artists to fill up vacant shops.

And, instead of hoping the state government might find a few hundred million to invest in a total Wollongong station makeover, the rail precinct will be filled with art and new signs to help visitors find their way.

In recent years, there have certainly been a lot of big changes in Wollongong’s CBD: GPT’s shopping centre development, the revamp of the mall and more than $1 billion in private investment.

But these big things would be nothing if there weren’t independent artists filling shopfronts, and small business owners opening quirky new shops, restaurants, bars and cafes.

Likewise, Wonderwalls – which needs not much more than some cans of paint and a few blank walls – has been just as transformative as any big retail development, and the ingenuity behind Eat Street Markets has filled in the open spaces of Crown Street Mall’s makeover.

So, as the council opens up its strategy for public comment, let’s celebrate the quick wins and little things, because ultimately it’s people power that will make all the difference in our city’s future.