A new crack team of cleaners and maintenance crews will be deployed by Wollongong City Council to keep its growing city centre and foreshore spick and span.
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The “enhanced city centre maintenance” team – which will be funded from extra rates the council will rake in from hundreds of new CBD residents – is one of more than 490 projects included in next year’s draft annual plan.
The 2017/18 plan, to be debated by councillors next Monday before it goes on public exhibition, has a capital works budget of $95.5 million.
Of this, $11 million will go towards West Dapto, as construction begins on the decades-in-the-making Fowlers Road bridge link.
Next week, councillors are poised to approve the first excavation works on the road, with construction expected to begin in the new financial year. It will be the largest infrastructure project the city has ever undertaken.
Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said finally bring this project to fruition was the “greatest aspect” of this budget.
“This has been a long time coming, so it’s really exciting – a landmark for our council,” he said.
“I’m also aware that we’ve had a lot of noise from residents about the amenity of the CBD so we’re allocating special funds for higher maintenance – basically more staff – focusing on that area.
“We have more residents – a 150 per cent increase in the next three years – as well as more tourism being focused there, and it’s the major employment area for the region.”
He noted next year’s budget would have a “tiny” $700,000 deficit “in theory”, which the council said would be offset by savings in previous years.
Included in a list of new projects is a $5.7 million commitment to rebuild the seawall north of North Wollongong surf club over the next three years, as well as a new annual budget to make the city’s beaches more wheelchair accessible.
The Wollongong Botanic Garden will receive about $1.5 million over four years for a series of new projects, including a biennial sculpture award which was first run in 2016 and will continue into the foreseeable future.
Between now and 2021, the council will spend $870,000 on refurbishing the glasshouse and temperate area in the gardens and, in the next financial year, will spend $430,000 on the first stage of a rainforest walk.
About $850,000 will be spent on new strategies and plans, including a master plans for Beaton Park and Bulli Showground, a public toilet strategy and a foreshore parking plan.
Over three years $300,000 will be spent to review the zoning controls – including height and density limits – in the CBD.
Cr Bradbery said the council was keen to hear residents’ feedback on the budget, which will be open for comment from April 10 to May 8.
Major capital projects for 2017/18
Starting construction:
- Ian McLennan Oval synthetic sports field
- Wombarra rock pool refurbishments
- Stanwell Park beach kiosk
- Providing disabled access to Helensburgh swimming pool
- New roundabout at intersection of Maidstone Street and The Ridge, Helensburgh
- 28 road reconstruction projects including Dapto’s Kapooka Ave, Corrimal’s Bloomfield Ave, Primbee’s Korrungulla Laneway, Fairy Meadow’s Hopewood Crescent, Austinmer’s Headland Ave, Wollongong’s Staff Street.
- Wongawilli Road access improvements
- Playground replacements at Ray Crump Park, Fred Finch Park, Howard Fowler’s Park, Harry Graham Park and Robinson Park
Continuing works:
- Fowlers Road extension for Fairwater Drive, Dapto
- Construction of Grand Pacific Walk pathway, Stanwell Park
- Reconstruction of The Tramway shared path and sea wall
- New landfill cell as Whytes Gully
- High voltage power connection to Mount Keira Summit
- Port Kembla Community Investment Funded projects including upgrades to Hill 60 tunnels, MM Beach car park, and Allan Street play area
- Building works on Kembla Terraces, Fernhill soccer amenities roof, Coniston community centre roof, Fairy Meadow SLSC roof
- Reconstruction of the northern cycleway at Bulli Point
Design and planning works:
- Design and planning for Warrawong CBD streetscapes and traffic improvements
- Design and planning for footpath upgrade of Kembla Street, from Crown to Market Street
- Future road designs in West Dapto, including Avondale and Huntley Road
- Designs for eight car park upgrades including Sublime Point and Helensburgh netball courts
- Designs for drainage improvements in Armagh Ave, Thirroul, Franklin Ave, Bulli, Paterson Rd, Coalcliff, Emerson Rd, Dapto and Denise Street, Lake Heights.
- Planning for Helensburgh tip rehabilitation
- Continued detail design of Hill 60 improvements