Traffic, flooding and the historical protection of what was the oldest continuous coke-making operation in the world have been flagged as problems which could stall the development of Corrimal cokeworks.
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On Tuesday night, councillors voted to allow a proposal to rezone the industrial site for 736 homes to progress through the NSW planning system.
However, they warned developers, the Illawarra Coke Company, that much more research would need to be done if final approval was to go ahead.
Read more: Rezoning to make way for 700 homes
Councillor and Corrimal resident Janice Kershaw said she believed the 18 hectare cokeworks was an ideal site for housing, but said she did not yet know whether she would support the plan put forward by ICC.
“We need so many more reports, and require extensive consultation with other government agencies and the community,” she said.
Cr Kershaw said Transport NSW and the RMS had already requested revised documentation and further studies on how the housing plan would affect the rail line and surrounding roads.
She also said it was vital to protect the Aboriginal and European heritage of the site. The indicative plan submitted by ICC proposes keeping some parts of the cokeworks in a public plaza, however councillors said they were keen to see more details about conservation plans.
Flooding, and a plan to realign the creek running through the site to allow for more public recreation land was also “of great concern”,” Cr Kershaw said.
“As we all know from past events, water always returns to its natural path,” she said.
“I think for most of us it took our breath away when we heard there were going to be 736 dwellings there but we must remember it’s a very large site.
“However that doesn’t mean the rest of the community have to suffer from the impact this may have.”
Other councillors echoed her concerns, with Deputy Mayor David Brown saying there was “a vast amount of homework to be done before we get anywhere near finalising this”.
Greens councillor Cath Blakey had reservations about the cokeworks plan, and said she would like to see more mandated social and affordable housing within the proposal.
Despite this, the councillors voted unanimously to allow the rezoning to progress.
At a public forum ahead of the meeting, developer Kate Strahorn told councillors her company had come up with “a carefully considered plan to revitalise the site” after three years of informally consulting with residents.
“We believe the Corrimal cokeworks provides a compelling opportunity to respond to the Illawarra housing market,” she said.
“We understand this will be subject to detailed scrutiny, further public exhibition and consultation and detailed conditions of approval from council… and we genuinely believe that what we are proposing is good for Wollongong, and good for Corrimal.”
In response to councillor concerns, she said the company believed the realignment of the creek would deliver a healthier creek and alleviate flooding, as well as resolving drainage issues affecting residents in Cross and Railway streets.
She also acknowledged the need to do more modelling to ensure there would not be “serious traffic problems”
Vocal Corrimal advocate Paul Boultwood also spoke at the meeting, saying the housing plan had the support of a number of business and community groups.
“Anyone that speaks against the rezoning contravenes the will of the community and the Corrimal town plan,” he said.
However, another resident, Liz Mendygral said she believed the 700 new homes would be “excessive” and a traffic “nightmare in the making” for existing residents of the town.
“Currently there are less than 300 residents north of Railway Street and congestion is already problematic,” Ms Mendygral said.
[The proposal] would mean up to 700 new vehicles on Railway Street each day, and possibly up to 1400 because these days most people have two cars, this to me is a nightmare in the making.”
If the rezoning received a green light from NSW Planning, councillors have asked that it be placed back out for public comment for two months. During this time, the council will conduct a public hearing in Corrimal.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
