Wollongong City Council economic development manager Mark Grimson said the new Investor Prospectus is available to share at https://issuu.com/wollongongcitycouncil/docs/advantage_wollongong_prospectus and the Advantage Wollongong team is available to help promote the city.

The prospectus includes many interesting facts such as in the last three years 60 new small bars and cafes have opened and Crown Street Mall is now home to Friday Forage Markets and Thursday’s Eat Street Markets that attract up to 8,000 people.

Meanwhile 38 facades have been upgraded in the City Centre through Wollongong City Council’s Façade Rejuvenation Program.

Major development highlights listed include the $200 million upgrade to Wollongong Central by GPT, the $120 million Wollongong Private Hospital, operated by Ramsey Health Care; and the $134 million expansion of the Wollongong Public Hospital.

The prospectus shows that while health, education, manufacturing, tourism and retail are the top employing sectors there are a number of emerging sectors such as knowledge services, advanced manufacturing, trade and logistics as well as defence.

Recent highlights included Port Kembla opening up to tourism with Royal Carribean’s Radiance of the Seas making its maiden voyage on October 30 and NEC Australia opening a new corporate office to create more than 130 new technology jobs in a city with a population forecast to grow by 20 per cent in the next 20 years.

Tourism now contributes more than $1 billion into the local economy and attracts over five million visitors annually.

International overnight visitor numbers are up 45 per cent, domestic day trip visitors up 16 per cent and major events tourism generates $40 million annually. 

Affordable living with the house and units priced 35 to 40 per cent lass that the average price in Greater Sydney is cited as another Wollongong advantage and there is no shortage on development ready sites with 80,000m2 of DA approved commercial space presently available in the city centre.