I didn’t really get it at the time but dad was so excited as we drove down crown street, purchased our lunch from Big Rooster, sat on the hill with a view that was obstructed by the winning post for the dog track. And we lost.

We have come a long way since 1982.

Big Rooster became Red Rooster. Our drive down Crown Street isn’t possible due to a new multi-million dollar shopping mall. The Steelers became the Dragons. Our parking spot on Showground Two has become the Sage Hotel. The dog track made way for new stands which have created one of the most iconic sporting fields in the world and “Joe Cool”, John Dorahy, now kicks his goals on the floor of council not the sporting field.

But that is the way the world works, we move forward.

The most exciting question is where do we go from here?

I grew up in a generation, where we didn’t have many opportunities when we left school.

The university was growing but hadn’t quite hit its straps, manufacturing and coal were still strong, but not much else was happening.

Many of us looking for new opportunities travelled to Sydney or further afield to develop careers.

Thankfully, that is not something that our kids will have to worry about. Wollongong is now experiencing an incredible period (and opportunity) for growth.

The development of the Innovation Campus has seen the University of Wollongong acknowledged in the top 1% of universities in the world for research.

In the last 12 months, we have seen 80 small bars and cafes open in the CBD, the population of the CBD has doubled and we have seen multinational businesses like NEC open new offices in the city. Cruise ships drop by regularly, Sir Elton John played to a sell-out crowd on WIN Stadium. It’s fair to say Wollongong is rapidly finding its way on the world stage.

The work  council has recently completed along the tram way at North Beach is absolutely stunning.

Walking along the tramway you could be anywhere in the world but you know you must be in Wollongong because of the smiling faces of the people.

There are no more passionate advocates for Wollongong than our people and there is no greater strength of Wollongong than that passion.

What an amazing story we have to tell.

In many ways though, we have only just begun.

When you look around the world, how many emerging cities have a world-class escarpment, beach front and lake all within a 60 minute drive of a capital city?

The challenge we have, is what do we as a community want to see next.

When I started with Destination Wollongong six years ago, I didn’t understand the power of community consultation and how it informed decision making from all levels of government.

Government genuinely want to understand what the community thinks and make decisions accordingly.

Unfortunately, the voice of the entire community isn’t always heard and it’s generally left to the very vocal minority of the engaged community to dictate a way forward for everyone.

I don’t believe that is the will or hope of the greater community.

Council is currently asking the community to have their say on several exciting projects and opportunities. Wollongong Harbour, North Wollongong Surf Club, the Botanical Gardens and Mt Keira are all undergoing master planning and each are world class opportunities.

There is barely a day goes  by that I don’t get stopped or sent a message from someone who has done something around the world or enjoyed an experience and asked why we can’t do it here.  The answer is we absolutely can.

I’m not about advocating for over development, but I am absolutely passionate about being aspirational. I make no apologies for that.

I ‘Love the Gong’ for its beauty, for its people and for its community spirit.

We’re a proud community with a foundation forged in steel.  We’ve come a long way since my first trip to the showground and now it’s time to build a vision for 2040.

Together.

Mark Sleigh is the general manager of Destination Wollongong 

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