Significantly the Venues NSW board met in Wollongong on Monday, but it also took the time to host a lunch with a broad range of organisations across our community. That in itself was an important sign.

A sign that Venues NSW cares and respects the role it has in our region and two of our iconic venues under its control, the WIN Entertainment Centre and WIN Stadium.

Also importantly, Venues NSW flagged it would be undertaking the forming of a future vision for those venues and the precinct.

As part of a panel discussion to end the luncheon, Venues NSW CEO Paul Doorn, an Illawarra product, noted a similar process had been undertaken in Newcastle which had taken seven to nine years.

Mr Doorn noted a “coalition of the willing” would be needed to accelerated the project.

It is broadly accepted the precinct and venues need to be reinvigorated for the next 20 years.

It was another panel member, WIN News presenter and former Matilda Amy Duggan, who made a point in response which echoed loudly around the function room at WIN Stadium.

“Can we not just not just meet the ‘minimum standards’,” she noted.

“Can we aim higher than the minimum standards because everyone gives you a list of what they need and what they want.

“A lot of the time when there’s more than one government organisation involved it’s about ‘meeting a standard; and there’s nothing more frustrating as a fan, as an  athlete and probably as a promoter than going ‘well, it ticks all the boxes, but it’s not spectacular’.

“I think this town deserves spectacular.”

The last statement was met with an enthusiastic round of applause. It was a perfect message delivered to the right audience.

To this Mr Doorn replied: “Everyone wants something spectacular in Wollongong”. In terms of the future vision for the precinct, we need something spectacular and preferably sooner than later.

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