Boat building and maintenance facilities will remain at Wollongong Harbour in the short term but eventually there will be new cafes and tourist attractions created in the popular area.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Wollongong City Council and the Department of Industry (Lands), in consultation with the public, have developed a draft master plan for the harbour.
The plan, which was first released in August last year, is expected to be adopted by council on Monday before its final adoption by Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey.
Under the new document, plans to build a cafe on Flagstaff Hill have been removed, and boat building and the fisherman's co-op building will remain in the short term.
Acting Lord Mayor David Brown said the plan reflects community sentiment.
"People want Wollongong Harbour to remain a heritage and working harbour," he said. "They want one or two more cafes but they don't want the area to be overdeveloped. They don't want it to become like a Disneyland harbour or Darling Harbour.
"The plan also includes more facilities like shade, footpaths, parking and there's potential to change the flow of traffic, as well as more toilets and showers.
"The council has been working on this plan with state agencies [since 2017].
"Previously, there were some false starts and plans that went too far but I believe this plan reflects the heritage and nature of the port."
The sentiment from the public was 'more of the same' by only introducing improvements that work to complement, enhance or preserve the existing elements of the harbour.
Short term plans include building a tourist and interpretive centre that could also serve as offices for commercial charter boat operators or new yacht club facilities.
There would also be more trees and shade structures, a safe swimming spot, a one-way loop with angle and parallel parking, more toilets and shower amenities, upgraded pavement, lighthouse seating and disable access from Blue Mile walk to the basin.
A central pier cafe can not be built until boating building stops and until that happens, the noise, odour and water quality will be controlled. The central pier will be decontaminated and remediated.
Long term plans would see the hard-stand area for boat building activities removed.
There could be new buildings for a cafe, chandlery, showers, toilets and yacht club facilities built; new boardwalks; and better pedestrian access around .
"In the long term there is an opportunity to redevelop the [the fisherman's co-op building] and provide a landmark building that can capitalise on its location and provide better access to the waterfront," the plan states.
In 2016, council pushed the Department of Industry (Lands) to allocate resources and create a master plan.
The master planning process began in late 2017 and is now completed, following input from many local community groups, individuals, council staff and elected councillors.