The NSW Government has been sitting on its master plan for Wollongong Harbour for too long and begin funding the many measures which will help to transform the historic area, Acting Lord Mayor Tania Brown says.
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In a notice of motion to next week's council meeting, Cr Brown will ask the General Manager to write to the state for advice on when the NSW Wollongong Harbour Masterplan will be released.
The draft plan was developed in 2017 and put out for public comment in August 2018, with a revised draft released and adopted by Wollongong City Council mid-last year.
Under the plan, the precinct will remain a working harbour but a number of improvements will be made to complement, enhance or preserve the existing elements.
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 disabled access from Blue Mile walk to the basin.
Cr Brown said it was frustrating to still be waiting for the plan to be adopted by the government, as she hoped some of the projects to improve the area would be funded before the UCI World Road Cycling comes to Wollongong in 2022.
"Over a year later we are still waiting for a final report," Cr Brown said.
"Our harbour has been getting a lot of traffic through COVID-19, everyone is over there and so many people want to enjoy that area and, with that in minds, I would love to see some of these footpaths and a toilet block for the harbour funded.
"Also, the harbour precinct will be a key location for the UCI World Road Cycling in 2022, and it would be nice if we had a shiny new asset to show off at this important event."
"Wollongong Harbour is the place we go to for all our celebration events, like New Year's Eve and Australia Day, and it's the heart of the city, and when we've got the eyes of the world on us in 2022 with the UCI championships - the Olympics for cycling - we need to get this fixed.
"The council has done our bit with the Blue Mile, which has been an absolute asset for this area, so we now need the state government's support to build on the success of the Blue Mile and fix the harbour."
Councillors will debate Cr Brown's notice of motion on Monday night.
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.
