The developers of the Corrimal coke works have been sent back to the drawing board, with Wollongong councillors asking them to cut the planned number of homes in their housing estate by 25 per cent.
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Faced with a rezoning plan which would allow for up to 750 homes to be built on the derelict 18 hectare industrial site, Labor councillor Janice Kershaw said she did not support the Illawarra Coke Company and Legacy Property plan.
In a new master plan and rezoning request unveiled last week, the developers stuck with their initial 2017 plan to build between 735 and 760 homes, but shifted the layout to make way for extra parkland and highlight the site's industrial heritage.
While their first plan included town houses, detached homes and apartments, the latest version included only apartment buildings.
"I don't support this proposal, nor do the surrounding community," Cr Kershaw said.
"I think everyone here supports that the site should be rezoned for residential purposes. I do not support the density wanted by the proponent and I certainly do not support the site being covered in four to six-storey buildings."
She said any further progress of the rezoning should be deferred, to allow the applicants to submit a revised proposal with planning controls that would allow a maximum of 550 homes.
Instead of being stacked into four and six storey apartments, as proposed in the developers' master plan, the homes should be a mix of apartments, townhouses and semi-detached homes, Cr Kershaw said. Building heights should be capped at 15 metres, or four storeys.
Cr Kershaw also asked that the space of any supermarket be reduced by half that of the space suggested by the applicants, and said their commitment to provide five per cent social housing in the coke works should be maintained.
She asked that a new proposal be submitted by developers and reviewed by councillors within six months.
"It's not up to council or community to just accept a proposal that's not the best it possibly can be," she said.
"We should be ensuring that any development on that site should be a showcase not only for the northern suburbs, but for the city as a whole."
After a long debate, all but Liberal councillor John Dorahy supported this motion, while Greens councillor Mithra Cox was absent from the debate as she lives near the coke works.
Liberal northern suburbs councillor Leigh Colacino said Cr Kershaw's motion was doing its best to address the concerns which have been raised by the community over the past three years, but also would allow the developers to meet the growing need for housing in Wollongong.
"I think we're all aware that Wollongong is almost full, we don't have a lot of vacant land," he said. "Wollongong needs to house its new residents somewhere, but I would love existing residents to feel their community is enhanced by development."
Likewise, Liberal councillor Cameron Walters said it was clear the developers' rezoning plan did not have the support of the community, and believed Cr Kershaw's motion was a reasonable request.
He asked for developers to consider a greater proportion of affordable homes (6.5 per cent instead of five per cent), as it was too hard for younger or low income people to buy into the northern suburbs.
Labor's Ann Martin said she had concerns about Cr Kershaw's motion, but was prepared to support it as she believed the councillors who represented the northern suburbs had the best idea of residents' views.
"It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out - I hope it doesn't end up in a review of the planning proposal [by the state] where we don't have a say, " she said.
"This site is very significant and the more we can deal with people's nervousness, and deal with the traffic issues... then we're going to get a better outcome."
Similarly, Dom Figliomeni said he would have supported the developers' plan going out on exhibition but said he was happy to have the developers take another look at their proposal.
Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said Cr Kershaw's motion would not stall the rezoning, but struck the right balance between listening to the community and allowing for development to progress.
As the sole dissenting voice, Liberal councillor John Dorahy moved a motion to put forward the council staff recommendation - which was that the proposal allowing 750 homes and six-storey buildings should go on public comment - should be supported.
He expressed frustration at how long it had taken to get to this point and said Wollongong was a growing city, which was bigger than just Corrimal residents, and believed all residents deserved to have a say on the plan.
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.
