Corrimal residents have a "myriad of concerns" about plans to turn the Corrimal Coke Works into a housing development, after Wollongong City Council's decision to put the plans on public exhibition.
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Anne Marett, president of the Corrimal Community Action Group, said she was heartened by the robust debate that accompanied the council decision on Monday night.
"We are grateful to Councillor Janice Kershaw for insisting the number of residences be restricted to 550," Ms Marett said.
"But we are very concerned a number of issues haven't been dealt with."
Of particular concern to the group is an increase in traffic on Railway Street and congestion on the approach to Memorial Dive, the single residential access point and the proximity of parts of the development to a grey-headed flying fox camp.
"The access point is a huge dilemma," Ms Marett said.
"Traffic wouldn't flow at all if there were two exits on Railway Street, but 550 new residences means well over 1000 extra cars in and out each day. We saw what happened to villages with one road in and one road out during the bushfires."
Illawarra Coke Company director Kate Strahorn said there would be a second access point dedicated to emergency service vehicles, however Ms Marett said she had not heard that discussed at the council meeting.
Another concern for the Corrimal Community Action Group is the proximity of parts of the proposed development, including a dog park, to the resident grey-headed flying fox camp.
There is a 100-metre buffer zone between the closest elements of the development and the seasonal camp.
"The flying foxes are critical to the health of our forests, and they are so endangered since the summer bushfires," Ms Marett said.
"They really have to be protected - it would be difficult for the flying foxes and the residents."
The group says the only solution is to have less buildings on the site.
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