It's got more leaks than an Australian political party and is about as popular, but the beleaguered Wollongong Entertainment Centre, together with the adjoining WIN Stadium, could both become world-class social venues if a proposal put forward by Wollongong City Council is realised.
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The council released its long-awaited Illawarra Sports and Entertainment Precinct report on Friday, two years after then acting sports minister Geoff Lee tasked the council with developing a plan for future use of the much-maligned site, including potential upgrades that could bring the precinct into the 21st century.
The steering committee identified several "world-class" "redevelopment opportunities", the most pressing of which was the need for a large, purpose-built conference and function centre, saying the current venue had limited seating options for corporate dinners (a maximum of 600 people - well below the estimated need of at least 1000 seats) and wasn't functional for catering.
The report also labeled the current infrastructure "tired and run-down", citing the embarrassing roof leak during a televised Illawarra Hawks game in February 2020 that caused play to be abandoned.
Meanwhile, the committee's vision for WIN Stadium is equally ambitious, with calls for two new grandstands, an overhaul of the grassy area on the eastern side of the field commonly known as "the hill", built-in concert infrastructure and green space atop an underground carpark that could be used for festivals and markets
The report said a new southern grandstand could incorporate "contemporary game-day facilities", as well as a licensed restaurant overlooking both the stadium and the ocean, for use seven days a week.
The committee proposed a similar but less formal set up on the hill to that of the southern grandstand, with plans for low-rise ticketed seating, corporate rooms with views to the stadium and the sea, and cafes and bars along the foreshore area.
To ensure the new facility is truly multi-use, the committee suggested ensuring the stadium was kitted out with "plug and play" infrastructure, allowing a southern stage set up for up to 30,000 people and a western stage set up for a 12,000-strong crowd.
The council has submitted the report to Venues NSW, which operates the entertainment centre and the stadium, and is calling on the State Government to commit to developing a masterplan for the site.
Poulos vows to back plan in parliament
State Liberal MP and Illawarra parliamentary secretary Peter Polous has welcomed Wollongong City Council's "comprehensive" plan for an overhaul of the WIN Entertainment Centre and WIN Stadium, vowing the champion to cause in the halls of parliament.
Mr Poulos confirmed he had received a copy of the submission, along with correspondence sent to the government by Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery and state member for Wollongong, Labor's Paul Scully.
He said he supported a revamp of the run-down precinct.
"This is a comprehensive submission outlining opportunities around the activation of this area,' he said.
"My view is Wollongong certainly deserves premier sporting and cultural facilities, as well as an exciting vision to help transform the WEC and the immediate areas around it."
Mr Poulos said he would write to the treasurer and NSW sports minister Stuart Ayres on Monday in support of the council's proposal.
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