A Keiraville residents group wants the escarpment overlooking the suburb rezoned to stop further development.
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The call comes after a 42-unit development in the escarpment behind Cosgrove Avenue was knocked back by the Southern Regional Planning Panel for the second time.
Keiraville Residents' Action Group (KRAG) spokesman Geoff Kelly said the group was happy it had been knocked back.
He added it should never have been put up for consideration as the developer had not gotten all the necessary approvals.
With the developer having made two attempts at getting the development application through Mr Kelly said he couldn't be sure this was the end of the matter.
"We will remain uncomfortable with that until the land is put outside the ambit of any possible proposals," Mr Kelly said.
By that he meant seeing Wollongong council rezone the land to exclude development, something he said councillors had assured KRAG would happen.
"The mayor and councillors came along to a meeting we had at the local bowling club," Mr Kelly said.
"We talked to them about our objectives generally going forward but very specifically about rezoning of the site.
"We got pretty general agreement to rezone the site to remove the possibility of future proposals.
"That hasn't happened and we feel that we let it go for a little bit; we should have persevered a little more during this year.
"We intend on taking the matter up again to try and push it to get some progress on the issue."
A Wollongong council spokeswoman said council was looking at the zonings on the escarpment and elsewhere in the city through the draft Wollongong Housing Strategy, which is now out for public comment.
"The draft strategy identifies the need to provide housing in the right location, encourage more smaller dwellings and encourage more affordable housing," the spokeswoman said.
"The draft strategy includes actions to review zonings in constrained areas, including the escarpment foothills.
"If supported, the final housing strategy will be implemented through a separate planning proposal process which will also be exhibited for community input."
The spokeswoman also addressed concerns about incomplete development applications going through the assessment process.
"Where applications are incomplete, Wollongong City Council will request additional information," she said.
"In the event that necessary supporting documents are not provided, council has the ability to refuse applications on the grounds of insufficient information."
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
