UDIA Submission on Draft Wollongong Retail and Business Centres Strategy

UDIA supports the Wollongong CBD (the CBD) as the primary retail and commercial centre in the Illawarra Shoalhaven, which continues to emerge as a key regional city in Six Cities Region. We acknowledge the work done by Council to further strengthen the CBD with public domain, urban design and place-making improvements to further establish Wollongong as a lifestyle and innovation city.

The Strategy should be an opportunity for Council to rethink the approach to economic development in the Wollongong City LGA, especially in response to the Covid-19 induced changes, which has changed current working patterns and the concentrated nature of commercial development at key centres.

The Strategy must respond to a major economic and employment generating investment in the Wollongong City LGA that will likely occur at Port Kembla within the next 5 years. Such a transformative project could force a rethink on the proposal to focus jobs growth in the Wollongong CBD.