Lord Mayor's column: Focusing on Infrastructure

This week, I’ve had discussions around two key infrastructure projects that I know the community are very invested in: West Dapto Road and the Windang Foreshore.

I was so pleased that we’ve been able to provide a level of certainty for residents in suburbs like Wongawilli by confirming a finishing timeframe of Christmas 2026 for the current stage of works on West Dapto Road.

I hear and understand their frustrations and concerns about the project and the timeline of its delivery. I can assure them that a post-delivery review into it will be looking closely at how it unfolded, the causes of delays to this project and key learnings.

This is important because, with the growth of West Dapto over the coming years, and a lot more infrastructure required to support those who will call this area home, we need to do our best to minimise the impact on those already living in this area in future works.

I know that the Christmas timeframe has been met with cynicism by some residents, but it’s a commitment we’re determined to meet.

Today, Friday, I had the opportunity to meet Minister for Planning and Public Spaces and Member for Wollongong Paul Scully at the boat ramp in Windang for an early morning announcement that works to improve the foreshore would get underway in early 2027.

This is another project that is of great importance to community members in our city. Many have spoken with me, and to Council, to share their worries about the fast erosion of the shoreline at Windang.

The announcement today sees Council and the NSW Government committing a combined $8 million that will go towards foreshore stabilization and protection works.

It’s a step towards addressing the wider and ongoing erosion issues that are a legacy of the construction of the breakwaters in 2007.

This work won’t solve all the problems at the Lake, but it is part of a broader, long-term response to managing coastal hazards at Windang.

Of course, projects like the essential improvements to West Dapto Road and the protection of the foreshore at Windang take money – and significant amounts of it.

This is why at Thursday night’s Extraordinary Council Meeting all Councillors voted in favour of a formal objection to the proposed reallocation of financial assistance grants which would see an impact of $16 million on Council’s budget.

We also called for an increase to 1 per cent of Commonwealth Taxation Revenue to go to the financial assistance grants pool.

Council’s staff have prepared a detailed submission which, I believe, presents a very convincing argument to the independent Local Government Grants Commission that their proposed review methodology is just plain wrong.

We are a growing regional city that supports more than 220,000 residents and, as a major regional centre, the services and infrastructure we provide serve a substantial non-resident population.

I’ve already raised my concerns about this proposal with Premier Chris Minns and appreciate the advocacy of our local State MPs on this matter.

While I do not disagree that the methodology for the grant allocation needs to be reviewed, I hope that the Grants Commission understand that a funding cut for Wollongong of more than 67 per cent of our annual allocation would have a huge impact.

Particularly as we’re working to provide the infrastructure that supports housing targets, city growth and to care for and protect our local environment.

I look forward to hearing from the Local Government Grants Commission once their submissions are reviewed and they acknowledge their proposed methodology punishes our community and will be overturned.