NIRAG/NF3's final report for 2025

Northern Illawarra Residents Action Group (NIRAG) supports preservation of open space and the retention and enhancement of our Natural Environment, European and Indigenous Heritage.

Since 2020 in the role of Wollongong Council’s Neighbourhood Forum 3, all Woonona, Bulli, Thirroul and Austinmer residents are welcomed to attend NIRAG quarterly meetings.

The NIRAG/NF3 quarterly meeting was held on Wednesday, 12 November:

1. Homes NSW proposal at 6-10 Southview St, Bulli was to replace 3 existing homes with 16 units 3-storeys high, even though this is a R2 zoned area with a 2-storey limit. Maryanne Stuart, Member for Heathcote, has strongly advocated to support residents’ concerns. In September she achieved a pause in the process, proposed that she wanted to “start with a fresh piece of paper” and gave the community assurances that the proposal would be modified in scale and reduced to two storeys. This was seen to be a huge success BUT the revised plan has only reduced the height of part of the building! It is still a non-compliant 3-storey block of units in a R2 zone! The community is outraged at this deception, saying “it does not pass the pub test”.

Ms Stuart is asked to have the design revised before public exhibition. We also ask Minster Scully to ensure that Homes NSW does not repeat this fiasco; so that all social housing in Wollongong LGA complies with the intent of new State Government policies and does not exceed the DCP/LEP constraints that all developers must follow. This site is clearly outside the 800m distance from essential services as required by the Mid-Rise Housing Policy. Join the Facebook group “Sensible Development in The Suburbs” for updates and to give support.

2. Amy Street. Thirroul: DA 2025/374: A DA for a dwelling on part of Lot 303 zoned R2 was approved by the Wollongong Local Planning Committee, on 28 October. The majority (about 7ha) of the lot is zoned C2, Environmental Conservation west of the shared cycleway between Woodlands Ck and Hewitts Ck, Thirroul. NIRAG is concerned about the potential loss of public access to McCauley’s Beach, and ongoing management of the C2, Environmental Conservation part of the land. This land is a vital Green Corridor (similar to the Keira and Kembla Green Corridors) and public ownership has strong community support.

NIRAG met Council’s GM, Greg Doyle, in October and last month met Maryanne Stuart on site. Council has now agreed to undertake a review of the strategic need for public ownership.

With Council and the developer’s cooperation, a rezoning of part of the C2 land to C4 (Environmental Living) could be a way to move forward (at no cost to ratepayers) by separating most of the C2 land from the R2 residential area.

3. Roadworks at Station St and Park Rd, Bulli are well advanced and changes have been made to parking and right-turn bans ready for traffic light reconstruction with a 30km/h limit on Station St, Railway and Bank streets and Veigals Lane. 

NIRAG’s next quarterly meeting will be on 11 February 2026 at Bulli Community Centre, email nirag@bigpond.com