Objectors say community is the loser in new high-rise CBD plans, amid consultation criticism

Dramatic changes to plans for the biggest single development project in the history of Wollongong's CBD have received the thumbs down from a local community group and nearby residents.

On Friday, 7 November, public submissions closed for feedback on developer Level 33's updated plans for the so-called WIN Grand project (now South House), which will occupy the entire city block between Burelli, Crown, Keira and Atchison streets.

The original plans from WIN Television owner, Bruce Gordon, received planning approval in 2023. The updated plans are dramatically different, and include four high-rise residential towers, the highest yet in the city. The tallest will be 38 storeys (130 metres), others will be 24 storeys (87 metres), 17 storeys (68 metres) and 16 storeys (58 metres). Of the 546 apartments, the developer says 132 will be affordable. The plans also include a 10-storey commercial building and eight-storey hotel. 

Gone from the original plans are significant community facilities, including a cinema complex, a publicly accessible pool and a park on the corner of Keira Street. It is these changes that have prompted objections from the community group Neighbourhood Forum 5 (NF5), which discussed the proposal at length when it met last week.

Exhibition period was too short, NF5 says

Among a long list of concerns, NF5 members said that the plans, which are being considered under the NSW Government's State Significant Development guidelines, were only exhibited for 14 days, substantially less than the minimum 28 days set out in the Department's own Community Participation Plan.

In NF5's submission objecting to the new plans, it says many residents were unaware of the changes proposed in the new-look project "and so have been unfairly discriminated against".

NF5 Secretary David Winterbottom says the forum is not opposed to greater density, which is inevitable. "It just needs to be done well."

"The Forum supported the original proposal, despite non-compliance with height levels, not least because it claimed to offer a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a significant contribution to the future of an evolving city," the NF5 submission said. "We're designing a new precinct to be a catalyst for urban renewal. And a benchmark for what comes next."

'Little or no community amenity'

NF5 said, "The revised proposal is a far cry from what the original plans offered, with little or no community amenity.

"The public outdoor space was proposed to buzz day and night, curated to bring the space to life and the community together. It was designed with activity in mind – yoga, music, events, and play. It was shaped to accommodate health and wellbeing studios, as well as a suite of cinemas and exhibition spaces; a genuine community hub." 

NF5 said those plans, aimed at building community, are gone and it has called for the exhibition period to be extended and for a public hearing to be held to allow for greater community feedback.

Local residents feel excluded

Inner-city resident Patricia O'Brien lives less than 200 metres from the Grand project, "well within the area that would reasonably be regarded as directly affected".

In her submission, Patricia said: "Despite this, we received no written notice or direct communication regarding the revised proposal or its public exhibition. This lack of direct engagement and communication gives the impression that the process has been conducted with limited transparency, effectively excluding the community most affected by the proposal."

Patricia also called for the application to be re-exhibited for the full 28 days "to allow adequate time for community review and comment" with "proper written notice to all affected home owners within at least 200 metres of the site".

Patricia said the removal of important community amenities (cinema, pool and park) "represents a cynical disregard for the community's quality of life and for Wollongong's vision as a liveable, human-scaled city. It prioritises density and cost reduction (the new plans come in $20m cheaper than the original) over human and ecological wellbeing."

The Level 33 application proposes 4000 square metres of public open space between two of the high-rise buildings.

New plans signal a worrying trend

Felix Bronneberg believes the new plans for the Grand project could set a worrying trend for Wollongong's CBD and surrounds.

"What about the aspirations of the community?" Felix said. "At the moment, there is little focus on incorporating cultural, social, historical and aesthetic qualities into a CBD plan for Wollongong. No cinema complex, no MacCabe Park master plan, no public space proposed in the modified South House project, no focus on developing an entertainment precinct, no consideration of the social and community infrastructure needs for high-rise and high-density living, no consideration of incorporating dedicated active transport links into the centre of the CBD."

In its application, Level 33 has justified its removal of public amenities saying, "the subject application responds to a broader vision for the site to enhance community benefits. The proposed retail corridor and hotel aim to stimulate the local economy, create jobs and increase tourism."

Patricia O'Brien counters this, saying "the proposal in its current form privileges short-term financial efficiency over long-term social value and local identity".

Ward Two Councillor Andrew Anthony supports the objectors, saying: "The consultation process has been inadequate and poorly publicised."

The NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure is now assessing the submissions.