Wollongong City Council Ticking Strategic Goals
Wollongong City Council is on track to deliver 94 per cent of strategic projects as scheduled, with the Quarterly Review Statement tabled at Monday’s (24 February) Council meeting showing work is progressing as planned on 107 of 112 actions.
The services and actions outlined in strategic planning documents align more broadly with the six key goals set out in the Community Strategic Plan, which guides environmental, cultural, business and infrastructure projects.
The quarterly report also provides an overview of achievements and performance in priority areas like building an environmentally sustainable Wollongong, localised suburbs, and transport connectivity to improve the liveability of our city.
The quarter included Council’s second Culture Mix Festival highlighting our multicultural community that saw 16,000 people flock to Wollongong CBD. It also saw the unveiling of the ‘Hill 60 Dreaming’ terrazzo artwork at Port Kembla, and Open Street Festival at Port Kembla, while more than 24,000 people attended New Year’s Eve celebrations at Wollongong Harbour.
Important steps have been taken to ensure such events can be safely enjoyed with the installation of festoon lights in the Port Kembla and Wollongong town centres as part of the Safer Cities: Her Way project.
Council continued implementation of the Climate Change Mitigation Plan, Climate Adaptation Plan and Urban Heat Strategy, while the Lake Illawarra Coastal Management Program progressed with the Lake Illawarra Entrance Options Study opening for community feedback.
The Net Zero Heroes campaign was launched as part of Global Climate Change Week, while our Return and Earn initiative was recognised at the Keep Australia Beautiful Awards.
Council worked closely with local schools to investigate and install safety upgrades and worked with Transport for NSW to roll out an educational e-bike safety campaign to promote safer use of shared paths.
Work continued toward the Wollongong Cycling Strategy 2030 that includes a 10-year plan for the programming of new cycleways, with the approach for the Lake Illawarra shared path and remaining Grand Pacific Walk to be consolidated into the Cycling Network Plan.
October also saw the addition of a Procurement Networking Event to the Illawarra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Business Expo in October, while the Doing Business with Council event saw more than 300 registrations.
The initiatives form part of a Delivery Program 2022-2026 that includes $400M investment in major projects, including the sourcing of Commonwealth and NSW Government funding for vital infrastructure delivery for West Dapto.
Wollongong Council continues to take the lead in advocating for greater support for local governments in the wake of natural disasters, having experienced two natural disasters in 2024 and seven since 2019.
As chair of the Illawarra and Southern Highlands Regional Recovery Committee, Council continues to work closely with other levels of government to secure funding towards recovery and future resilience.
“Through multiple obstacles, from natural disasters to a challenging economic environment, Wollongong Council is pressing ahead to deliver the services the community needs and expects from us,” Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown said.
“We’re always striving to deliver the best possible services that align with our core purpose of creating connected local communities, building a sustainable Wollongong, and supporting business growth and development.
“We’re all so fortunate to call Wollongong home and we want to ensure our city continues to be a wonderful place to live.”
Wollongong City Council General Manager Greg Doyle expressed gratitude to the community for its role in guiding Council’s service delivery.
“This Quarterly Review Statement outlines the progress our dedicated and passionate staff are making toward key strategic goals, but the ultimate measure of our service delivery is the community response to what we provide,” Mr. Doyle said.
“None of these goals can be achieved without extensive engagement and collaboration with our residents to ensure we’re providing, not only the services they need, but the services and support they want, to make their city the very best it can be.”
https://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/council/news/articles/february-2025/wollongong-city-council-ticking-goals