2. &#wollonsons 2022
7ollongong Futures
Imagining the City
What kind of a city do you want Wollongong to be in twenty years? What will
it look like? Who will live here? What will they do for a living? What recreational
pursuits willthey enjoy? How willthey get around?
Wollongong Futures has been asking questions of the community since early
2002. The aim is to create a picture of how the city sees itself in twenty years
time. lndividuals, community groups, the business community, state government
agencies and Council all took the opportunity to imagine the future. Of course,
there were as many different futures imagined as there were responses, but
the reason for asking was to get answers. The range of responses tells us that
everyone had something to say.
lnitially the role of Wollongong Futures was to ask and listen, while the
community imagined. The next phase of the project was to take the imagined
futures and distil them into an image of Wollongong that the whole community
could share. This important task was pedormed by the community during the
first half of 2003. The process is now complete. The people of Wollongong
have imagined their city twenty years into the future and produced a vision to
define that city. This document sets out that vision, and shows us the kind of
city we want to be.
Wollongong Futures is a vital project to guide our planning so we can turn that
shared vision into reality. I thank everyone for their pafticipation and look
forward to your continuing involvement.
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Alex Darling
Lord Mayor
City of Wollongong
3. 'Vrfi&t;T
utures
Visions of the Future
How do you, in just one paragraph, define a city that won't exist for twenty
years? lt sounds impossible, but after a great deal of deliberation and discussion,
the people of Wollongong have done it. The city has an idea of its fuiure self
- an idea that can guide us both as individuals and as a community.
The one grand vision this idea represents is supporled by nine visions, each
of which describes an aspect of the life and look of our city. When the nine
visions become a reality the grand vision of Wollongong will have been achieved.
The Visions cover the whole LGA
Legend
E Urban, Residential, Commercial
E lndustrial
I---l Recreation, Tourism, Environmental
I Non Urban
Main Roads
- Stanwell Park
Freeway
- Coalcliff
Wombarra
Austinmer
Thirroul
Woonona
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4. avis,i ,f#rwollongong 2022
tWollongong - A Sustainable Local
Government Area for the Future
ln the year2o22,Wollongong will be a sustainable localgovernment
area, safeguarding the economic, social, culturaland environmental
well-being of present and future generations.
ln partnership with the whole community, wollongong adopts development
and management strategies, practices and activities that satisfy our needs in
creative ways, without limiting the positive choices of future generations. This
will guide our everyday actions as ciiizens, and our choices as a local government
area. At every level, we will act to protect and enhance the environment,
develop our economy, and constantly improve our quality of life.
This is the grand vision of our City in 2022. The following nine visions supporl
this idea.
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Access, Equity and l-Jtility
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Wollongong witl be a Local Government Area that is accessible
on all levels to the whole community. IE
ln the future, Wollongong will consider access, equity and utility in all that it
does and strives to achieve. Opportunities, services and infrastructure will be
planned so that they are available in locations that are convenient to access,
provide use to a wide range of the community, and are suppoded by a range
of transporl choices. Utility means services and infrastructure will be developed
in response to the needs of the community.
Access and equity will also be considered in terms of: lf.l ,
o physical issues, including the built form, location and transport; t
. cultural issues, including culiural appropriateness and language;
. economic issues, including affordability, J
id
. social issues. including access by marginalised social groups, community
safety. and fear of crime.
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6. ons 2022
Councrl and Community
Partnership in City Governance
Wollongong will have an involved communityworking in partnership
with an accessible, responsive and accountable Councilto provide
dynamic and proactive leadership to the local government area.
A partnership between Council and the whole community will provide better
f leadership and planning, by encouraging all members of the community to
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participate and take ownership. A thriving and innovative local government
a
area will be developed through this partnership, where community and Council
work together to promote and enhance the whole area. ln this instance,
'Council' refers to both councillors and Council staff.
Dynamic leadership will come from both community and Council where both
parlners take responsibility and ownership for the implementation of visions
of the future for Wollongong.
An accessible, responsive, accountable council shares information and
knowledge, seeks community inputs, takes these inputs seriously and is
transparent in decision making.
lmprovements in planning and leadership will be achieved by encouraging the
whole community to pafticipate in the decision making processes. These
improvements will lead to a better understanding of the community's
requirements in terms of:
. ownership of plans by the community;
. environmental protection and enhancement;
. community safety;
r adequate services and infrastructure;
. access to education and employment opportunities;
. health services.
lmprovements in community participation will result in better services, facilities
and programs for everyone and, in turn, lead to greater community well-being
and strong social capital. Community participation is an important element of
a sustainable future.
7. uturcs
Developing a Progressive and
Quality llrban Environment for Peopl"
Wollongong will foster thriving urban areas with innovative
development based on principles of design excellence contributing
to a strong sense of place throughout the local government area.
To create an innovative and thriving region, Wollongong will employ the latest
technology and develop new ideas around urban (and suburban) development.
This exciting and progressive local government area will have a prosperous,
desirable and environmentally sustainable built environment and a thriving
regional centre, complementing suburban centres and neighbourhoods in
harmony with natural processes.
Principles of design excellence will guide environmentally sensitive, sustainable,
attractive and socially progressive development. The celebration of heritage
values and the retention of open space will contribute to a strong sense of
place and identity throughout the urban environment.
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8. Developing Local Communities
Wollongong Local Government Area will boast local communities
that reflect their unique qualities and atmosphere.
Local communities (village neighbourhoods and other places, such as ihe city
centre) are places that are safe, healthy and accessible, where people can
G+ identify, interact and connect with each other and the surrounding environment.
They are places that reflect the local people who live in them: their character,
atmosphere, heritage and vision. Most importantly, they are places people call
home.
Because of its cultural diversity and geographic spread, Wollongong has many
neighbourhoods and places with a local village feel. Through strategic planning
and place management, Wollongong will foster and develop these local village
neighbourhoods to their full potential in the context of their role and place in
the local government area.
9. Embracing Creativity
and Cultural Identity ffiB
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Wollongong will be a vibrant, contemporary local government area
which protects, enhances and celebrates diversity, inclusivity,
creativity and originality.
Wollongong has a vibrant, cultural precinct with a well-resourced and lively
cultural infrastructure that is the creative heaft of the lllawarra region. The city
integrates urban design and public art that reflects and celebrates local stories,
experiences and aspirations.
Our unique cultural and social heritage is an asset to protect and promote as
an integral part of the city's identity. Wollongong encourages local communities
to express and celebrate their creativity, identity and place.
Wollongong embraces creative industries as an essential part of sustainable
development within a contemporary knowledge economy.
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10. -
a vision for wollongong 2022
Enhancing our Community's Lifestyle
The Wollongong community will enjoy a lifestyle that is continually
improving through the conservation and enhancement of, and
appropriate access to, the natural, cultural and recreational assets
of the local government area.
A high quality lifestyle is dependent on safe access to places and facilities that
promote health and wellbeing, and that allow and encourage people to pursue
a range of leisure, recreational, learning and cultural experiences that they
believe add value to their lives. Both community and private assets contribute
to provision of these opporlunities.
Natural assets, including fauna and flora in urban areas, consist of such things
as bushland, wetlands, foreshores, the escarpment, creeks and watercourses.
Cultural assets include cultural organisations and groups, European and
Aboriginal heritage sites, libraries, performing arts centres, museums, art
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'i:$El .':' l galleries, multicultural centres, and other cultural facilities, such as community
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halls. lt also includes village character. Recreational assets would include such
things as sporting fields and clubs, playgrounds, public open space, swimming
pools and leisure centres.
The continual improvement of these assets and services both through the
private and public sectors will enable the city to respond to the changing
lifestyle requirements of its community. At the same time, it will also extend
opporlunities to those who have previously experienced difficulty in accessing
lifestyle options and improve the facilities and opportunities that already exist.
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11. ES
F acrhtating and Integrating Movement
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Wollongong will have a well-planned, coordinated and clean
transport system that provides access to all relevant localities of
the local government area in a safe, convenient and affordable
manner.
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The transporl system refers to the public and private, hard and soft infrastructure
that facilitates the movement of goods and people. lnfrastructure comprises
physical infrastructure (roads, parking facilities, etc) as well as soft infrastructure
(such as safeiy, marketing, surrounding environment, policies, etc) without
which the transport system will not work.
A well planned transpod system will take into account other planning fields,
such as land use planning, while allowing for the integration of different types
of transporl throughout the city.
Promotion of the use of non car-based types of transporl (public transport,
cycling and walking) and the implementation of technologies which
provide non polluting public transport will contribute to a cleaner environment
for Wollongong.
12. a visien f€:wollongong 2022 I
I
Supporting and Developing
the Regional Economy
wollongong will have a flourishing sustainable economy with
employment opportunities facilitated and developed for everyone
in the local government area.
Both hard and soft infrastructure will be provided to facilitate economic
opportunities and attract investment. Hard infrastructure refers to
physical
infrastructure, while soft infrastructure refers to issues like state and
Federal
Government investment supporl for the region; access to venture capital'
investment in people through leadership development and skills base
development etc.
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opportunities for the region's economy will arise through the development
developed
both traditional and emerging industries. A robust economic base is
through diversification and is able to withstand the changing nature of the
modern economic environment (state of national and international economy)'
Facilitation and development of appropriate economic opportunities
focuses
on activities that support sustainable economic growth. wollongong
concentrates on the development of leadership supporting a flexible and
innovative business culture, new technologies including communications,
cleaner and greener technologies, job generating activities etc.
Economic and employment oppoftunities are created through the development
of traditional and emerging industries, the use of new technologies and the
direct and indirect employment opportunities that result. wollongong also
identifies and pursues opporlunities to attract sustainable growth and new
technology industries that contribute significantly to employment'
13. res
Valuing and Sustaining the Environment
Wollongong will enjoy a natural environment that is protected and
enhanced, and a human environment that is designed and
developed in harmony with nature.
Wollongong is a place that is famous for its unique natural environment, in
particular the escarpment. lake and coastline. The local government area
strongly identifies with these three features as vital contributors to the quality
of life of its residents - as the lifestyles of a large percentage of the population
are either focused around or affected by them.
Wollongong recognises that it is part of the natural world, not separate from
it, and is acutely aware of the value of preserving the environment upon which
it depends. As it develops, the city does not ignore but rather works with the
processes of natural ecosystems in innovative ways that:
o protect and improve water, air, and soil quality;
o protect and expand habitat for all forms of life;
. use resources such as energy, water, waste and other materials efficiently
and responsibly;
. respond to the issues posed by hazards such as bushfire, landslip, coastal
processes, flooding, etc.
The focus of all of these activities is to continually improve the ecological
integrity of the area and increase the quality of life for the whole community.
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14. wollonsong 2C22
How did we do it?
Wollongong Futures is a project based on community padicipation.
As its stafting point, the project commissioned a community
survey to find out what the people of Wollongong felt were the
impoftant issues - their likes and dislikes.
The next step was to bring in the CSIRO to lead a series of community visioning
workshops. Starting from the survey, workshop participants identified issues
impofiant to our future, and ranked them. Links between issues were identified,
and all this information was articulated as visions. The whole exercise was
repeated with different stakeholders, organisations, state government agencies,
council staff, senior and executive management and councillors.
Armed with the community survey and a host of visions from the workshops,
the next step was to identify key vision components and group them into vision
themes. A community advisory group was established to develop and refine
the visions further. lt also ensured that the outcomes were representative of
the work done within the community visioning sessions.
At the end of this process, which took over a year, the community advisory
group arrived at the visions contained in this document.
Comrnunity participatlon in Wollongong Futures
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15. tVhat Happens Next?
A vision of the city in 2022 is a very powerful tool in guiding the decisions we
make as individuals and as a community, but a vision alone is like a destination
without a map of how to get there. The next key element of Wollongong Futures
is the action planning phase, due to begin in October 2003. ln this phase the
community, Council, and other stakeholders will define the goals, strategies
and actions to take us from the 'Wollongong of the present' to the 'Wollongong
of the future'. lt is a key phase of the project, and one that will rely on the
expertise and commitment of Council and state agency staff, business leaders,
and the community.
B;, the end of 2004 Wollongong should have not only a vision of the future, but a
detailed plan of hor,v to get there and a community committed to making the journey.
7,i 4ec ?Do9
Adoption of community visions
Action planning
- Action planning workshops
Local plan development
- Review of existing LEP
- lnception of new place based local
plan process
- Development control plan workshops
Community profiling continued
Communications
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Action planning
Development of monitoring system
Wollongong local plan review
- Place based local plan workshop
Community profiling continued
Communications
PRODUCTS
Community profile
Action plan
Place based local plan elements
16. t qr
Visit our website:
www.wol lon gon gfutures.com.au
or contact:
Etienne Brits
Wollongong City Council
phone (02) 4227 7615
email ebrits@wollongong.nsw.gov.au
/ Local Action 2l
WorroNGoNG
City oI InnoDation
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