User Profile

Jeremy Lasek

Jeremy Lasek has many decades of experience in media, marketing, events and PR. His career began in the Illawarra with the Lake Times, ABC Radio and WIN-TV. For eight years Jeremy was news director for WIN in Canberra and was national news director before joining the National Capital Authority as head of media and events. Jeremy was executive director of ACT Government Communications, Events, Arts, Heritage and Protocol for many years, was Chief of Staff to the ACT Chief Minister and had responsibility for the Centenary of Canberra celebrations in 2013. Before returning to Wollongong, Jeremy was CEO of the National Australia Day Council (including the Australian of the Year Awards) and head of communications for the Australian Federal Police. Jeremy is a member of the Friends of Woolyungah Indigenous Centre at UOW and a regular contributor to the Illawarra Flame.

Exclusive

Gong’s tourism chief plans to relocate our visitors’ centre back to the city

It has taken well over a decade and a change in leadership at Wollongong’s peak tourism body, but the city will again have its main tourist and visitors’ centre “where the people are”, close to the centre of town. The search is now on for...

Jeremy Lasek

3 hours ago

News

Our Yes campaign story is more than a book, it’s ‘an artefact, a piece of living history’

To loud chants of “YES”, an Australian-first book documenting the 2023 Voice referendum campaign through the eyes of a local community has just been launched. WE Voted YES: The Wollongong Voice Referendum Story was 12 months in the making and was...

Jeremy Lasek

16 hours ago

News

Protestors say fast-tracked new planning laws favour developers not environment

About 30 people took to the street outside Minister Paul Scully’s Crown Street office on Monday morning to protest changes to the state’s planning laws. One of the organisers from the Illawarra Knitting Nannas Against Greed, Anne Kelly, told the...

Jeremy Lasek

October 2025

News

Great community ideas are helping to shape ‘world-class’ Warrawong Parklands masterplan

There’s been an overwhelmingly positive public response to visionary plans to transform Warrawong Parklands into a world-class park. The NSW Government is currently seeking feedback on its draft master plan, which has been shaped by big ideas from...

Jeremy Lasek

October 2025

Health & Wellness

Karen Johnson to share her beautiful, harrowing love story at special Carers Week event

As we approach Carers Week 2025 (12-18 October), I want to share a love story; but as often happens, this love story has the saddest of endings. Karen was just 15, at Dapto High School, when she fell head over heels in love with the “unbelievably...

Jeremy Lasek

October 2025

News

Jet ski face-off to air on A Current Affair

The controversy following Wollongong City Council’s limited public engagement over the new enterprise has put pressure on a small family business, distressed bird lovers and brought television’s A Current Affair (ACA) to town.

Jeremy Lasek

October 2025

Clubs & Community

From climate change to Bob Dylan, something for everyone at U3A in October

The University of the Third Age in Wollongong kicks off term four in October with a fabulous mix of guest lectures which are all free and open to the public. Climate change and sustainability feature prominently but there’s also a session on one of...

Jeremy Lasek

October 2025

News

Could the grand old Gleniffer Brae mansion become our next big tourist attraction?

It’s closing in on its 90th birthday, and arguably our region’s grandest manor house may be about to get a new lease of life. There is strong support for it to become the city’s latest tourist attraction. Nestled under the escarpment, to the west of...

Jeremy Lasek

October 2025

Sport & Leisure

An open invitation to try dragon boating on the lake during Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the gang from Dragons Abreast at the Illawarra Dragon Boat Club are right on message with this year’s theme ‘Be a Friend. Tell a Friend’. Every Saturday morning, starting this weekend and during the...

Jeremy Lasek

October 2025

News

Your chance to learn more about the Illawarra’s grand museum vision

People in the Illawarra will be able to hear first-hand this week about the bold plan to create a world-class museum on surplus BlueScope land at the Port Kembla Steelworks. On Wednesday, a community information forum will be held at BlueScope’s...

Jeremy Lasek

October 2025

Local Business

‘A dream come true’ for new Indigenous Business Expo leader Gemma Lloyd

A record number of exhibitors have signed on to exhibit at the third Illawarra Aboriginal Business Expo which in 2025 is moving to a larger, new venue and under new management. That management is the energetic and enthusiastic, Gemma Lloyd, a proud...

Jeremy Lasek

October 2025

News

New book captures the highs and lows of Wollongong’s Yes23 Voice referendum campaign

We live in a world of conflict; where the victors write our history and the losers just fade away. That may be the case, but not in Wollongong. Two years ago, more than 500 locals put their lives on hold for a few months to campaign in support of...

Jeremy Lasek

October 2025

News

Expert engineer says Five Islands Fountain is ‘an icon’ and should be restored

“Seriously? I mean, that would be the worst possible outcome.“ That was the response from a specialist engineer when asked by The Illawarra Flame about plans not to restore the Illawarra Mercury Five Islands Fountain in Wollongong’s Botanic Gardens...

Jeremy Lasek

September 2025

News

Decision to close popular school pool flies in the face of tragic drowning statistics

The release of shocking drowning statistics across Australia has sparked renewed calls for the reopening of a heated indoor swimming pool at West Wollongong Public School which was closed without warning two years ago Former student at the school...

Jeremy Lasek

September 2025