NIRAG secretary Ross Dearden shares four decades of achievements.

This August it will be 40 years since NIRAG began, and a gathering is planned at 4.30pm on Sunday, August 18 at the Black Diamond Bulli Heritage Museum to present a collection of records to the Local Studies Library. Afterwards there is an opportunity to socialise at Resin Brewery.

Please RSVP to nirag@bigpond.com.

What NIRAG has achieved in 40 years

First and foremost, we have led the movement to recognise the special environment where we live. From the very beginning, we were able to rally, unite and empower a whole community to value the area and prevent unsuitable development.

The first challenge was to fight off the threat of 40m-high coal bins at Sandon Point in 1984. Supported by Jack Munday and the wider community, in the 1990s NIRAG members had ongoing representation on Development Control Planning, Rezoning committees and working parties, the Sustainable Development Committee and later on the Rick Farley Process committee.

In 1993 NIRAG objected to the proposed cycleway route from Bulli to Thirroul that would have destroyed the Tramway Creek wetlands. The cycleway was relocated to the west and crossed the creek at the Water Board causeway. It is significant that this route now defines the western boundary of the Aboriginal Place, declared in 2007.

From 1998 to 2006, NIRAG applied for and received CoastCare and Environmental Trust Grants totalling over $150,000 for revegetation projects along creeks and the foreshore from Woonona to Thirroul, led by Marcel van Wijk, with Jill Merrin as Project Manager.

Since 1999 NIRAG has won annual Wollongong Council Environmental and Healthy Cities Awards for bushcare work and Rise and Shine clean-ups.

In 2003, the Tramway Wetlands Planning Committee led by Jill Merrin in association with NIRAG produced the Sandon Point Community Vision, to guide and protect natural and cultural values.

Led by founding member Max Ackerman, NIRAG held public meetings and made representations and submissions to Council and the Land and Environment Court (LEC). In 2001 Max, who was Secretary from 1984 until 2004, initiated the Community Picket at Hill Street to oppose the inappropriate housing development. This resulted in concessions, including increased buffer zones and setbacks for Tramway and Woodlands Creeks; the Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) for Point St; and dedication (at no cost) of the 3000m2 land between the end of Hill St and the cycleway.

Recognition of Indigenous heritage has always been important and NIRAG helped raise funds for environmental studies and to support both the Sandon Point Aboriginal Tent Embassy (SPATE), and the Community Picket at the end of Hill St Bulli from 2001 to 2006.

More recently there have been submissions to Wollongong Council on the annual Infrastructure Development Plan, the Cycleway Strategy, and the Integrated Transport Strategy. We successfully lobbied to have the cycleway widened at Trinity Row, Bulli and have a commitment to widen the northern cycleway to Thirroul to 4m in future.

We continue to support local groups threatened with contentious DAs, as well as promote access to the Lower Escarpment trail and finding solutions to the parking issues at the Bulli Hospital site; improvements to the cycleway road crossings, and encouraging solar and PV installations.

Since taking on the role of Neighbourhood Forum 3, from Woonona to Austinmer, in 2020, we have greatly appreciated the support of Ward 1 Councillors Richard Martin and Cameron Walters, and Jo Page, Director Infrastructure and Works, who have attended most of our meetings. Member for Heathcote, Maryanne Stuart has also attended.

All residents are welcome. As we are not an official Council committee, our minutes are not on Council’s website. We are fortunate that the Flame kindly posts the meeting minutes on their website.

We maintain a strong relationship with the Thirroul Village Committee (TVC) and have worked together on many areas of common interest, such as Thirroul traffic and rail transport issues, the Anglicare Seniors Living proposal, Thirroul Plaza DA, McCauley’s Beach/Amy St DAs; and the proposed New Hope Nursing Home.

As an independent group we are not restricted to council issues. We have also made submissions to the Dept of Planning about housing policy changes, the Private Certifiers, and to Transport for NSW about the South Coast Rail, and Bulli and Thirroul traffic planning issues. We belong to the Better Planning Network (BPN) supporting improved processes and legislation changes.

The Future

Point Street LATM works have improved safety, but traffic on local streets is still a concern. We are advocating to have a footpath built for the remaining 500m between O’Brien St and the Point Café. This path is vital to ensure Point Street is safe, particularly once the bridge to Thirroul over Tramway Creek (Geraghty St) is built.

We continue to work with Council and the Local Aboriginal Land Council to incorporate the 7ha of C2 (Environmental Conservation) “Ray Hanah” land between the McCauley Beach estate and the northern cycleway from Tramway Creek to Hewitts Creek, in public ownership. This would achieve a green corridor from the beach to the escarpment. We support the Tent Embassy (SPATE) and the establishment of a Keeping Place, as required by the Land and Environment Court judgement in 2001.

10 Years of Bushcare at Hewitts Creek

To celebrate, an Open Morning will be held at 10am on Sunday, August 25. Each Monday morning the Bushcare Group meets at the Hewitts Creek bridge; volunteers welcome.

Next meeting: Wednesday, August 14, 7pm upstairs at Bulli Community Centre. (The AGM has been deferred). Contact nirag@bigpond.com