NIRAG Quarterly Meeting MINUTES, 7pm, Wednesday 13 Nov 2024

Bulli Community Centre (upstairs meeting room)

Present – Cr Dan Hayes, Paul Tracey (Open Space and Environmental Services Manager), Fiona Rudd, John Buchelin, John Croker, Ross Dearden, Susannah Cavill, Tony Horneman, Neil Walker, Kirk Bendall, Stephen Young, Ian McKinlay, Pam Rose, Kerrie Anne Christian, Anne Kelly, Bruce White, Marilyn Luchetti, and Margaret Hutchison.

Apologies – Cr Richard Martin, Cr Jess Whittaker, Maryanne Stuart (Member for Heathcote), Jo Page (Dir Infrastructure and Works), Jill Walker, Annette Jones, Dave Beswick, John Corker, Col McGuiness, Neil Hinds, Michael Crighton, Jack Kelly and Edie Swift.

Minutes of last meeting: 14 Aug 2024: Accepted by: Tony Horneman/ John Croker

Community Strategic Plan: Fiona Rudd, Corporate Research Coordinator, WCC gave a CSP (Community Strategic Plan) review presentation with handouts of the engagement process. The opportunity to contribute closes on Monday 18th November.

The Engagement Team want you to tell them what you want our community “to look and feel like in 10 years time”. You can send them a postcard or visit Wollongong.nsw.gov.au/future, or there is a special Children’s drawing sheet to send in a picture (you don’t have to be a good drawer.... there is an opportunity to explain what your drawing means!). The Draft plan will be endorsed by Council for public exhibition on 7 April 2025. A copy of the FAQ sheet is attached to these minutes.

There was a deal of discussion and criticism of the CSP process and how repetitious and wasteful it is when the same issues are raised year after year without any changes being made. For example there is still no information about the so called performance measures – whether targets are achieved, whether trends are improving or not. NIRAG questions, comments and suggestions made in 2022 and 2023 should not have to be repeated, yet it seems issues are not followed up by Council officers, and that this only frustrates active community members. Nevertheless members are encouraged to give feed back: You can view https://youtu.be/nk1ceQuirhI and email comment to engagement@wollongong.nsw.gov.au

Business arising:

1. Paul Tracey represented Jo Page, and was advised that although Point St LATM line marking has been scheduled to be undertaken this is yet to be completed; Bill Glancy was thanked that Bulrushes at Tramway Creek cycleway crossing were cut back before the MS Gong Ride on 3 Nov (this needs to be every 2 – 3 months) and a car chassis beside the cycleway causeway has been removed.

2. Section 134 (5) of the NSW EP&A Regulation requirement for Private Certifiers to notify neighbours prior to issuing Complying Development Certificates. Private Certifiers in Wollongong LGA are currently not required to give notice to neighbours. Maryanne Stuart advised (1/5/24) that Paul Scully, Planning Minister is aware of this and considers it needs to change to be aligned with notification requirements for ‘Greater Sydney’.

   Progress report was requested in August and a response is awaited.

3. Old Bulli Hospital Community Group (DA 2022/1364). Parking is still a huge problem. A meeting held

   on 30 August, was told the “Dept of Health has a long term solution”. Maryanne Stuart advised in August that 17 car spaces will be provided on land at the SE corner of the Memorial Dr roundabout, but this is not being used yet. Cr Martin achieved timed parking on Hospital Road and was working to have the footpath built. No details were available of the long term solution. The meeting was advised that the old hospital land was sold for $27m and that the sale of the old site to Landcom could be reviewed if “in the public interest” to provide substantially more parking for staff and visitors. ACTION: Secretary to write to Minister Scully.

4. Workshop 2 for Wollongong Council Integrated Transport Strategy. Nathan McBriarty has advised that the Movement and Place framework will be used for planning for Bulli and Thirroul.
   (Note Secretary sent comment on Draft ITS on 27 May).

5. Lot 303 (formerly the Ray Hannah land) approx. 7 ha east of Panmills Drive with access from Amy St Thirroul. A meeting was held with Adell Hyslop (CEO LALC) on 18 April. Acquisition of this large parcel of land would link the coast to the escarpment, with green corridors along Hewitts Ck, Woodlands Ck, Cooksons Creek and Tramway Creek. Early indications that ILALC grant funding may be available for the acquisition of this land, have not eventuated. This would be a very desirable outcome and State government, WCC, Councillors, and community support is required.

6. NIRAG 40th anniversary: was on 18th August 2024 at the Bulli Heritage Museum and Resin Brewery. The 40th Anniversary was featured in the August Illawarra Flame on pages 26 and 27: https://issuu.com/2508mag/docs/bureauilf2408_low. The Sandon Point Collection of newspaper articles, newsletters and media (4 Volumes) from the past 40 years was donated to the Local Studies section of the City Library. Uncle Peter Button gave the Welcome to Country and it was a very successful event.

7. At the August meeting a member requested that Council advise the status of the design progress and options under consideration for the Point Street footpath from O’Brien St to Southview St (north side) eg utility investigations, staging options and community input. As a minimum preliminary design options are requested so that Point St DA’s could have suitable accesses to facilitate the future path. (At the August meeting Cr Martin suggested that the request should be deferred until the November meeting, after the elections and when the Councillors have considered competing project priorities) so the request is resubmitted now.

8. Also status of redesign and program for the reconstruction of the Aragan Ct to Hamilton St widened shared path. Similar to the item above a status review is requested.

9. As recorded in the August minutes a follow up from Maryanne Stuart, MP is requested regarding concerns for traffic queuing at LHD/Arthur St Thirroul, recommending Council support a request for signs and linemarking to enable Fire and Rescue access across LHD. A roundabout at this intersection would improve the situation. A roundabout is shown on DCP 2009 (Chapter D12) and this has also been requested by NC3 in the past. ACTION: Secretary to request Council Traffic Committee support.

General Business
1. Electrify 2515 Information: John Buchelin, Rewiring Australia Project manager

John gave a summary of the Electrify 2515 launch at Anita’s last Sunday. There is strong support from the community to make 2515 fully electric: https://www.electrify2515.org/

John gave information on the subsidies and the research project which will be a partnership between Rewiring Australia, Brighte and Endeavour Energy. There is $5.4m in Federal funding for the project from Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the pilot will begin with 60 dwellings fitted with a Smart Energy Devices to monitor and optimise energy use.

There will be additional incentives for households below $78,000. Residents are encouraged to apply to participate in the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot at https://e2515.paperform.co/ to take part in the research and access subsidies.

2. Update on the Lot 303 Amy Street land. Report requested from High Dune Pty Ltd
Further to Business Arising Item 5 above, there was discussion on the High dune Report (which had been emailed to members previously with the agenda. Ross advocated for support to ensure the land becomes public open space as an integral part of the Sandon Point natural environment. The majority of Lot 303 is C2 and flood prone, not able to be built on, but it is important habitat and culturally significant. More importantly this land would link the coast via the revegetated creek lines of Hewitts, Woodlands and Tramway creeks to the escarpment. It is proposed that this be considered as “wild” recreation open space similar to Puckeys Estate with potential for future tourism.
There was general agreement (though not voted on) that acquisition was highly desirable and that a valuation should be the first step. Maryanne Stuart has been asked for State Government assistance.
Councillors are requested to make enquires for further discussion and innovative options for ongoing public access and community use. Stakeholders could include WCC, the developer, State Govt, Aboriginal Land Council, Destination NSW.

Treasurer’s Report: ICU account 249065342 (General A/c) 18/8/2024: $154.00 for Finger Food at Resin Brewery and

$36.00 for Welcome to Country at the 40th Anniversary

Current Balance $255.71

Late Business:
1) ATO letter 26 July Self Review for Not for Profit, NFP return Reference: 8012287732728. Response required by 31 March 2025. Advice requested from John Corker, Stephen Young and Michael Crighton.

Notices:
1. Neighbourhood Forum 3 needs a Convenor; Since 2020 NIRAG has acted as the interim WCC community contact. Anyone interested could contact the WCC Engagement Team on 4227 7060.

2. Thirroul Village Committee (TVC) meetings are held at the Railway Institute Hall in Thirroul. The next TVC meeting is 4pm on Sunday 24th November.

3. Our next NIRAG/NF3 quarterly meeting, will be Wednesday 12th February, 2025, at 7pm, Bulli Community Centre.

Meeting concluded at 9.00 pm