Warwick Erwin is heading towards his 10th year as Neighbourhood Forum 1 convenor, after being re-elected unopposed at the group’s April 9 meeting at Helensburgh Community Rooms.

Warwick was first elected on 9 November 2016, the same year that council introduced an accessibility area at the Wollongong Harbour New Year’s Eve celebrations. This is an initiative Warwick has supported since it began and at 2024's Lord Mayor’s Recognition Reception he was honoured as champion of the accessible viewing area and for his volunteer work.

Forum matters take him away from his own business, Stanwell Tops Technical Services, for at least one day a week, but Warwick likes representing the community.

“I enjoy it because it’s fighting for the things in the 2508 area,” he said. “It is also using my people management skills, but it’s also having an influence in what council staff are doing and how they’re actually presenting it to the community.”

Three key achievements

Over the past 12 months, Warwick is proud of helping to achieve three key things on behalf of the 2508 community.

“The completion of the Helensburgh town centre plan, that’s an achievement that we’ve got done and that’s been continually pushing to get things right. The last bit of that was the railing on the ramp, which initially went in wrong, it had to be redone.

“Getting the Witty Road Camp Creek headwall drain finally out to contract, so that that will get repaired. Council say it’s only been on the books for 12 months, but it’s been ongoing for years.

“The Otford Causeway – not there yet, but council acknowledging they’ve got to do more with warning signs. They want to make these fancy, complicated things. We go, ‘No, you’ve got to keep it simple’.”

Where are the bin locks?

Coming up are “a whole list of things”, including one problem that is at least eight years old.

“There are some things that have been asked of council over the years that nothing has happened about,” Warwick said. “A good example is bin locks.”

Bin locks are needed to stop the district’s sulphur-crested cockatoos from raiding rubbish bins. Working together to lift lids, including those weighted with rocks, local cockies are so smart they’ve attracted avian researchers, although this is cold comfort when one’s garbage is strewn all over the footpath.

“In 2017, council said that they were trialling bin locks and that they would keep us updated,” Warwick said. “The updates have been, 'Oh, we'll have to find out where the trial went'. Well, that trial was a total failure because they only tried one type of lock, which no one had ever used.

"To me that’s a bad thing, because you haven’t got a result and you’ve wasted a whole lot of money.”

There are more than 30 problems on his to-do list and forum members are often critical of council. “I will hear from residents that go, 'We pay the highest rates in Wollongong and we don't get an equivalent return for it’,” Warwick said.

Residents question new centre's cost, size and design

The current hot topic is the new Helensburgh Community Centre and Library.

At NF1's April meeting, council staff shared the challenges of financing the build, explaining the sale of the current two library blocks was needed to fund the new centre, which will cost just under $20 million for the construction, car park and accessibility. These costs will rise each year, staff said, adding that the 2508 area is unlikely to qualify for a grant, unlike the Southern Suburbs Community Centre and Library in Warrawong, which has had an election promise of $10 million from Labor MP Alison Byrnes.

Wollongong’s north and south are about 40km and socio-economically poles apart, according to the 2021 Census. The 2508 postcode’s median weekly household income is $2548, which is more than double that in 2502 (Warrawong, Lake Heights, Cringila, Primbee), where it is $1138.

Senior staff and councillors present 

The April NF1 meeting was well attended by about 20 residents; three Ward 1 councillors, Jess Whittaker, Richard Martin and Dan Hayes; and four council staff members: corporate planner Andrew Ogg, infrastructure asset manager Justin Kennedy, director of infrastructure and work Jo Page, and manager of libraries and community facilities Sarah Taylor.

Staff presented on council’s 10-year draft Community Strategic Plan, the draft Delivery Program, Operational Plan and the new Helensburgh Community Centre and Library. They also discussed other local projects in the pipeline, such as Helensburgh Pool Renewal, Otford Community Centre Refurbishment, Flood Recovery Road Repairs and Otford Playground Upgrade.

After a sometimes challenging meeting, Warwick said it was good to have senior staff present.

“It is important for the community to get answers and be able to ask staff directly. It's also very important for staff to understand what the community is saying. They can only do that by face to face – and Neighbourhood Forum 1 has always been a good way of doing that.”

Direct communication could be key in a time when faith in public institutions is failing around the world.

“It's helping to rebuild trust in council bureaucracy,” Warwick said.

His message to residents who want to be heard: “Put in a submission.”

To have your say, visit Our Wollongong