Wollongong City Council respects and acknowledges those who came before us, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our City is built, and all of those who have contributed to the City of Wollongong.
We work with our community to identify, conserve, record and celebrate our city's heritage, so it can be appreciated today and by future generations. This includes heritage places, objects, records, stories and memorials.
Our Heritage Strategy PDF, 9692.98 KB gives an overview of Council’s approach to managing heritage in Wollongong.
This group provides advice to Council about activities that protect and promote Wollongong’s heritage.
Read more on the Wollongong Heritage Reference Group page.
If you’re doing work on a heritage property, different rules may apply to make sure its heritage value is protected.
You can get advice from our planning and heritage experts to help you through the process of developing a heritage property. See our Development Advice page or call us on (02) 4227 7111 for more information.
If you are planning to repaint your Heritage listed property or building located within a Heritage Conservation Area, or you want to change the roofing material or colour, you will need to have your colour scheme approved by Council's Heritage Staff before you begin work.
Please read the Heritage Repainting and Colour Scheme Guidelines PDF, 1412.71 KB then email Council's Heritage staff or call (02) 4227 7111 to discuss your proposed colour scheme and apply for a minor works exemption.
People who own or manage heritage properties can get support to help look after them.
Wollongong Heritage Fund
Each year, owners of heritage properties listed in our Local Environmental Plan can apply for support to repair and maintain their properties, or to prepare plans and reports for future work.
Read more on our Heritage Grants page.
Free advice
Our heritage staff can provide advice to owners, managers and potential buyers of heritage properties. This advice could cover future development options, maintenance works and other relevant issues.
If your heritage project is more complex, we can also arrange a formal pre-lodgement meeting free of charge.
Email us or call (02) 4227 7111 to get advice about a heritage property.
Development fees and charges
If your heritage property is listed in our Local Environmental Plan, you may be able to apply for a refund of any Development Application and Construction Certificate fees. To be eligible, projects must not involve demolishing or removing any heritage items, and must be sympathetic to the property’s heritage.
Email us or call (02) 4227 7111 to request a refund.
Land rates and taxes
The official value of a piece of land can be affected by whether or not it is recognised as having heritage value. This is important because the land value can affect any land taxes and Council rates that might apply.
If your property is listed as a heritage item on our Local Environmental Plan or the State Heritage Register, your Notice of Valuation from the NSW Valuer General should note that the land is 'heritage restricted'. This means that the valuation of your land takes into consideration the impact of the heritage listing.
If your Notice of Valuation doesn't show a heritage restriction and you think it should, you can contact the NSW Valuer General to ask for a review.
For more details, see the NSW State Government Valuer General website.
Council directly looks after many properties and items across our city that have heritage significance. This includes Aboriginal heritage sites, parks and reserves, war memorials, pools, cemeteries, buildings and trees.
Some of the significant sites we look after that have State-level heritage significance include:
- North Beach Bathers Pavilion and Kiosk
- Gleniffer Brae at Wollongong Botanic Garden
- Hill 60, Port Kembla
We also look after the Waterfall General (Garawarra) Cemetery, which was used in the first half of the 20th century as a burial site for over 2000 tuberculosis patients.
If you think there's a site in the Wollongong Local Government Area that has heritage value, you can nominate it for a local heritage listing. Anyone can make a nomination, including individuals, property owners, community groups and government departments.
Follow the steps below to nominate a site to be considered for the local Heritage Schedule.
- Read the Heritage Nomination Guidelines PDF, 671.83 KB
- Fill out the Nomination Form DOCX, 41.59 KB to the best of your ability
- Email the completed nomination form to Council.
Please note, making a nomination does not guarantee that Council will support your request, or that the item will be included on the Heritage Schedule.
The heritage nomination process can take a long time; usually it involves extensive research and assessment by Council's heritage staff, a Planning Proposal process, multiple reports to Council, plus public exhibitions and notifications.
When looking at nominations, we give priority to items that:
- are likely to have local heritage significance
- are part of a class or type of items that is not well represented on the Heritage Schedule
- have the support of the owner for the nomination
- are at risk or under threat.
We often run talks, tours and other events inspired by local history. Search our events calendar for heritage related activities you can be part of.
- Aboriginal Culture and Communities
- Our Environment
- UCI Bike City
- Parking and Transport
- Public Toilets
- Wollongong CBD
- Demographics
- History and Heritage
- Memorial Gardens and Cemeteries
- Maps
- Sister Cities
- Filming and Photography
- Learning City