Community Advisory Group essential to plan for a more inclusive Wollongong

Wollongong City Council is calling for expressions of interest from people interested in being part of a special community advisory group to guide the review of our current Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) and the development of the new Plan 2026-2030.

Council is seeking input from the community into how we can remove barriers and ensure community members with disability can move comfortably around their suburbs, enjoy our beaches, parks and other recreation spaces, and access support services.

A key step in this process will be the establishment of a Community Advisory Group that can provide insights into the lived experience of disability to inform the development of the DIAP.

This input is essential to ensuring the adopted DIAP genuinely reflects the needs and experience of our community members living with disability, and that the practical steps proposed within the plan respond to the real challenges they face.

The group of up to eight community members with lived experience of disability will assist us in analysing the data collected through the community engagement, developing inclusive steps and solutions to issues identified through the process, and outline the priorities for the DIAP.

Group members will be remunerated for their involvement and will remain in their advisory capacity until the final DIAP is endorsed by Council, which is anticipated to occur in mid-2026.

“Community feedback is important to any plan developed by Council, but when it comes to the Disability Inclusion Action Plan it is absolutely essential that we hear from people directly affected by the challenges it seeks to address,” Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown said.

“We need to draw on the wisdom and insight of people who have experienced those challenges at every stage of the process, from the initial exhibition period right up to the final adoption. I urge anyone able to share their experience of living with disability to lodge an application for an Advisory Group position and help us shape a more accessible and inclusive Wollongong.”

Wollongong City Council General Manager Greg Doyle echoed the sentiment.

“Building an inclusive Wollongong is a huge priority for us and we want to continue being a leader in creating a city that is safe, welcoming and accessible,” he said.

“We’re all aware of the wonderful lifestyle Wollongong provides for the people lucky enough to call it home, and we need to make sure that can be enjoyed to the fullest by all members of our community, including those with disability.

“It’s so important that those voices are heard and we look forward to working with the Community Advisory Group to help shape our DIAP for the next four years.”

An Expression of Interest (EOI) process will be undertaken to determine the final make-up of the Advisory Group. This process will run concurrently with the DIAP exhibition period, with feedback on the draft plan and applications for Advisory Group positions open until 15 September.

More information and the EOI form are available on our DIAP engagement page