From the Lord Mayor's Office
Driving Advocacy for Wollongong
The Illawarra Shoalhaven is the fastest growing region in the state, expected to reach a population of over 575,000 people by 2041. Wollongong has just over half of the region’s population and is a driving force for the region’s economy.
Coupled with the forecasted growth of the Illawarra Shoalhaven is the significant expansion occurring in the Wollondilly and Macarthur regions. This means we need to work together with our neighbouring councils on priorities like improved connectivity to and from Greater Sydney, particularly from the Port of Port Kembla to Nancy-Bird Walton Airport. We all need increased provision of transport and infrastructure to accommodate our growing populations.
We have also been listening to business and community representatives and know that we need a stronger, more coordinated voice for the city and the wider region if we are to secure the investment we need to accommodate our population growth.
Considering this, Council has recently established the Office of the General Manager to build our capacity in this space. This will help us drive our advocacy for regional priorities such as housing, infrastructure and attracting investment to the region, along with other projects like finding a home for the next cruise terminal for NSW.
We will be working closely with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO), economic development and tourism stakeholders, other neighbouring councils and peak organisations over the coming months to develop a set of regional advocacy priorities that together we can prosecute for the good of the region.
We already have a strong culture of collaboration across the region, so let’s utilise this to our advantage to ensure we are well positioned to attract and support investment, secure government support and facilitate sustainable growth now and into the future.
