City of Wollongong
Encyclopedia
The City of Wollongong is a Local Government Area in the Illawarra
region of New South Wales
, Australia
. It is on the Pacific Ocean
, the Southern Freeway
and the South Coast railway line
.
Located 80 kilometres south of Sydney, Wollongong covers 714 square kilometres and occupies a narrow coastal strip bordered by the Royal National Park to the north, Lake Illawarra to the south, the Tasman Sea to the east and the Illawarra escarpment to the west.
The name Wollongong originated from the Aboriginal word woolyungah meaning five islands. Archeological evidence indicates that Aboriginals have lived here for at least 30,000 years. Wodi Wodi is the tribe name of the Aboriginal people of the Illawarra.
Dr Charles Throsby first established a settlement here in 1815, bringing down his cattle from the Southern Highlands to a lagoon of fresh water located near South Beach.
The earliest reference to Wollongong was in 1826, in a report written by John Oxley, about the local cedar industry. The area's first school was established in 1833, and just one year later the Surveyor-General arrived from Sydney to lay out the township of Wollongong on property owned by Charles Throsby-Smith.
Our local steel industry commenced in 1927 with Charles Hoskins entering into an agreement with the state government to build a steelworks at Port Kembla, thereby commencing a long history of steel production that still continues to this day. Operations began in 1930 with one blast furnace of 800 tons capacity. In 1936, BHP acquired Australian Iron and Steel Limited and production at Port Kembla increased rapidly. The steel industry was a catalyst for growth for many decades, and laid the foundations for the city's economy, lifestyle and culture.
Wollongong is proud of its industrial roots, and is still known and acknowledged as one of Australia's leading industrial centres. While steel and other manufacturing industries remain an essential part of the local economy, the city has long recognised the need to diversify its economic base. Construction of the spectacular Sea Cliff Bridge to the north has given even more focus to the burgeoning tourism industry, and information technology, hospitality, health services and telecommunications continue to grow as key industries of the region.
Wollongong enjoys a rich sense of community and cultural heritage, with people from more than 30 different language groups and 20 religious backgrounds living in harmony. A deep respect for others' traditions and regular celebrations of diverse customs add to the vibrant tapestry of community life and provide another dimension to our increasingly sophisticated city.
The area covers the northern and central suburbs of Wollongong
, bounded by Helensburgh
in the north, the Illawarra escarpment
to the west, and by Macquarie Rivulet
(Yallah
, Haywards Bay) and the Lake Illawarra
entrance (Windang
) to the south.
The council's offices are located in Burelli Street, Wollongong.
, there:
The forecast population growth from 2006 to 2031 is approximately 0.99% per year.
—the Illawarra District Council, the 17th to be declared, was proclaimed on 24 August 1843, with a population of 4,044 and an area of 1708 square kilometres (659 sq mi) covering the coastal plain from Bulli
to Nowra
and including inland districts such as Kangaroo Valley
. Due to various factors, the District Councils were ineffective, and most had ceased to operate by the end of the decade.
The Municipalities Act of 1858, which gave the councils more authority and which allowed for residents to petition for incorporation of areas and also to elect councillors, met with somewhat greater success. On 22 February 1859, the Municipality of Wollongong, with an area of 8 square kilometres (3 sq mi) and a population of 1,200, became the first to be proclaimed under the Act in New South Wales, with 114 residents in favour and none against. The first elections were held on 29 March 1859, with John Garrett becoming the first mayor of Wollongong.
Other entities sprang into existence thereafter to service the surrounding region. The first, on 19 August 1859, was the Central Illawarra Municipality, which extended over 339.5 square kilometres (131.1 sq mi) from Unanderra
(west of Wollongong) to Macquarie Rivulet
, and had a population of 2,500. After an unsuccessful attempt by Wollongong to claim the area, the region from Fairy Meadow
to Bellambi
separately incorporated as North Illawarra on 26 October 1868. Finally, the Shire of Bulli was proclaimed further north on 15 May 1906.
Wollongong was proclaimed as a city on 11 September 1942. There was considerable pressure for amalgamation of the Illawarra area, which had transformed from a disparate rural area with some coastal towns into an increasingly urban-industrial region, and on 12 September 1947, the City of Wollongong, the Shires of Bulli and Central Illawarra, and the Municipality of North Illawarra amalgamated to form the City of Greater Wollongong under the Local Government Act 1919.
On 10 April 1970, a Lord Mayoralty was conferred on the city by Queen Elizabeth II
, and on 30 October 1970, the City reverted to the name "City of Wollongong".
Its motto is "Urbs Inter Mare Montemque"—"City Between The Mountains And The Sea". Its corporate slogan is "City of Innovation".
also agreed that rules would be tightened as several of his Ministers have been implicated in this scandal. On 4 March 2008, following recommendations from Commissioner Jerrold Cripps QC, the Local Government Minister approached the Governor of New South Wales to formally sack the council and install a panel of administrators (Gabrielle Kibble AO, Dr Colin Gellatly and Robert McGregor AM) for four years citing clear evidence of systemic corruption
in Council. In October 2008, the ICAC referred briefs of evidence in relation to all eleven persons found to have acted corruptly to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
A summary of ICAC's recommendations for charges and the individuals concerned, and the determinations made by the Courts are as follows:
The New South Wales Government installed administrators to run the Council until 2012. Dr Col Gellatly, Robert McGregor and Gabrielle Kibble were appointed to the administrator roles, but as of January 2010 Mrs Kibble resigned and was replaced by Richard Colley.
Illawarra
Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...
region of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is on the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, the Southern Freeway
Southern Freeway
Southern Freeway is a freeway linking Sydney to Wollongong. It currently is designated as part of National Route 1, however was formerly signposted as F6 under a former route numbering system, and is commonly known by this latter name...
and the South Coast railway line
South Coast railway line, New South Wales
The South Coast Line is in the intercity region of Sydney's CityRail services. It serves the coastal region to the south of the Sydney metropolitan area including the Illawarra region, most notably the regional city of Wollongong, and extended services reach as far as Nowra in Shoalhaven.- Line...
.
Located 80 kilometres south of Sydney, Wollongong covers 714 square kilometres and occupies a narrow coastal strip bordered by the Royal National Park to the north, Lake Illawarra to the south, the Tasman Sea to the east and the Illawarra escarpment to the west.
The name Wollongong originated from the Aboriginal word woolyungah meaning five islands. Archeological evidence indicates that Aboriginals have lived here for at least 30,000 years. Wodi Wodi is the tribe name of the Aboriginal people of the Illawarra.
Dr Charles Throsby first established a settlement here in 1815, bringing down his cattle from the Southern Highlands to a lagoon of fresh water located near South Beach.
The earliest reference to Wollongong was in 1826, in a report written by John Oxley, about the local cedar industry. The area's first school was established in 1833, and just one year later the Surveyor-General arrived from Sydney to lay out the township of Wollongong on property owned by Charles Throsby-Smith.
Our local steel industry commenced in 1927 with Charles Hoskins entering into an agreement with the state government to build a steelworks at Port Kembla, thereby commencing a long history of steel production that still continues to this day. Operations began in 1930 with one blast furnace of 800 tons capacity. In 1936, BHP acquired Australian Iron and Steel Limited and production at Port Kembla increased rapidly. The steel industry was a catalyst for growth for many decades, and laid the foundations for the city's economy, lifestyle and culture.
Wollongong is proud of its industrial roots, and is still known and acknowledged as one of Australia's leading industrial centres. While steel and other manufacturing industries remain an essential part of the local economy, the city has long recognised the need to diversify its economic base. Construction of the spectacular Sea Cliff Bridge to the north has given even more focus to the burgeoning tourism industry, and information technology, hospitality, health services and telecommunications continue to grow as key industries of the region.
Wollongong enjoys a rich sense of community and cultural heritage, with people from more than 30 different language groups and 20 religious backgrounds living in harmony. A deep respect for others' traditions and regular celebrations of diverse customs add to the vibrant tapestry of community life and provide another dimension to our increasingly sophisticated city.
The area covers the northern and central suburbs of Wollongong
Wollongong, New South Wales
Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney...
, bounded by Helensburgh
Helensburgh, New South Wales
Helensburgh is a small town in New South Wales, Australia. Helensburgh is located 45 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and north of Wollongong. Helensburgh is in the local government area of Wollongong City Council and marks the northern end of the Illawarra region...
in the north, the Illawarra escarpment
Illawarra escarpment
The Illawarra Escarpment is the fold created cliffs and plateau eroded outcrop mountain range west of the Illawarra coastal plain south of Sydney, Australia, enclosing the region known as the Illawarra which stretches from Stanwell Park in the north to Kiama, Gerringong and the Shoalhaven river in...
to the west, and by Macquarie Rivulet
Macquarie Rivulet
Macquarie Rivulet is a river in New South Wales which is 23 kilometres long. It rises near Robertson, New South Wales and drains the eastern edge of the Southern Highlands plateau and part of the Illawarra escarpment. It flows through Albion Park Rail, then goes into Lake Illawarra and indirectly...
(Yallah
Yallah, New South Wales
Yallah is a southern suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, located on the western shore of Lake Illawarra. It contains a mixture of rural, commercial and light industrial areas and is home to the Tallawarra Power Station....
, Haywards Bay) and the Lake Illawarra
Lake Illawarra
Lake Illawarra is a large coastal lagoon located in the city of Wollongong about 100 km south of Sydney, New South Wales.The lake receives runoff from the Illawarra escarpment through Macquarie Rivulet and Mullet Creek, and has a narrow tidal entrance to the sea at Windang...
entrance (Windang
Windang, New South Wales
Windang is a suburb of Wollongong in New South Wales on the southern tip of the peninsula guarding the ocean entrance to Lake Illawarra. Windang is popular for its fishing, prawning, boating, windsurfing and yachting...
) to the south.
The council's offices are located in Burelli Street, Wollongong.
Demographics
According to the Australian Bureau of StatisticsAustralian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
, there:
- Were 198 324 people as at 30 June 2008, the 3rd largest Local Government Area in New South Wales. It was equal to 2.8% of the New South Wales population of 6 984 172.
- Was an increase of 2,121 people over the year to 30 June 2008. It was equal to 2.7% of the 79 230 increase in the population of New South Wales.
The forecast population growth from 2006 to 2031 is approximately 0.99% per year.
History
Local government in the Illawarra region started with the passage of the District Councils Act 1842, which allowed for limited local government in the form of a warden and between 3 and 12 councillors to be appointed by the Governor. Between July and September 1843, 28 such entities had been proclaimed by Governor George GippsGeorge Gipps
Sir George Gipps was Governor of the colony of New South Wales, Australia, for eight years, between 1838 and 1846. His governorship was during a period of great change for New South Wales and Australia, as well as for New Zealand, which was administered as part of New South Wales for much of this...
—the Illawarra District Council, the 17th to be declared, was proclaimed on 24 August 1843, with a population of 4,044 and an area of 1708 square kilometres (659 sq mi) covering the coastal plain from Bulli
Bulli, New South Wales
Bulli is a northern suburb of Wollongong situated on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. Bulli is derived from an Aboriginal word signifying "double or two mountains"....
to Nowra
Nowra, New South Wales
Nowra is a city in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Located SSW and approximately by road south of the state capital of Sydney, it has an estimated population together with its twin-town of Bomaderry of 34,479. It is also the seat and commercial centre of the City of Shoalhaven...
and including inland districts such as Kangaroo Valley
Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales
Kangaroo Valley is a valley along the Kangaroo River in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, located west of the seaside in the City of Shoalhaven...
. Due to various factors, the District Councils were ineffective, and most had ceased to operate by the end of the decade.
The Municipalities Act of 1858, which gave the councils more authority and which allowed for residents to petition for incorporation of areas and also to elect councillors, met with somewhat greater success. On 22 February 1859, the Municipality of Wollongong, with an area of 8 square kilometres (3 sq mi) and a population of 1,200, became the first to be proclaimed under the Act in New South Wales, with 114 residents in favour and none against. The first elections were held on 29 March 1859, with John Garrett becoming the first mayor of Wollongong.
Other entities sprang into existence thereafter to service the surrounding region. The first, on 19 August 1859, was the Central Illawarra Municipality, which extended over 339.5 square kilometres (131.1 sq mi) from Unanderra
Unanderra, New South Wales
Unanderra is a suburb of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 10 km south-west of the Wollongong CBD. It is bordered to the west by Farmborough, Cordeaux Heights and Farmborough Heights in the Mount Kembla foothills, the north by Figtree, the east by Berkeley...
(west of Wollongong) to Macquarie Rivulet
Macquarie Rivulet
Macquarie Rivulet is a river in New South Wales which is 23 kilometres long. It rises near Robertson, New South Wales and drains the eastern edge of the Southern Highlands plateau and part of the Illawarra escarpment. It flows through Albion Park Rail, then goes into Lake Illawarra and indirectly...
, and had a population of 2,500. After an unsuccessful attempt by Wollongong to claim the area, the region from Fairy Meadow
Fairy Meadow, New South Wales
Fairy Meadow is a suburb in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. Located in the Illawarra, it is a mainly low density residential area, except for a strip on the Princes Highway....
to Bellambi
Bellambi, New South Wales
Bellambi is a suburb of Wollongong in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It has a station on the CityRail South Coast line.Bellambi is situated directly north of Corrimal and east of Russell Vale...
separately incorporated as North Illawarra on 26 October 1868. Finally, the Shire of Bulli was proclaimed further north on 15 May 1906.
On 10 April 1970, a Lord Mayoralty was conferred on the city by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, and on 30 October 1970, the City reverted to the name "City of Wollongong".
Its motto is "Urbs Inter Mare Montemque"—"City Between The Mountains And The Sea". Its corporate slogan is "City of Innovation".
Corruption inquiry
In February 2008, Council was the centre of a major ICAC inquiry which revealed favourable treatment of local developers from certain Council staff. The inquiry heard evidence that a council planner had been sexually involved with three developers whilst assessing their developments. There was also evidence presented of an impersonation of ICAC officers and plans of intimidation. This attracted significant media attention and renewed calls for tightening of rules of developer donations to political parties. The Premier Morris IemmaMorris Iemma
Morris Iemma , is a former Australian politician and 40th Premier of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr after he resigned on 3 August 2005. Iemma led the Australian Labor Party to victory in the 2007 election before resigning as Premier on 5 September 2008, and as a Member of Parliament on 19...
also agreed that rules would be tightened as several of his Ministers have been implicated in this scandal. On 4 March 2008, following recommendations from Commissioner Jerrold Cripps QC, the Local Government Minister approached the Governor of New South Wales to formally sack the council and install a panel of administrators (Gabrielle Kibble AO, Dr Colin Gellatly and Robert McGregor AM) for four years citing clear evidence of systemic corruption
Systemic corruption
Systemic corruption is corruption which is primarily due to a weaknesses of an organisation or process.It can be contrasted with individual officials or agents who act corruptly within the system....
in Council. In October 2008, the ICAC referred briefs of evidence in relation to all eleven persons found to have acted corruptly to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
A summary of ICAC's recommendations for charges and the individuals concerned, and the determinations made by the Courts are as follows:
| Individual | Role | Details of ICAC recommendations to the DPP | Criminal findings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beth Morgan | Senior Development Project Officer (WCC) | 27 criminal offences including offences under the Crimes Act 1900 of corruptly receiving benefits from Mr Tabak in relation to her assessment of his Victoria Square development application (DA), and from Mr Vellar for giving favourable treatment to a number of his DAs, plus various offences under section 80(c) of the ICAC Act of wilfully making a false statement to or misleading the Commission | Awaiting advice from the DPP on whether to proceed with prosecutions |
| Frank Vellar | Property Developer | various offences including offences under s. 249B(2) of corruptly giving benefits to Ms Morgan in return for her giving him favourable treatment to his DAs | Based on advice from the DPP, court attendance notices were served on Mr Vellar on 24 June 2010 for three offences under section 80(c) of the ICAC Act (misleading a Commission Officer). On 2 November 2010, these offences were mentioned at the Downing Centre Local Court. Based on further advice received from the DPP, Mr Vellar was also served court attendance notices that day in relation to an offence under section 88(3) of the ICAC Act (fabricating a document with intent to mislead the Commission) and an additional offence under section 80(c). All matters have been adjourned to 15 March 2011 for further mention. |
| Bulent “Glen” Tabak | Property Developer | various offences including under s.249B(2) of the Crimes Act for corruptly giving benefits to Ms Morgan and Mr Scimone | On 6 July 2010, Mr Tabak was found guilty of an offence of wilfully make false statement to the Commission or a Commission officer, contrary to section 80(c) of the ICAC Act [a further matter was taken into account in accordance with Division 3 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999]. He was required to enter into a bond to be of good behaviour for two-years pursuant to section 9 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999. In addition, he was fined $2,500 and ordered to pay $79 court costs. On 13 September 2010 Mr Tabak appealed against his conviction and sentence. The Judge dismissed the appeal and upheld the conviction and sentence. |
| John Gilbert | Senior Manager (WCC) | Awaiting advice from the DPP on whether to proceed with prosecutions | |
| Rod Oxley | General Manager (WCC) | Awaiting advice from the DPP on whether to proceed with prosecutions | |
| Joe Scimone | Senior Manager (WCC) | under s. 249B(1) of the Crimes Act for receiving a benefit from Mr Tabak | Awaiting advice from the DPP on whether to proceed with prosecutions |
| Valerio Zanotto | Councillor (WCC) | for the common law offence of misconduct in relation to his release of confidential Council information to Mr Vellar and for wilfully making a false statement to or misleading the Commission under s.80(c) of the ICAC Act | Awaiting advice from the DPP on whether to proceed with prosecutions |
| Kiril Jonovski | for offences under s.249B(1) of the Crimes Act of corruptly soliciting a benefit from Mr Vellar and under s.80(c) of the ICAC Act for wilfully making a false statement to or misleading the Commission | On 2 July 2010, Mr Jonovski was found not guilty in the Downing Centre Local Court in relation to a charge of: furnish false/misleading information in compliance with a section 21 notice contrary to section 82(b) of the ICAC Act; and two offences of give false/misleading evidence at a public inquiry, contrary to section 87 of the ICAC Act. Costs were awarded in the last matter. | |
| Frank Gigliotti | for offences under s.249B(1) of the Crimes Act of corruptly soliciting a benefit from Mr Vellar and under s.80(c) of the ICAC Act for wilfully making a false statement to or misleading the Commission | On 2 July 2010, Mr Gigliotti was found not guilty in the Downing Centre Court in relation to a charge of an offence of give false/misleading evidence at a public inquiry, contrary to section 87 of the ICAC Act. Costs were awarded in this matter. A charge of furnish false/misleading information in compliance with a section 21 notice contrary to section 82(b) of the ICAC Act was withdrawn. On 5 July 2010, Mr Gigliotti was found guilty of two offences of give false/misleading evidence at a public inquiry, contrary to section 87 of the ICAC Act. On 29 November 2010, Mr Gigliotti was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment in relation to each offence. The Magistrate directed that the sentences were to be served concurrently. The Magistrate specified in relation to each offence that there be a non-parole period of 4 months. Mr Gigliotti lodged an appeal against both sentences and has been granted conditional bail. The appeal is listed to be heard on 1 February 2011. A further prosecution for a charge of wilfully make false statement to the Commission or a Commission officer, contrary to section 80(c) of the ICAC Act, was heard at the Downing Centre Local Court on 10 November 2010. On 29 November 2010, the Magistrate acquitted Mr Gigliotti of this charge. |
|
| Zeki Esen | for offences under s.249B(1) of the Crimes Act of corruptly soliciting a benefit from Mr Vellar and under s.80(c) of the ICAC Act for wilfully making a false statement to or misleading the Commission | On 2 July 2010, Mr Esen was found not guilty in the Downing Centre Local Court in relation to a charge of furnish false/misleading information in compliance with a section 21 notice contrary to section 82(b) of the ICAC Act; and two offences of give false/misleading evidence at a public inquiry, contrary to section 87 of the ICAC Act. |
The New South Wales Government installed administrators to run the Council until 2012. Dr Col Gellatly, Robert McGregor and Gabrielle Kibble were appointed to the administrator roles, but as of January 2010 Mrs Kibble resigned and was replaced by Richard Colley.