Civic Improvement Plan - Wollongong City Council - NSW Government

3. Special city centre projects3.2 CITY BEACH WATERFRONTIMPROVEMENTSThe city beach waterfront (see Figure 3.3)is the prime focus of Wollongong’s naturalsetting, and a major recreation destination forlocals and visitors. The beachfront has been thefocus of several streetscape and open spaceprojects in recent years. This area is currentlypoorly connected to the city, and includessome inappropriate uses such as bus parking.The purpose of the city beach waterfrontimprovements is to fully realise the potentialof the iconic urban beach and foreshore asa major people oriented place and the focusfor public activities, and to establish a uniquerelationship and design interface between thecity centre and city beach to make a substantialcontribution to the livability of the city and itsdistinct coastal location.Parts of the city beach waterfrontimprovements between Crown andBurreli Streets may be associated with thedevelopment of adjoining private land that willbe subject to a design competition under theLocal Environmental Plan 2007 and a planningagreement between Wollongong City Counciland the successful developer.The city beach waterfront improvements areestimated to cost $40million which includes$11million allocated to this schedule of works.FIGURE 3.3 WATERFRONT IMPROVEMENTSThe main planning and design principles forthe City Beach Waterfront Improvements are:• appreciation of the natural environmentand views/landscape of the foreshore;• opportunities for outdoor and indoor passiveand active recreation, tourism, cultural andleisure pursuits, dining/café;• improved amenity, activation andattractiveness of the waterfront;• provision of an urban foreshore pedestrianand bicycle path and public walkway;• retention of key natural features;• provision of outdoor facilities and furnitureto heighten enjoyment of the waterfront;• complementary linkages with the majorstadium entertainment area;• access links with the city centre andthe Heritage Port;• sense of safety and security;• maintenance and reinforcement of viewcorridors/ visual connections along theforeshore in a north south directionincluding to the south Port Kembla skyline,and along main streets (Crown, Burelli andMarket Streets) between the city centreand the city beach; and• incorporation of ESD measures wherepractical (eg. water sensitive urban design,solar power lights, etc.)26 WOLLONGONG CITY CENTRE CIP 2007