New city within our city

Concept documents for a new West Dapto city of 20,000 new homes and 50,000 residents have been unveiled by NSW Minister for Planning Frank Sartor and Wollongong Lord Mayor Cr Alex Darling.

The West Dapto Local Environment Plan (LEP) is a blueprint for 40 years of urban land development at West Dapto, creating a series of integrated communities focused upon sustainability, job creation, efficient transport links and a sense of "?neighbourhood.

The new city blueprint represents Wollongong City Council's biggest undertaking in its 60-year history.

The LEP, which was recently approved by the State Government for public exhibition, is now on display and will remain so until December 14. A number of stakeholder briefings are planned as part of the exhibition, while a public meeting will be held during October at he Dapto Ribbonwood Centre to further explain and discuss the LEP.

Copies of the LEP will be available through Council's Administration Building in Burelli Street, the Dapto Library, and on-line at Council's website www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au.

Lord Mayor Cr Darling, said he was pleased to see the culmination of the large amount of work which had gone into the LEP, adding the most important aspect of the West Dapto Urban Release was consideration of both the human and natural environment.

"This is the largest land release ever in the Illawarra, and Council is working hard to make it sustainable in terms of environmental impacts and population growth," he said.

"The West Dapto Land Release will create about 8500 jobs."

The first stage will be the creation of the Darkes Road Town Centre, providing 4616 new dwellings and generating the "employment lands".