Fairy Meadow 'Emerging Major Town' project

Fairy Meadow has been identified in the Illawarra Regional Strategy 2006-31 as an ‘Emerging Major Town’ because it is continuing to change with the increased densities and consolidation of its centre, which will support the needs of surrounding areas such as Wollongong University and the Innovation Campus.

Consequently, it is opportune to undertake a comprehensive commercial/urban centre study to guide future development in the Fairy Meadow Commercial Centre. The project will develop an urban design framework that addresses structure, form and character for the public domain, parking, access and movement. This will then integrate Fairy Meadow town centre with the railway station, the University of Wollongong, the Innovation Campus and linkages to the Wollongong CBD. It has also been recognized that an economic strategy should be formulated to address the economic role Fairy Meadow will play in future town centre hierarchies.

Corrimal and the Wollongong CBD will continue to be major economic competitors to Fairy Meadow so the economic dynamics of the town centre and adjacent industrial activities will need to have a clear sustainable strategic direction.

Council has commenced work on the project and has elected to mange and work up the project in-house. An internal reference group has already been established and Council is now seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified consultants to prepare an Urban Design Framework Plan and an Economic Strategy. A key stakeholder and major infrastructure provider group has also been identified and will be major participants in the formulation of long term strategies and plans.  

The first newsletter outlines matters to be addressed by the project and there will be regular update newsletters circulated on a monthly basis to keep all interested parties informed. Matters to be addressed are:

• Public transport; traffic; parking; rail transport issues; cycleways; interchanges; shuttle bus
• Environmental issues
• Flooding and stormwater issues
• Heritage “matters”
• Community; social issues and demographics
• Commercial property development 
• Development applications 
• Civil works and improvements.

The newsletter is provided to the right for your information and subsequent newsletters will be available on this website as they are produced.

The first community engagement meeting was on 14 November 2007 at the Fairy Meadow Community Centre in Cambridge Avenue from 6.30pm to 8pm.

The second community planning workshop is set down for Wednesday 6 February 2008 at the Fairy Meadow Community Centre in Cambridge Avenue from 6.30pm to 8pm. There will be a presentation on the Innovation Campus project currently underway off Squires Way in Fairy Meadow. Persons interested in new technology and new innovation should not miss this presentation. The focus of the workshop will be on the following:

• public transport, traffic, parking, rail transport issues, cycleways, interchanges, shuttle bus
• issues relating to the iC
• chamber of commerce and the Mainstreet Program
• “Vision”

Council invites all interested persons to take part in this interactive workshop.

A further two rounds of engagement to be conducted in 2008. It is proposed to have workshop meetings for each of the community engagement sessions so that as much input can be provided by the community and key stakeholders.

There is a primary, secondary and tertiary study boundary which incorporates the General Business 3A zone (primary study area); the adjoining Commercial Services 3D zone & Medium Density Residential 2B zone (secondary study boundary) and the wider context area of the Innovation Campus, TAFE and University of Wollongong (tertiary study boundary). See the study area map on the right hand side.

Have your say 
Council encourages all interested parties to be involved for the duration of the project as the end product of this project will establish a footprint for the evolution of Fairy Meadow as an 'Emerging Major Town'. A map of the study area is provided to the right showing two principal areas of examination. A broader study area (for integration purposes only); incorporates the University of Wollongong, UoW Innovation Campus, TAFE, Wollongong High School of Performing Arts and the Wollongong CBD.

Council is now calling for expressions of interest from suitably qualified consultants for an Economic Strategy and Urban Design Framework Plan. Details of the brief are attached and further information can be obtained by phoning 4227 7316.