Wollongong City Council has entered into an Agreement today to support Shellharbour City Council in the Land and Environment Court proceedings concerning the then Minister for Planning’s approval of the Calderwood land release.

In December 2010 the then NSW Minister for Planning granted approval for the Calderwood land release concept plan application.  Following this decision Shellharbour Council commenced proceedings in the NSW Land and Environment Court seeking a declaration that the concept plan is invalid.

Given the significant concerns that Wollongong Council has in relation to the Minister’s approval, Council has decided to support the action of Shellharbour Council and will meet 20 per cent of the legal costs incurred in the legal challenge to the concept plan approval.  This is consistent with the proportion of the Calderwood proposal within the Wollongong Local Government Area.

The agreement requires Shellharbour to keep Wollongong informed of all steps in the proceedings and to take into consideration any suggestions or advice Wollongong may have.

Administrator Robert McGregor AM said that Wollongong City Council has significant concerns in relation to the proposal and that an agreement would see Council give tangible support to Shellharbour City Council challenge.

“Wollongong City Council is concerned about the early release of the Calderwood Urban area,” Mr McGregor said. This area will compete for infrastructure funding for other areas, in particular West Dapto, and may mean that both areas are not satisfactorily serviced.  The Growth Centres Commission report of 2008 to Wollongong City Council suggested that the Calderwood Development was a decade away.

“For these reasons Council is supporting Shellharbour Council in its legal action.”

The agreement provides that Shellharbour Council will reimburse Wollongong City Council 20 percent of costs recovered if Shellharbour Council is successful before the court.