Planning Proposal request for Port Kembla Cafe open for feedback

Wollongong City Council is seeking community feedback on a Planning Proposal request that would permit the operation of a café/restaurant at Port Kembla.

The Planning Proposal request is related to the site where the business 'Cakes by Rach' is currently operating. The business remains open while this process is underway.

The Planning Proposal request seeks to retain the existing zoning (low-density residential) but amend planning controls to permit the operation of the café currently trading at the site.

It's the latest step in a process that dates back to September 2022 when the property owner and business proprietor were first advised, prior to the business starting trade, that café operations were not a permissible use of the site under existing planning controls.

Council has held enforcement action in abeyance and allowed Cakes by Rach to continue to trade while the owner works through options to legitimise its operations at the site.

The Planning Proposal Request from the property owner to amend planning controls to include a café as a permissible use of the land was received by Council in late February and follows the refusal of a Development Application to gain consent to operate the site as a café in October 2024.

A Planning Proposal is a different process to a development application. A DA seeks consent to operate at a site under existing planning controls, while a Planning Proposal seeks to amend planning controls related to a particular site. If, at the conclusion of the Planning Proposal process, a café is made permissible, a new development application seeking consent to operate will be required.

We're encouraging interested community members to provide feedback on the Planning Proposal request. This community input will inform our initial assessment of the proposal.

Should Council resolve to progress the request, it will be forwarded to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure for their approval. Should this be signed off, this would then be followed by a further round of formal public exhibition before any final decision is made.

A preliminary notification outlining the proposal is now open for feedback until 31 March. You can view the proposal and relevant supporting documents, and make a submission, via this community engagement page at Council’s website.