From the Lord Mayor's Office
Reflecting on Quarter 2's highlights
As Lord Mayor, it has been a great privilege to meet with so many local people over the past few months. It was a very busy second quarter of this year and I attended more than 120 meetings and events. It's been a pleasure to be part of many ‘firsts’ as Lord Mayor over these months like attending the National Local Government Conference in Canberra with a number of my Wollongong Councillor colleagues. The conference provided us with the opportunity to establish all-important networks and connections with other Local Government colleagues from across the country.
Another first was the opportunity to celebrate our mighty Illawarra Hawks and their 2025 NBL Championship through a community celebration held in Wollongong Mall. Celebrating this historic moment in basketball history was pure joy for our city and it was so great to meet so many fans, young and old, who have shared the Hawks journey over many years. It was also gratifying to announce that the Hawks will receive the Keys to City, and we are working on a plan to hand over the Keys to the team at the start of the next season. Stay tuned for details.
I also had the honour of presenting the Keys to the City to mixed martial arts world champion Alex Volkanvoski in Wollongong. As a proud local, Alex has always taken the opportunity to promote the region and to support local charities and initiatives and local health campaigns. Though the weather had other plans for us, it was wonderful to see so many people attend the event to witness another historic moment for one of our local sporting champions.
Though the last quarter was a time for a lot ‘firsts’, I continue to attend as many community and business events as possible whilst managing the day-to-day business of Council. Milestone events for Council like the adoption of the 2025-26 Council Budget and Our Wollongong Our Future 2035 Community Strategic Plan were key highlights for me in my first year as Lord Mayor.
Other special moments included the ANZAC Day Ceremonies, Sculpture in the Garden Exhibition Launch, the Wollongong Youth Week Awards Ceremony, ComicGong, and taking the time to visit Council’s hardworking works crews as they care for, maintain and build the vital infrastructure, facilities and public spaces that make our city shine.
I think you will agree it has been an action packed few months. And with some major events coming to the city soon I may need to invest in roller skates to keep up!
Lord Mayor Meetings/Events April through to June
Highlights:
- National Local Government Conference in Canberra
- Community Celebration for Illawarra Hawks
- Presentation of the Keys to the City to Alex Volkanovksi
- Sculpture in the Garden Exhibition
- Wollongong Youth Week Awards Ceremony
April 2025
Meetings:
- Business Illawarra
- KRAG Public Meeting - Gwynneville Irvine Precinct Proposed Development
- Paul Scully MP, Member for Wollongong
- Ryan Park MP, Member for Keira
- Justice of the Peace Wollongong Branch
- Peak Bodies Meeting
- Deputy Consul General – British Government
- Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation Board Meeting
- City of Wollongong Awards Committee
- A Drug Court for the Illawarra and South Coast - roundtable
- Young Eyes Festival meeting
- Longyan delegation visit
- Port Kembla War Memorial committee
- Balgownie Junior Football Club
- Ryan Park MP and TfNSW
- Mayors/GMs/CEO Camden, Campbelltown, Wollongong and Wollondilly
- Ted Tobin Sports Hall – met with community representatives
Engagement & Events:
- The Illawarra Connection Dinner
- Illawarra Academy of Sport - Wollongong Scholarship Reception
- Multicultural Communities Council Illawarra Book handover
- St Vincent de Paul Society's Wollongong Central Council - reopening of Support Office
- Destination Wollongong Partner Function
- Interchange Illawarra – Grand Opening
- Bulli Junior Football Club Renovations opening
- Dapto Anglican Church - Induction of Reverend Mark Boyley to the Ministry of the Parish of Dapto
- Coomaditchie Open Day
- Sculpture in the Garden Exhibition Launch and Acquisitive Prize Announcement
- Forty-Fourth 25 Year Club event - WCC
- Illawarra Passionate Cricketers Club - Presentation Ceremony
- Wollongong Youth Week Awards Ceremony
- The Figtree Lions 60 Years of Service to the Illawarra Community
- Bundaleer Saltwater Festival
- VOX FM - on air to draw Easter Hampers
- Nan Tien Temple - Enlighten Film Festival
- Mass for passing of Pope Francis
- ANZAC Day March and Service Wollongong Cenotaph
- Vietnam War Monument Special ANZAC Tribute
- Anzac Day ceremony – Figtree Sports
- Launch of start of demolition of The Globe (former DJ’s))
- Citizenship Ceremony
May
Meetings:
- Cruise Wollongong Taskforce
- Warrawong Community Centre - on site visit
- RoboFit – on site visit
- Property Council Regional Director - Matthew Wales
- Telstra - Introduction to Regional Engagement Manager
- Quality Green Group
- Illawarra Sports Stadium – on site visit
- Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) roundtable
- STINGRAYS
- Housing Trust - Address Staff Development Day
- Disability Trust Self Advocacy Group
Engagement & Events:
- Buckaroo - on site visit
- IWIB Business Awards Day
- Vigil with Indian community
- Ride4 Rotary
- Volunteer Recognition Celebration - Environmental Programs
- Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW Day) SES Volunteer Award Ceremony
- Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal
- Citizenship Ceremony
- Multicultural Communities Council Illawarra - National Volunteer Week Function
- Entrepreneurial Women’s Breakfast - iAccelerate
- Alex Volkanovski – Keys to the City presentation
- ComicGong
- Illawarra Choral Society Concert
- Bulli SLSC Presentation
- Coniston Football Club 70th Anniversary
- Visit Balgownie School – address Yr 5/6 and interview for School Newspaper
- ArtConnect Dinner
- Ngalambay Reconciliation Walk
- Blessing and Opening of the Catholic Care Premises
- Completion of the Bellambi gully flood mitigation works
- Property Council Illawarra Event - The Future of Regional Tourism
- Reconciliation & Truth Telling Conference 2025 – Deputy Lord Mayor
- Holy Consecration of the newly built Church - St Osthathiose Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church – Deputy Lord Mayor
- Cricket Illawarra Presentation and Hall of Fame Dinner – Deputy Lord Mayor
- Rally No More Violence – Deputy Lord Mayor
- Dinner with Australia Post Board of Directors – Deputy Lord Mayor
- MEDIA LAUNCH 2025 Vinnies CEO Sleepout – Deputy Lord Mayor
- Paint the GONG REaD Bright Sparks Birthday – Deputy Lord Mayor
- Liberty Equality Luncheon, The Australian Way with Craig Foster – Deputy Lord Mayor
June
Meetings:
- NSW Greyhound Breeders and Trainers, Daniel Weizman CEO
- Ted Tobin Hall - met with community representatives
- Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation Dinner with Telstra Executive
- City of Wollongong Awards Committee
- Let's Chat with Lord Mayor - Lower Crown Street Businesses
- Ryan Park MP, Member for Keira
- North Dalton Park Regional Sports Facility -
- 2026 City of Wollongong Awards Committee
- Yours & Owls
- Anna Watson MP, Member for Shellharbour
- Wests Illawarra – on site visit
- Natalie Godward NSW Tourism Association
- Lake Illawarra / Merinda Wharf - On Site visit with WCC work crews
- Paul Scully MP, Member for Wollongong
- Economic Development Reference Group
- Bike City SteerCo
- NSW Police re Police Ball Promotion
- Let’s Chat with Lord Mayor - Keira Street Businesses
- Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation Meeting
- Neighbourhood Forum 5 Executive catch up
- Illawarra Hawks – new COO Nicole Walker
- MKUD Makedonski Biseri
- Screen Illawarra
- Buckaroo – briefing with Ward 3 Councillors
Engagements & Events:
- i3NET
- Wollongong Police District Awards ceremony
- Celebrating Pride Month: Bows and Badges
- Illawarra Connection Dinner - Guest Speaker Matthew Hyder CEO Legacy Property
- Rotary Club Citizenship Ceremony
- Philippine Flag Raising Ceremony to commemorate 127th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence Day
- Illawarra South East NSW Training Awards - Dept of Education
- Pride Market Day
- 50th Anniversary of the Vietnamese Refugee Journey and their settlement in Australia
- Rodeo4Life
- Citizenship Ceremony
- Rotary Club of Wollongong Changeover Dinner
- 2025 Apartment Report Launch - Colliers
- Vietnamese Exhibition Launch – Wollongong Library
- Surf Lifesaving Illawarra Awards of Excellence
- National General Assembly of Local Government 24 – 27 June 2025
- Fire and Rescue Balgownie Centenary
- Through the Decades – Trivia Night! - Aspect South Coast School.
- Wollongong World Cup - Celebrating Refugee Week
- Wollongong Running Festival – Deputy Lord Mayor
- Australian Philippine Assoc Illawarra 44th Annual June Ball – Deputy Lord Mayor
