During the year we’ve met some inspirational leaders and learners from a variety of businesses – here are some of the most popular stories.
15. Fake cases, real consequences: Wollongong lawyer weighs in on AI in the legal system
by Dione David
Generative AI is rewriting everything — except the law, where human judgement still matters most. Image: style-photography.
When court rules quietly dropped late last year, banning the use of generative AI in affidavits, solicitor Graham Lancaster wasn’t surprised.
The director of Lancaster Law & Mediation says AI-generated legal blunders have increased with the rise of generative AI, particularly the creation of fake legal citations and other errors in court documents.
14. Big win for Wollongong businesses with outdoor dining fees waived until 2028
by Keeli Dyson
Venues like The Illawarra Hotel will continue to offer outdoor dining after council backflipped on fees. Photo: The Illawarra Hotel.
A collective of Wollongong hospitality and retail businesses which joined forces to revitalise the CBD is celebrating a major advocacy win, with outdoor dining fees being waived for the next three years.
A backflip by Wollongong City Council means venues will be able to continue to offer outdoor dining to patrons without copping the usual hefty fees, until at least 2028.
13. Local innovators and institutions dominate Illawarra’s premier business awards
by Dione David
Combining global impact with deep local roots, Sicona’s sweep at the 2025 IMB Bank Illawarra Business Awards positions the innovator as one of the region’s most significant success stories. Photo: Trent Hilaire/Hill to Air.
A local sustainability success story continued a global winning streak and an Illawarra institution pulled a hat trick at the 2025 IMB Bank Illawarra Business Awards.
Sicona Battery Technologies took out the top gong as Business of the Year, as well as Excellence in International Business, while Symbio Wildlife Park claimed three trophies at the region’s premier business awards night.
12. Greenacres’ new cafe and kitchen lands at Shellharbour Airport to serve up food with a purpose
by Jen White
Greenacres CEO Karen Burdett and Shellharbour Mayor Chris Homer celebrate the opening of Greenacres’ latest cafe and kitchen at Shellharbour Airport. Photo: Jen White.
Shellharbour Airport passengers will again have access to a cafe which not only supplies food and coffee, but also provides jobs and training for people with disability.
Greenacres Cafes and Catering opened for business this year and the airport cafe is the organisation’s fourth venture.
11. Coralie McCarthy riding high in new role advocating for region’s businesses
by Michele Tydd
New Business Illawarra director Coralie McCarthy loves horse riding in her limited downtime. Photo: Coralie McCarthy.
Coralie McCarthy had her first taste of business as a child serving ice-cream in her parents’ Gerroa shop. The new Business Illawarra director believes authenticity and being brave are the key ingredients for success.
10. 145 years strong: Illawarra’s homegrown bank hits record growth
by Dione David
IMB CEO Robert Ryan said IMB’s strong performance in the face of economic challenges reflected the “remarkable resilience” of local communities. Photo: Matthias Engesser/Narrative Post.
IMB Bank has marked its 145th year with a milestone that few financial institutions outside the big four can claim – more than 19,000 new members in just 12 months.
The Wollongong-born, member-owned bank also reported record lending of $2.1 billion in the year to June, pushing total loans to $6.9 billion and lifting deposits to $7.1 billion.
9. In a sea of disability support agencies, why this one stands apart
by Dione David
Solve Care founder Ellen Noye was last year named Young Business Woman of the Year at the Illawarra Women In Business Awards. Photo: Solve Care.
Disability support work was not part of the plan for Ellen Noye, but vindication comes daily through the results, growth and stories of her business Solve Care.
8. People and their pets are at the heart of new vet clinic improving access to services
by Keeli Dyson
Coastal Vet Collective’s Brodie, Dr Kevin, Kerrie and Dr Luke are passionate about pets, both in their professional and personal lives. Photo: Supplied.
A new vet clinic in Fairy Meadow is putting people and their pets as a top priority as it starts to build relationships and trust within the community to help combat a widespread shortage of vital animal medical services and improve access for owners across the Illawarra.
Coastal Vet Collective was the passion project of veterinarians and directors Dr Luke Michel and Dr Kevin Calleja, who each have more than two decades of experience within the industry.
7. It’s official: Illawarra women are changing the world
by Dione David
Kylee Dennis, Amy Hall, Dr Danielle Camer at the Women Changing The World Awards. Photo: Dr Danielle Camer Instagram.
Three Illawarra businesswomen – and a businessgirl – flew to London as finalists at the Women Changing The World Awards last week, and all have emerged winners.
Amy Hall of Banksia Support Services Wollongong was nominated in four categories and was announced the winner of the Advocacy Award at a glitzy event at London’s Park Hyatt.
6. Wedding planning got you in a spin? This Port Kembla venue has you sorted
by Zoe Cartwright
Riley Chapman-Politis has swapped his sea legs for a wedding chapel in the heart of Port Kembla. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
Drive through Port Kembla and you’ll spot it straight away — the old ES&B bank on Wentworth Street has a bold new look.
Local couple Melissa Gilbert and Riley Chapman-Politis have used the space to bring a touch of romance to the industrial heart of Wollongong, with typical Port Kembla flair.
The Port Kembla Wedding Chapel brings a romantic vibe to the industrial heart of the city, and it’s doing it in style.
5. Why is Sydney choosing this Wollongong-based construction firm?
by Dione David
Innovatus Projects sponsors the Illawarra Basketball Association. (Pictured: Innovatus Projects director Nick Halakatevakis with Illawarra Hawks players Brad Ballinger and Massimo Hobbs). Photo: Innovatus Projects.
The founder of a Wollongong success story has been quietly taking it to the big boys in Sydney — and winning.
Nick Halakatevakis is the founder of Innovatus Projects, a locally grown commercial construction and fit-out company that has been transforming locations of all sizes into custom-built spaces since 2017.
4. How Dr Meghan Dares is breaking barriers in orthopaedic care
by Kellie O’Brien
Dr Meghan Dares is the Illawarra’s only female orthopaedic surgeon. Photo: Supplied.
Wollongong’s Dr Meghan Dares never imagined she’d become a trailblazer in orthopaedic surgery when she laced up her runners as a Queensland junior athlete.
Today, she’s breaking new ground as the Illawarra’s only female orthopaedic surgeon and the force behind one of Australia’s largest private multidisciplinary orthopaedic teams at Joint Vision Orthopaedic Group in Wollongong.
3. From a building in the steelworks to the world: How Green Gravity is leading large-scale energy transition
by Jen White
Green Gravity CEO Mark Swinnerton. Photo: Supplied.
Mark Swinnerton’s first job was at Port Kembla Steelworks so it’s only fitting that the company he founded, Green Gravity, has found its home in a disused steelworks building.
Mark grew up in Canberra but moved to the Illawarra to attend the University of Wollongong. He started at Port Kembla Steelworks as a materials engineering cadet working in the production department at the BOS.
2. Zweefers closes after 30 sweet years in Fairy Meadow
by Dione David
After more than 30 years serving the Illawarra, Zweefers closed its doors, prompting an outpouring of love from the local community. Photo: Zweefers Facebook.
Fairy Meadow’s sweetest institution has closed its doors, citing rising costs that have made the beloved family-run business unsustainable.
Zweefers, a cake shop and patisserie serving the Illawarra for more than 30 years, announced its permanent closure in a heartfelt Facebook post that attracted more than 500 comments.
1. Wollongong beats Sydney as one of the best Aussie cities to start a business in 2026
by Dione David
Each city was evaluated against the key metrics, with the data normalised and weighted to create a single ‘Business Success Score’. Photo: Kellie O’Brien.
Wollongong has beaten Sydney to rank among Australia’s top 20 cities to start a business, according to a new report.
The report from payment solutions experts WorldFirst analysed seven key metrics, including business survival rates, cost of living and access to talent.
Factors were weighted to create a single ‘Business Success Score’, to highlight how location can make or break a small business in an increasingly challenging economic environment.
