Shellharbour MP Anna Watson, Keira MP Ryan Park, Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison and Wollongong MP Paul Scully invite the community to comment on the plan. Photo: Keeli Dyson.
An integrated strategy to create accessible, reliable and affordable transport options and better connect the Illawarra and Shoalhaven over the next 20 years has been developed to guide government investment across the region, with the community now urged to have their say on the identified priorities.
The Draft Illawarra Shoalhaven Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan outlines initiatives to improve the transport system throughout Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven to cater for the growing needs of the region and futureproof vital services.
“Instead of having this let’s just pick a project out because that sounds palatable for the day, this is about having a proper network plan which actually helps people move around,” NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said.
The plan describes 42 short-term actions to be implemented or addressed in a five-year time frame, three medium-term initiatives for between five and 10 years’ time, 12 statewide initiatives and eight longer term outcomes, but most remain unfunded with no certainty of financial backing.
“These projects are not all funded today and that is the reality because we want to make sure the investment is guided properly,” Ms Aitchison said.
“What this is going to be really useful for is for government to actually make sure that when we’ve got stimulus funding, when we’ve got election commitments, it’s not just a blank piece of paper, we’ve got plans that have been socialised and agreed to and understood by community, by councils, and by state and federal government.”
Nine projects that are already underway include the finalisation and rollout of the new state-of-the-art intercity fleet on the South Coast Line, increasing rail services between Sydney and Wollongong and creating a plan surrounding the improvement, upgrading and rebuilding of connections along the South Coast Line.
“I want to see some more services on that rail corridor and on that rail line as we grow as a community both to Sydney, where a lot of people have to work, but also within our region,” Keira MP and Minister for the Illawarra and South Coast Ryan Park said.
“Commuting within our region also has to be an important element of what we do moving forward.”
Road projects such as M1 ramps at Dapto, a Bulli bypass and the reallocation of road space in Albion Park were also in the works.
In the next five years the region could see investigation and safety upgrades in high-risk areas such as Kiama Bends, Mount Ousley and the Princes Highway near Jervis Bay and Sussex Inlet as well as improved and more frequent bus services.
Active transport options and programs are also outlined, particularly as multimodal connectivity is explored in places such as the surplus land at BlueScope to be redeveloped.
“That’s an area that’s been not connected to road transport for good reason for the best part of 100 years but is connected with good rail transport,” Wollongong MP and Planning Minister Paul Scully said.
“We need to make sure that there’s good active transport routes through that area as well as it grows and develops and employs more people.”
Improvements to bus interchanges, on-demand and community transport and the implementation of the Wollongong Station Precinct Masterplan is expected to be addressed in the longer term.
This roadmap aims to ensure future investment and project delivery is determined through need, not political motivation.
“This is a plan that is evidence based,” Ms Aitchison said.
“We use the common planning assumptions from Minister Scully’s department, we then combine that with the transport data which Transport gets off the Opal data, and their TrainLink data and all the other service data, the contractual data and then we also put it against the ABS statistics.
“That data is there, that is what is informing the plan. That’s how we make the decisions.”
The region is expected to grow by 150,000 people over the next two decades, but there are already challenges for people living here.
“There are a lot of elderly people within our communities that find it difficult to get around and the reason why there’s a lot of loneliness within our communities is because people can’t get around,” Shellharbour MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Transport and Roads Anna Watson said.
“It’s hard to get on a bus and it’s hard to get on a train. The services just aren’t there.”
The draft plan is now on public exhibition to ensure it meets the needs and expectations of the community it’s serving.
“The draft plan has been developed after consultation with around 40 stakeholders, local government representatives, community groups, but now we’re asking the community to have their say,” Mr Scully said.
The community can access the report, submit feedback or make comments on an interactive map through the NSW Government Have Your Say website.
Feedback closes Monday 9 February 2026, with the final report expected later that year.
