The Grand Pacific Walk will link a shared path from the Sharky Beach carpark to Austinmer. Photo: Wollongong City Council.
The next major milestone in the 60 km pathway linking the Royal National Park to Lake Illawarra is about to get underway.
However, before work starts on the Coledale section of the Grand Pacific Walk, residents are invited to provide feedback on the plans.
Wollongong City Council has already completed works at Stanwell Park, Seacliff Bridge, Coalcliff, Coledale Beach and Clifton and will soon be undertaking staged works at Austinmer on a 1.4 km section from Mountain Road to Headlands Avenue.
In the meantime, council is seeking feedback on the designs for Coledale which will connect the shared path from Austinmer.
It will start from the northern end of the Sharky Beach carpark and run south to Headland Avenue, covering about 1 km of path.
The draft plan outlines an upgrade and formalisation of the carpark, reinstatement of the bus shelter, a new path through the eastern side of the carpark, wayfinding signage, improved seating, safety railing and tree planting.
Grand Pacific Walk runs alongside the Grand Pacific Drive, from the Royal National Park down to Lake Illawarra.
Council has partnered with Transport for NSW to develop a long-term plan to make it a key transport link for pedestrians and cyclists.
The work will be carried out over many years and is being done in stages.
The path next to Lawrence Hargrave Drive at Coledale. Photo: Wollongong City Council.
Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown said the Grand Pacific Walk was one of the city’s most iconic and well-loved active transport links for residents and visitors alike.
“As we’ve done with previous sections, we’re keen to have meaningful conversations with residents to help get Coledale’s design across the line,” she said.
“This is an opportunity for our community to see what the plan is and understand what the project’s benefits and limitations are as well as raising anything that we may need to consider or share any concerns.
“It’s important we get it right, so I’m calling residents to help us step in the right direction and be part of this engagement. We look forward to not only finalising the Coledale design but also see it become a wonderful continuation of the existing shared path.”
Residents are invited to a pop-up information session at Sharky Beach’s carpark on Saturday 21 February, from 9 to 11 am (dependent on weather).
Residents can also provide feedback through council’s engagement website until 1 March.
Once council has reviewed community feedback it will start planning for construction, including finalising the design and developing a detailed timeline for works.
For more information on these works, visit the Grand Pacific Walk webpage.
