Wollongong Council’s Safer Cities: Her Way included upgrades and activations at Dapto Square to make it safer and more welcoming for women. Photo: Wollongong City Council.
Wollongong residents feel less safe at night, both in the central business district and in suburban areas.
They want better lighting and surveillance, more police and security on the streets and want action to help those who are homeless or have mental health, drug and alcohol issues.
Their concerns form part of Wollongong City Council’s draft Community Safety Plan, which is on public exhibition for feedback until 30 April.
The five-year plan will build on actions in previous safety plans and aims to respond to local crime data, community feedback and emerging safety concerns.
Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown has encouraged residents to give feedback on the draft.
She said everyone had the right to feel safe in the community, whether it was at home, at work or out in public spaces at any time of night and day.
“People feeling safe and comfortable underpins all our goals and objectives to create a thriving, vibrant and inclusive city,” she said.
“The draft plan continues the efforts we’ve made to improve perceptions and experiences of safety in our city centre and suburbs.
“It’s not something council can address on our own.
“It’s very important that we continue working with police and local service providers to identify issues, not just from an enforcement standpoint, but from an outreach perspective to proactively address causes of crime and antisocial behaviour.”
In developing the plan, the council invited residents to share their ideas and concerns in a community safety survey, targeted workshops and conversations with staff at pop-up events.
Many residents told the council they felt unsafe at train stations, bus stops and parks, particularly around the CBD, Wollongong Train Station and Crown Street (near Wollongong Hospital).
They called for more lighting to illuminate public places such as footpaths, shared paths, parks, carparks and near public transport. CCTV in areas with high crime and signs to show they’re there and emergency phones in quiet or dark places were also recommended to help them feel safer.
Many people wanted to see more police and security officers, especially at night and in places such as Crown Street Mall, MacCabe Park, entertainment areas and transport hubs.
Residents were also concerned about the effects of drug and alcohol use, including its link to antisocial behaviour. Some called for stronger action to address drug-related crime, while others emphasised the need for improved access to treatment and harm reduction services.
Council used crime data for the Wollongong local government area from October 2024 to September 2025, as well as data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research and local police to build a better understanding of crime.
The crime figures showed that most victims of crime were women (63 per cent), more crime occurred in residential properties (53 per cent) than outdoor/public places (19 per cent) and that most crimes were non-alcohol related.
The draft plan also reviewed the council’s previous and current actions in improving safety across the city and suburbs, including targeted safety upgrades through the Safer Cities: Her Way program in MacCabe Park, Dapto Square and Port Kembla town centre.
Council has developed rapid graffiti removal partnerships and commissioned graffiti prevention murals painted on bus shelters in Corrimal, Wollongong and Warrawong, places that often get tagged with graffiti.
The organisation also encourages residents to take their own actions to improve safety at home and in public areas.
The draft plan proposes a number of future actions in three focus areas – people, place and property, including:
- Explore new ways of sharing important safety messaging with community
- Educate the community about the different ways they can report crime
- Work with partner agencies in a coordinated response to homelessness
- Explore opportunities to support anti-racism initiatives that strengthen community safety and inclusion
- Undertake and advocate for safety upgrades at public transport hubs and surrounding areas by improving lighting, visibility, signage, wayfinding, and transport frequency
- Undertake research to determine the feasibility of a creative building site hoardings program to improve the look of public spaces during construction projects and discourage graffiti.
After feedback closes on 30 April, the project team will consider all comments and may update the draft.
A report will be prepared for council detailing what was heard and the final plan will go to a future council meeting seeking the endorsement of councillors.
Click here to comment on the plan.
