Plans for the long-awaited redevelopment of the WIN Entertainment Precinct are moving ahead. Image: NSW Government.
WIN Entertainment Centre (WEC) will be demolished and new stands built at WIN Stadium in a long-awaited $700 million transformation of the precinct.
The WEC, opened in 1998, will be replaced by the state-of-the-art WIN Arena, with a concert capacity of about 9500.
An application to have the highly anticipated redevelopment fast-tracked through the planning system by declaring it a State Significant Development (SSD) has been lodged with the NSW Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Department.
The application and request for Secretary’s environmental assessment requirements (SEARS) outlines the proposed redevelopment, which includes the demolition of the existing WEC and north and south stands of WIN Stadium and the construction of a new WIN Arena, new north and south stands, upgrades to the east hill, works to the southern training field, landscaping and public domain works.
Destination Wollongong general manager Jeremy Wilshire said the project was well overdue and it was time for the city to have a world-class facility.
“It’s very exciting, it has been a long time coming, but I think the city did well in aligning its priorities and communicating that to the government so that we’re all on the same hymn sheet, and that’s very important politically,” he said.
The scoping report submitted to the Planning Department estimates the development cost at $700 million, with the creation of about 600 construction jobs and 1100 operation positions.
The upgrade plans were announced in January this year, with the NSW Government committing $17 million to unlock the next stage of planning, including designs, reports and a construction tender.
At that time, it was said that the precinct was expected to inject about $550 million into the local economy annually.
“Let’s not put lipstick on a pig; it’s time to have a world-class facility that optimises the beachside location as our point of difference,” Mr Wilshire said.
“You would like to think that a government doesn’t spend $17 million to then backtrack. By the same token, we recognise that there are a lot of priority projects across housing and health and education that need to be juggled as well that can’t be underestimated.
“But I think it’s pretty clear by the collective voice of the Illawarra about the need for this precinct to go ahead and have it both showcase the region and stimulate the economy to a point of what we deserve.”
The scoping report said the WIN Stadium upgrades would deliver about 21,600 capacity in sports mode and would include a new north stand that would connect to the redeveloped arena concourse at lower ground level and comprise food and beverage facilities, hospitality/function spaces, back-of-house servicing, storage, circulation and access.
An extension of the north stand would accommodate a beach complex to be integrated with the redeveloped arena and include a new priority entrance.
The beach complex would comprise restaurants and bars, function and private dining spaces, event production facilities, flexible commercial areas, venue management and associated back-of-house facilities.
The new and expanded south stand would provide upgraded player and team facilities, premium hospitality and spectator areas, food and beverage facilities, administration and event support spaces, back-of-house facilities and storage.
Proposed upgrades to the east hill include improved spectator areas, amenities and food and beverage facilities.
There will also be works to the southern training field, including the delivery of a new beach foreshore to incorporate a public plaza with public and recreational facilities, food and beverage facilities and amenity facilities.
Improvements to accessibility, foreshore paths, links to the beach and coastal landscapes, including dune restoration, have also been factored in.
“Destination Wollongong has been a huge advocate and was a driver of a beachside promenade to amplify the location and ensure that it’s activated year-round,” Mr Wilshire said.
“I think that’s an extremely important piece of the puzzle that there’s retail outlets, lifestyle services, great F&B there for the community to enjoy and to stimulate the visitor economy 365 days a year.”
The request for SEARS is the first main step of the SSD process, with following stages including preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) and exhibiting a development application (DA), which will then be assessed and determined. The community will have a chance to provide feedback during the application process.
“We’re really excited about what is being proposed,” Mr Wilshire said.
“We just encourage the community to be proactive and provide feedback to the State Government, because the funding is not guaranteed but everybody’s working well together to put this at the forefront of people’s thinking as we roll into a state election.”
Amendments, modifications, reviews and public hearings may also be involved.
To read the request for SEARs or scoping report for the WIN Entertainment Precinct project, visit the NSW Planning website.
