Federal Member for Cunningham Alison Byrnes, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces and Member for Wollongong Hon Paul Scully, Legacy Property Founder and CEO Matthew Hyder, Minister for Health, Minister for Regional Health and Member for Kiera Hon Ryan Park, Growthbuilt co-founder and director Colin Rahim, Qualitas head of origination Jeremy Fyfe and Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown attend the sod turning at The Works in Corrimal, marking the commencement of Stage 1 of the project. Photo: Region.
Stage 1 of the long-anticipated Corrimal development The Works has officially kicked off, with representatives from industry and all levels of government gathering for the sod-turning ceremony.
The event marked a major step in transforming the former industrial site into Wollongong’s first 5-Star Green Star rated community, while also honouring its heritage.
Matthew Hyder, CEO of developers Legacy Property, was joined by Member for Kiera Ryan Park and Member for Wollongong Paul Scully to launch construction of the first 179 apartments.
Mr Park said while stakeholders had to have “difficult conversations” with the community about the project, it came down to three things: providing more housing, creating jobs to boost the northern suburbs’ economy, and leaving a legacy that honoured the area’s history.
“As kids, there was always an understanding in this region that you could continue to live where you grew up as a child. That’s become all but impossible in the northern suburbs,” he said. “This development changes that, and that means a lot to me as a local member.”
Stage 1 is expected to be completed in early 2027, with 72 per cent of sales so far to local buyers, including young first-home buyers. One-bedroom apartments have sold out.
Stage 2A, currently being assessed under the accelerated State Significant Development framework, proposes 201 apartments, including 57 affordable units.
Once complete, The Works will deliver at least 550 new homes.
Mr Scully said the commencement of Stage 1 at the brownfield site – the former Coke Works, which operated from 1912 until its closure in 2014 – marked a new chapter for the “transport-oriented” site, just an eight-minute walk or two-minute drive from Corrimal train station.
“Corrimal Station is the centre of a transport-oriented development location. It is deliberately focused on driving more in-field development over time. The Corrimal Town Centre, just across the road, is the centre of a lower mid-rise policy area — one of 171 such sites from the Hunter through to the Illawarra that will drive an increase in density through time,” he said.
“Why are we doing that? Put simply, NSW has not been building enough homes for a long, long time. Over the last 30 years or so, NSW has built six homes per 1000 people. That means increased prices. It means we’ve become one of the least densely populated states and cities on the planet. And amazingly, we’ve got less housing diversity in NSW today than 100 years ago.”
By completion of the project, 50 per cent of the Works site will be allocated to green space, including two public spaces — the Village Green and the Southern Park, encompassing barbecue areas, shade structures, public art, culturally significant plans and a children’s play area. There will also be cycleways and an amphitheatre.
Cath Daly, coordinator at not-for-profit Bellambi Neighbourhood Centre, said while the community remained “nervous”, community consultation efforts had been excellent.
“It’s a tough gig when you’re fronting a vulnerable community that is unsure what it’s going to mean. People are still nervous about the implications of everything from the preservation of Aboriginal artefacts to traffic and congestion,” she said.
“But the way the consultation process has been handled has made it easier for the community. It doesn’t mean everyone’s happy about it, but at the end of the day, we also need housing.”
Legacy Property Founder CEO Matthew Hyder said the sod turning marked a “pivotal moment” for the journey, which began seven years ago when the developer first entered discussions with the Illawarra Coke Company to advance renewal of the site.
“This is the first time I’ve been involved in the renovation and revitalisation of an infilled heavy industrial site,” he said.
“It’s been one heck of a complex project, but one that, from the beginning, has had a unique playbook to deliver a masterplanned community that pays homage to an extraordinary past while delivering intergenerational living to satisfy future community needs.”
