Council writes to ask Sartor: Who decides on Corrimal development?

The decision to approve a $95 million, four level shopping centre planned for Corrimal’s town centre could bypass Wollongong City Council and go straight to NSW Planning Minister Frank Sartor.

If completed ‘The Corrimal Centre’ will almost double the retail floor space in Corrimal, create almost 800 new jobs and make room for two major supermarkets, 50 specialty shops and a food court.

A development of this scale could be classified as important for achieving state or regional planning objectives, which could see the approval rights go to the Minister for Planning instead of Council.

Council’s General Manager David Farmer has written to Mr Sartor asking him to confirm whether this will be the case.

The Wollongong and Northern Leader has received confirmation from the Minister’s office that the letter was received and the matter is under consideration.

Convener of the Illawarra Greens Jill Merrin said The Greens would like the decision about the centre made with community input.

“We would like to see the decision being made in consultation with local people instead of going to Frank Sartor, who seems to be trying to dominate more and more (NSW developments),” she said.

If approved the development will sit predominantly behind the shops on the western side of the Princes Highway stretching from Railway Street in the south through to Russell Street in the north.

Sportspower, the ANZ Bank and Rockmans will be demolished to make way for the main pedestrian access to the centre from the highway.

The building on the corner of Russell and Underwood Streets would also be knocked down to make way for the centre.

An Economic Impact Statement submitted with the proposal claims that Coles would be likely to move its operations from Corrimal Park Mall to The Corrimal Centre, with Target taking up the other shopping centre in the new facility.

The ground floor and roof of the centre would provide 645 car spaces.

Valad Property Group are behind the proposal and officially lodged their intentions with Wollongong City Council last month.

The mall has a planned completion date of late 2010 or early 2011, with construction set to begin next March.