Opponents slam latest plans

OPPONENTS of a residential proposal on the former Bulli brickyards site say changes announced by the Village Building Company (VBC) are merely window dressing for the wrong development.

Community group Bulli Village Voice (BVV) spokesperson Richard Robinson said announcement of the loss of 250 jobs at Port Kembla steelworks stresses the importance of saving diversified employment land opportunities in the northern suburbs.

"Bulli has almost lost its entire stock of employment land in recent times and the remaining sites are under threat from economically damaging developments," Mr Robinson said.

"The proposed high density residential development of the former Bulli brickworks site will only add to the traffic on the F6 and the crush on the trains to Sydney."

Mr Robinson said the development proposal put forward by the VBC would degrade the lifestyle of residents and would add stress on local services and infrastructure.

"It is up to Wollongong City Council and the state government to show some strategic leadership on this development&. What is the jobs plan for the northern suburbs&commute to Sydney?," he said.

"The developer claims its escarpment residential scheme will be flush with home office jobs. This is a joke when most of the western side of Bulli cannot even get Broadband Internet. If the developer has not done its homework on this crucial point how many others are miscalculated?

"With regard to promised retail/commercial space in the development, the Woolworths proposal for Bulli will kill off not only the existing retail shops in Bulli, but any planned for the brickworks."

Mr Robinson said the BVV and other local community groups are shocked the historic coastal village of Bulli is being "assaulted" by major developments.

"I can see the anti-development vote being a significant factor in the seat of Heathcote next March (State election)," Mr Robinson said.