Rally to save Ziems Park

Illawarra Greens representative Michael Sergent, neighbourhood committee convenor Valerie Hussain, Trevor Mott and Karen Cummings look over the site earmarked for expansion of Stockland shopping centre.

THE expansion of Stockland shopping centre over Short Street and onto Ziems Park Corrimal will be discussed at a public forum from noon on Saturday.

Opponents of the rezoning of the park to allow a shopping centre expansion are hoping for a big turnout when they host a community sausage sizzle on the site.

Committee convenor Valerie Hussain said the meeting was designed to provide information to the public on plans to expand Stockland shopping centre over Short Street and onto a part of the park.

Residents living in the Corrimal postcode area will be asked to express their views on the proposed reclassification following a decision by Wollongong City Council.

As part of the process of reclassifying 0.43 hectares of the park, Wollongong City councillors requested that a survey be mailed to each of the 7000 households in the suburb. Residents will be invited to put their views on the proposal through the survey, which would be conducted in addition to the regular and legally required exhibition period and public hearing, to be facilitated by an independent person.

Councillors resolved that subject to a favourable outcome from the consultation, an option agreement be entered into for the sale of the land, pending two further independent land valuations on the site and accompanying airspace over Short Street.

Mrs Hussain said the logical site for commercial development was not on parkland, but in Underwood Street.

"There is already approval granted on this site," Mrs Hussain said. The meeting would explain what the parkland acquisition would mean for Corrimal.

"We want to show and explain to people that this land is already used as an overflow area for the swimming club and other community activities." Mrs Hussain said the area should become an expansion area for the Corrimal Memorial Pool and provide space for amenities and facilities to improve recreational needs for the growing suburb.

"I've heard the comparison with Beaton Park and more recently with Sutherland Aquatic Centre," Mrs Hussain said.

"The public needs to understand what can be done to improve community facilities in what has long been signposted as the Corrimal community precinct, with the emphasis on community not commercial."

The committee feared a resurrection of plans put forward by former Corrimal Court shopping centre owners, Shroeders in the late 1990s to expand over Short Street and onto Ziems Park.

"We are hearing at the moment that the only thing up for discussion is the reclassification and sale, with judgement by residents to be passed on the actual proposal as the development application stage. In reality if Wollongong City Council sells this land to Stockland, are they likely to refuse an application to build on it?"

The committee also raised concerns over Thurston Crescent becoming an access road for the shopping centre development.

Council's Manager of Commercial Business and Property, Peter Coyte said the decision formed an extension of the normal consultation process required for reclassification and would be welcomed by the community.

"The decision reaffirms Council's commitment to consulting the community on this important issue. It goes above and beyond the legally required consultation processes, ensuring a range of views will be captured by Council," Mr Coyte said.

"This is most important in ensuring a final decision can be made taking into account the need to achieve a balance between the potential benefits and community expectations."

Mrs Hussain said the sausage sizzle would establish a fighting fund through a gold coin donation.

Joining the neighbourhood committee in condemning the Ziems park rezoning is the Illawarra Greens.

Greens spokesman Michael Sergent said residents are being asked to sell community space to Stockland with no clear community benefit. "Once it's sold off, it's gone forever," Mr Sergent said.

"There is likely to be a major negative effect in terms of overshadowing and traffic on the pool, the library and the childcare centre," he said.

"Council is putting the cart before the horse by not producing a comprehensive strategic plan for Corrimal as a whole before preparing plans for the rezoning and sale of community land to Stockland," he said.