Engagement Findings - Draft Wollongong Integrated Transport Strategy

What we did

We reached key stakeholders, and the broader community via email, media releases, e-newsletter, Illawarra Mercury Community Update, Council website, Council social media posts, Library displays, community info sessions and meetings. The project page received 1,500 unique views. 46 people participated in drop-in info sessions for community members to speak with traffic and transport planners and engineers. Council officers also met with 10 Aboriginal elders in two community group settings.

Community Info Session Wollongong Library

What we heard

95 submissions were received during the Public Exhibition. These came from individuals and a range of government, industry, and community organisations. Key themes included:

• Support for integrated transport planning and the desire for ongoing collaboration and coordination between government, industry, and community.
• Calls for public transport service and infrastructure improvements.
• Auditing infrastructure to address gaps in the active transport network to improve safety, connectivity and the uptake of walking and cycling.
• Suggested interventions to support the growth of sustainable transport including electric vehicles.
• Location specific infrastructure or maintenance requests for road, footpath, shared path, and cycleway networks and connections.
• Calls to improve connectivity including east-west links, links to the city centre, educational institutions, healthcare precincts, industry and employment hubs, urban release areas and other growth areas.
• Calls to integrate land use planning and key development areas with transport planning to maximize the effectiveness of the strategy.
• Safety and/or accessibility concerns for older people, people with disability, people with hidden disability, carers, women, and school children.
• Mixed views on the allocation of road space for either parking, traffic, or cycleways.
• Concerns about implementing the proposed actions within the timeframe and available resources.
• Suggestions for promoting sustainable transport options to drive behaviour change.

See the Engagement Report for details.

Next steps

The project team will analyse all submissions and prepare a report to Council for adoption of the final strategy. The Council report will include a table listing relevant items of feedback, response to the issue raised and any resulting edits made to the strategy. The Engagement team will update the community and engagement participants prior to the Council Meeting.