Objecting to Thirroul Plaza redevelopment - DA-2020/363

The latest proposal is not a win for Thirroul. The scale is inappropriate and will destroy the village atmosphere. It will  put enormous strain on our congested infrastructure, threaten the viability of our entertainment venues, and the loss of street parking on Lawrence Hargrave Drive will threaten Thirroul’s thriving small business community.

This is our last opportunity as a community to express our thoughts on this proposed development. Now, more than ever, your voice is important.

Have a read of the new Thirroul Plaza DA Documents

Why is the NSW Land and Environment Court making the decision on the proposal?

Wollongong City Council deemed the application incomplete and requested the developer address a range of issues that were similar to concerns raised by the community.
Under state planning laws, developers can enact a “deemed refusal” clause. Thirroul Plaza Pty Ltd have now enacted their right to refer the DA to the Land & Environment Court, bypassing Council and the Regional Planning Panel, for a determination.

Why do I need to make another submission?

Each time there are amendments to an undetermined DA, the community has the right to have input. This time, the NSW Land and Environment Court will receive these submissions (via Wollongong Council) and every submission counts.

• You can write a fresh submission stating your objections to the DA or
• You can write a simple objection, listing the issues that have not been resolved and stating that you have raised these issues in you previous submissions.

How to make a submission

The easiest way to submit your objection to the  Plaza DA is to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Include "DA2020/363 "in your email subject line.

Begin your email with

The General Manager
Wollongong City Council
Locked Bag 8821
Wollongong NSW 2500

Re:  Application Number DA-2020/363, Proposal Commercial - demolition of the existing structures and tree removal. Construction of a three (3) storey mixed use development comprising two (2) levels of basement car parking, commercial premises on the ground floor.

To whom it may concern,

Then in you own words describe how the development will affect you. ( If you have made a submission before, please do not attach it to your current submission, simply refer to the fact that you have submitted objections to past versions of the Plaza DA.)

You can get some ideas to include in your submission from the list below.

Your submission does not have to be long, it can be short and sweet and just include a few points that you object to.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Yours Faithfully,

Your name

Your Postal address/email address

Date

Ideas you could use in your objection to the DA

• The bulk and size of the proposed development is completely out of character with Thirroul town centre
• The residential unit density is completely out of place in the heart of Thirroul
• The new building will destroy views to the escarpment from Lawrence Hargrave Drive
• The proposal will privatise the views to the escarpment, taking it from the whole community and giving it to the few plaza residents only
• The height of the building will cause shops on the eastern side of Lawrence Hargrave Drive to be shadowed a lot earlier than they are now. This will affect the viability of our outdoor dining venues.
• The development would dramatically increase the traffic in Thirroul town centre
• The loss of on street parking in Thirroul town centre will be very negative for residents, affecting the convenience of access to local shops
• Lawrence Hargrave becomes a clearway with all the parking gone
• The development will place additional stress on an already over-stressed traffic network
• TfNSW dropped plans in December 2021 that would have seen all street parking stripped from Lawrence Hargrave Drive
• The loss of street parking will have a very serious affect on the current successful businesses
• The current street parking has a high turnover of cars parking in them. This means that is it easy for residents and visitors alike to quickly stop and shop at the local shops. If this parking goes, local shops will lose a significant amount of business. Local businesses  would likely go out of business.
• Thirroul has a fantastic, vibrant live music scene provided by Beaches Hotel and Anita's Theatre. They are both thriving venues that benefit from not having nearby residences. Both of these businesses will be under threat due to residences being built adjacent to them. This would be a huge loss to the community.
• The residents and existing businesses in Thirroul should not have to make such a huge sacrifice to benefit so few people
• The amenity of Thirroul will be destroyed by the proposed development
• The proposed development will ruin the feel of Thirroul
• The proposal does not comply with the Development Control plan for Thirroul
• The proposal is residential development dressed-up as mixed use. There is no office space, no community space, etc.
• The removal of the street parking will require bollards to be installed to protect pedestrian and alfresco diners
• The bollards will narrow the footpaths for pedestrians
• The bollards would be very unattractive and will ruin the look of Thirroul Town centre