Former Port Kembla School site rezoned, plans for up to 110 dwellings

This proposal includes a mix of multi-dwelling housing, terraces and apartment buildings, as well as five per cent of affordable housing.

The recently approved rezoning of this site to allow for medium density residential development has been in the works for several years.

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The former Port Kembla School Site has now been rezoned to allow medium density residential development and private recreation. The rezoning was passed by Wollongong City Council last year, and the Department of Planning and Environment a few weeks ago.

The project's Planning Proposal was also recently finalised.

The site will also provide five per cent of the overall development to include affordable housing.

Lauren Turner, manager of town planning and advisory at MMJ Wollongong, who was working on behalf of the developer, said the project would optimise key views from the site, maximise solar access and mitigate against potential noise from the port at Port Kembla and associated industry.

She said that the site will be developed to "respond to the arrangement of the former Port Kembla School buildings and celebrate the shared heritage value".

Ms Turner said the development of the site would include signage, public areas and infrastructure which will reference the history of the site, including its Indigenous and European heritage.

The 2.195ha site is bounded by Military Road, Marne Street, Reservoir Street and Electrolytic Street, and has views to the ocean, escarpment and across the steelworks.

Records show the current owner is Ostoja Vujic, an Illawarra-based developer.

The site was previously occupied by the Port Kembla Public School from 1890 until 1999.

In 2000, due to health concerns, Port Kembla Public School relocated to Gloucester Boulevard and the site was purchased by Port Kembla Copper (PKC).

It was rezoned from being residential to "general business" and the school building was heritage-listed.

In January 2013, the school building was destroyed by fire and demolished, with only the foundations of the main school building remaining.

In 2010, the site had been rezoned to be "mixed use", to facilitate a proposal that involved residential developments and artists' studios at the school. This plan stalled when the school burnt down.

In 2016, the former school site was sold by Port Kembla Copper to the current owner.

Council identified in its Port Kembla 2505 Revitalisation Plan that the site should be rezoned to residential to support the revitalisation of Wentworth Street and provide additional housing for residents to be able to walk or commute to Wentworth Street and other services available in Port Kembla.

Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said the project would increase housing stock in the area, as well as add to the vitality of Wentworth Street.

The next steps for the project now include the preparation of development applications to be submitted to council.

Ms Turner said multiple DAs would need to be lodged for the four various precincts within the project, including the terraces, multi-dwelling housing and apartments, as well as open space.

An initial planning proposal for the site was rejected by the NSW Planning Department due to the concerns the expansion of the port would result in increased traffic, dust and noise unsuitable for any incoming residents.

A revised concept was later lodged.

NSW Ports had voiced opposition to the proposal to place housing on the site, saying they were concerned about the increased "amenity impacts" the growth of the port would place on potential residents at the site.

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