When the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) decided in August 2003 to close a major road in Wollongong’s northern suburbs for safety reasons, it caused more than disruption to traffic. However, a spectacular new bridge being built to reconnect the road is promising a new economic boom for the city for which Wollongong City Council has been busily preparing.
Lawrence Hargrave Drive runs through the northern suburbs of the city, providing access to Sydney via the F6 freeway and Australia’s oldest national park, the Royal. For much of its length it twists between the Tasman Sea and the sheer cliffs of the Illawarra Escarpment and, between Clifton and Coalcliff, the road hugs a cliff face prone to rock falls and instability.
Lord Mayor of the City of Wollongong, Councillor Alex Darling, said the closure was met with great concern as the road not only provides a vital connection for locals, it has always been a popular tourist route sustaining a number of small to medium businesses.
“Although the closure was understandably necessary, and despite the organisation of local and Government assistance to help keep visitors coming to the north, the reality was without the through trade businesses could not be sustained,” Councillor Darling said.
The RTA’s solution to the problem, selected after community consultation on four different options, was to begin construction on a 665 metre, $49 million bridge reconnecting the road across two small bays and a headland.
Councillor Darling said the confirmation of the bridge project, to be completed early next year, led Council to recognise it would have to ensure the city was ready for the anticipated number of tourists the completed project would attract.
“It has been clear from the outset this piece of infrastructure is more than simply just a bridge,” Councillor Darling said. “The stunning vistas which surround it and the novelty of the fact it crosses the ocean will prove irresistible to motorists. The challenge for Council and those working in local tourism will be to capitalise on these benefits and market them to not only those already familiar with the area, but to the increasing number of people ‘day tripping’ as part of visits to the Sydney region.”
To achieve this, Council has been supporting Tourism Wollongong, the city’s tourist development arm, in creating the ‘Grand Pacific Drive’ branding for Lawrence Hargrave Drive and the roads which connect it to the remainder of the Illawarra region.
Council’s General Manager, Rod Oxley, said the strategy would see the promotion of the city’s north and its new bridge in the same light as Victoria’s Great Ocean Road.
“Our geographic proximity to Sydney gives Wollongong access to the largest consumer market in Australia, many of whom simply aren’t aware of the beauty of our north or the phenomenal change which the city has undergone from its heavy industry dominated days,” Rod Oxley said. “If those consumers are aware something on a par, if not better, than the Great Ocean Road is on their doorstep, then obviously they are most likely to day trip to our region instead of taking their money interstate.”
Supporting other organisations in their endeavours is just one part of Council’s vision for bringing tourists to the city. Council’s commitment to ensuring the strategy is supported by appropriate infrastructure was endorsed earlier this year with the approval of a $6 million tourism ‘gateway’. The complex, to incorporate a tourist information centre, restaurant and local indigenous interpretive centre, will occupy the site of a former petrol station at Bulli Tops, high up on the Escarpment at the junction of several major routes.
A joint venture between Council, the Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation, and site owners Mid-Link (Australia) Pty Ltd, the new gateway will provide visitors with informational, educational and hospitality options at the entrance to the region.
“The location has the benefit of having a full view of the city, so visitors will be presented with the benefit of being able to see where they are going before they descend down the Escarpment,” Council’s Director of Corporate and Governance, Stephen Payne, said. “It is situated beside Australia’s busiest commuter corridor, allowing plenty of exposure to the passing market, and is located at the top of the Bulli Pass which will feasibly, once the new bridge opens, allow the possibility of circular trips to and from Sydney.”
Councillor Darling said with the potential these exciting new projects will bring to the city, a key part of addressing the city’s tourism needs will be the achievement of positive outcomes for residents.
“While the prospect of an increased share of the local economy from tourism is something to be relished, our expectation is to see those gains translate to jobs for our people, the ability for existing business to regain their position, and for new business to be established,” Councillor Darling said.
