The Wollongong suburb where unit prices surged 11% - in six months
The Weekly Wrap: More property growth stats revealed + UOW latest and utter randomness
The Weekly Wrap is generally a Friday thing, but we were keen to give space to news of Adam Zarth’s re-emergence on Wollongong’s business scene. We don’t want to impinge on your weekend downtime either, so please read responsibly!
Locals know its appeal, but word is clearly getting out about Port Kembla. Pict supplied
One mid-year property report reveals
There’s just one NSW entry on the top 10 list of suburbs with the fastest price growth for 2025, according realestate.com.au. And no surprise it’s from south-west Sydney.
Prices in Menagle, defined in the report as Sydney’s outer south west, have increased by 16% in the first six months of the year. It now has a median value of $1,188,000 - placing it third on the growth list.
Topping that list is Rangeway ($334k) in Western Australia where growth sits at 19%. Woodroffe ($514k) in Darwin comes in second with 17% growth ahead of Menagle and Mount Barker ($472k) in WA’s Wheat Belt.
We know you really just want to know what the Wollongong results were, so here’s a brief snapshot of house and unit growth in a handful of postcodes, with the median estimated value included.
Wollongong 2500: house +4%, $1.162m; unit +4%, $728k
Port Kembla 2505: house +6%, $943k; unit +11%, $575k
Austinmer 2515: house +1%, $2.070m; unit n/a
Bulli 2516: house +3%, $1.594m; unit +6%, $877k
Fairy Meadow 2519: house +5%, $1.188m; unit +3%, $639k
Figtree 2525: house +2%, $1.070m ; unit +6%, $716k
Flinders 2529: house +3%, $1.058m; unit +3%, $763k
Shellharbour 2529: house +4%, $1.209m; unit +4%, $811k
Dapto 2530: houses +3%, $791k; unit +5% $673k
Kiama 2533: house +3%, $1.154m; unit +3% $938k
The data uses PropTrack's automated valuation model (AVM) to determine a suburb's median property value.
UOW latest: Staff losses reduced
The University of Wollongong has released a revised change proposal, launching the next phase of consultation following more than 2,600 staff submissions on its March draft.
Vice-Chancellor and President Professor G.Q. Max Lu said the proposal had evolved significantly in response to staff engagement. “This is a difficult process, but the feedback from staff has helped shape a proposal that responds to current challenges while positioning us for sustainable growth and impact,” he said.
The updated plan aims to reduce ongoing costs by about $30 million. Proposed staff reductions are now 100–124 FTEs (down from 155–185), generating annual savings of $17–22 million. The balance will be achieved through non-salary cost reductions. Final figures may shift as consultation continues, including in the Research portfolio.
Key changes include retaining core library services, maintaining divisional admin support, and reducing the number of senior roles. Strategic reforms remain, including consolidating four faculties into three, a new Provost role, and the rollout of shared services.
Consultation remains open until August 4, with a final plan three weeks later. UOW says implementation will be gradual, with ongoing support and transition planning for affected staff.
New housing designs on show
Matthew Wales has given the NSW Government’s new Housing Pattern Book and fast-tracked approval pathway the thumbs up, saying good design is front and centre.
“This is a smart, design-led initiative that will make it easier and faster to deliver the high-quality, modest homes we need right across the region,” Mr Wales, the Property Council Illawarra Shoalhaven’s regional director, said.
Eight architect-designed patterns for terraces, townhouses and manor homes are now available through the Pattern Book, with detailed designs available for just $1 for the first six months. You can check out the available pattern designs by housing type, site area, and other features, right here.
The utter randomness you didn’t know you needed
Having started journalism as a sports reporter, some habits are hard to break (scrolling straight to the sports section, for instance). But more and more, the intersection of business and sports deepens. Who would ever have imagined a football team from North Wales would all-but sellout Allianz Stadium in a pre-season friendly? But when Wrexham came calling against Sydney FC, that’s precisely what happened.
Even better for Welsh football fans is the brouhaha between Wrexham (owned by celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney) and (my beloved) Swansea City. Thanks to Wrexham’s newly-achieved Championship status, they will play in the same League this season. And the race to become Wales’ No.1 club has kicked off in earnest. As if it wasn’t enough to have Snoop Dogg reveal the Swans new kit and throw shade on Wrexham, next thing you know he’s signed up to become the club’s latest high-profile co-owner and investor - after than none other than Croatian football great Luka Modrić. It’s a bit like Kanye West bankrolling the Illawarra Steelers! Wild.
The Pulse this week
Adam Zarth returns to lead regional development push
Clean energy vision holds strong in Illawarra as turbulence hits
Wollongong muscles in on international conference seriesWhat we’re listening to
Given we’ve mentioned property prices already and have covered the affordable housing issue our nation faces, this week I plugged in The McKinsey Podcast “Confronting the affordable housing crisis”. It’s US-based, but entirely relatable. If you’re interested the extra reading comes via McKinsey’s five bold solutions to the affordable housing crisis. Tell me some of them don’t resonate?
The hot ticket
With school holidays ending there’s an opportunity for one-last fling for the appropriately aged who just might love to see Mary Poppins, the original (fictional) influencer. The show is a So Popera presentation at IPAC. Opening night was Friday but it’s on until July 26. Check out all the details here