Where is the masterplan? Illawarra in the dark on WIN Entertainment Centre’s future
A $3.5 million masterplan for the Illawarra entertainment precinct is complete - yet still not publicly released.
Local businesses and the community remain in the dark about the future of the Illawarra Sports and Entertainment Precinct, despite the NSW Government pushing ahead with reforms to unlock new accommodation and mixed-use development on Venues NSW land.
The move clears the way for major redevelopment opportunities across the state. In the Illawarra, Venues NSW says a masterplan for the future of the precinct is complete, but despite the $3.5 million planning process being referenced in Venues NSW’s 2024 Annual Report, no plan is publicly available.
Director of Business Illawarra, Coralie McCarthy, said: “Announcements of planning changes are great, but without funding commitments for state-run venues, they’re only as good as the paper they’re written on.”
“Unless the venue receives investment, we’re missing out on opportunities like the Rugby World Cup and the Olympics. Public investment needs to be the enabler, and at the moment we’re not seeing that happen.”
Amendments to the Sporting Venues Authorities Act remove long-standing restrictions that prevented residential and visitor accommodation on land owned by Venues NSW. The change applies to precincts in Parramatta, Newcastle and the Illawarra Sports and Entertainment Precinct in Wollongong, and is part of the Government’s plan to expand the visitor economy to $91 billion by 2035 — a target that requires 40,400 new hotel rooms.
NSW Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said the reform would turn under-utilised land into “vibrant and cohesive precincts” and help stadiums operate as genuine year-round destinations.
Masterplan exists
While the government is now inviting development, the Illawarra still has no visibility on what Venues NSW is proposing. The organisation confirmed in its 2024 Annual Report that a Masterplan and Strategic Business Case for the precinct have been completed and make a “compelling case” for investment — but neither document has been made public.
A spokesperson for the Minister for Sport confirmed a final business case has been completed.
“A final business case has been completed for a revitalised sport and entertainment precinct befitting of its prime location,” they said.
“We’re excited for the possibilities the site presents to support the growth of the Illawarra.”
In 2022, Wollongong City Council released a report that found the 23-year-old WIN Entertainment Centre and WIN Stadium are no longer fit-for-purpose, regularly turn away large events and require comprehensive upgrades to remain competitive. The report said WIN Stadium does not appropriately accommodate player and game-day facilities, including change rooms and press conference spaces.
Council recommended modernising the WIN Entertainment Centre, enhancing WIN Stadium’s concert capability and reopening the locked-off training fields for festivals and public use.
In March 2022, Business Illawarra released a 100-page, $500 million proposal for a new entertainment centre precinct complete with a hotel, new grandstands and serviced apartments.
Years of delays fuel frustration
The precinct’s future has been the subject of political and business frustration for years. Before entering government, the now NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, and Member for Wollongong, Paul Scully, criticised delays and called for the release of earlier reports.
Mr Scully and local business groups argued that Wollongong risked losing major concerts and conferences to Western Sydney unless the precinct was upgraded.
Reform welcomed
Managing Director of Destination Wollongong, Jeremy Wilshire, said the new rules opened the door for more urgently needed accommodation in the city.
“This is a welcome initiative,” he said.
“Obviously, our focus lies in accommodation. There is a hotel shortage in Wollongong, and it makes perfect sense to address this need in a precinct that routinely attracts big crowds.”
Mr Wilshire said Destination Wollongong is working with Wollongong City Council to deliver a Hotel Demand Study forecasting accommodation needs up to 2041.
“Hopefully, this work can help inform the State Government’s vision, which includes the bold aim of an additional 10,000 hotel rooms in regional NSW by 2035,” he said.
The Property Council of Australia welcomed the legislative change, saying it finally removes a key obstacle to investment.
“This is a sensible, future-focused move that recognises the value of integrating accommodation, entertainment and transport,” Property Council NSW Executive Director Anita Hugo said.
“Unlocking land around venues like these will help those precincts grow as entertainment hubs and employment centres, creating new opportunities for local businesses and the visitor economy.”
“These precincts are ideally positioned to draw more visitors and activity across the week, not just on event days.”
What’s next for the Illawarra?
Ms McCarthy said the Illawarra needs to see action on the future of Wollongong’s entertainment precinct.
“Progress on this can’t wait any longer,” she said.
“This has been campaigned for over many years, and the WIN Entertainment Centre is at the heart of a much broader region. It’s not just Wollongong. People come from Western Sydney and right down the South Coast. It serves a huge audience, and it needs to be maintained to support our economy, our industries and our communities.”
Wollongong City Council is asking for funding to enable Venues NSW to apply for a State Significant Development Application for the overall project.
“Wollongong City Council has strongly advocated for the transformation of Wollongong’s WIN Entertainment Centre and welcomes the State Government and Venues NSW’s continued work on the Illawarra Sports and Entertainment Precinct, which, if realised, will be a momentous step in uplifting Wollongong’s entertainment and foreshore area,” a spokesperson said.
“The project has significant regional interest and benefit. Council is keen to see the NSW Government commit further funding to the next stage of the project — the preparation and submission of a State Significant Development Application so that it’s ‘shovel ready’ for redevelopment.”
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