See the Impact Wollongong

Central & North Wollongong · Independent resident project

What the towers will hide

Three high-rise proposals within a few blocks of each other are being assessed one at a time. Drag the slider to see what they would do to the view of Mt Keira and the escarpment, from homes, parks and lookouts across the city. Every render is indicative, built from published plans and placed into real photos.

Existing view west from Flagstaff Hill lighthouse to Mt Keira, with the city skyline below the escarpment
Same view with the proposed former Bunnings site towers of 35 to 36 storeys added, rising into the escarpment backdrop
TodayProposed

Flagstaff Hill lighthouse, looking west. Former Bunnings site towers (SSD-100626709) shown as plain massing. Mt Keira's summit stays visible from here, but the towers rise well above the city's existing skyline.

3major proposals under state assessment
9new buildings, 12 to 38 storeys
~2,390new homes and co-living rooms combined
130 mtallest tower, on a site with a 32 m limit

The views

Before and after, from where people live

Each view starts from a real phone photo. The proposed buildings are placed using the photo's position, height and lens, at the heights in the published plans. Pick a viewpoint, then drag across the image.

Existing view north from level 16 at 20 Belmore Street up the rail corridor towards the escarpment and coast
Same view with Keira Place stage 2 towers of 25 and 30 storeys filling most of the frame, and former Bunnings site towers beyond
TodayProposed

Looking north up the rail corridor

The two Keira Place stage 2 towers, roughly 86 m and 101 m tall and about 200 m away, block most of the view north to the escarpment and the coast.

Viewpoint
20 Belmore Street, level 16, facing north
Shows
Keira Place A (25 storeys) and B (30 storeys); former Bunnings site buildings 2 and 3 (36 and 18 storeys)
Hidden behind
Keira Place C (12 storeys), the Bunnings site 35-storey towers, and 4–4A Flinders St (38 storeys) also sit in this direction but are hidden behind A and B

Case study · what a building report looks like

88 Smith Street (SP90282)

Any owners corporation can get the same kind of summary for its own building. This is the one for 88 Smith Street, a residential strata building that has stood on Smith Street for about 12 years.

Existing view west from 88 Smith Street, level 4
Proposed view west from 88 Smith Street, level 4, with Mt Keira hidden
TodayProposed

View impact report

SP90282 · Oct 2026
Viewpoint tested
Level 4, north side, facing west
Proposal
Former Bunnings site, 73–77 Gipps St & 60–74 Flinders St (SSD-100626709)
Buildings in view
4 of 5: 36, 35, 35 and 18 storeys
Mt Keira summit
Hidden
Escarpment ridgeline
Largely blocked centre of view
Other proposals
Keira Place and 4–4A Flinders St not visible from this viewpoint
Committee action
Under consideration exhibition closed 29 Sep 2026; late submission being considered
Status of render
Indicative. Positions approx. ±20 m; heights from EIS storey counts

Other buildings can request the same report: one photo from a window or balcony, and the proposal you want shown. Higher floors and other faces of a building can be tested too. Request a view for your building.

The proposals

Three applications, one skyline

All three are State Significant Development applications, assessed by the NSW Department of Planning rather than Wollongong City Council. Each is assessed on its own merits. None of them is assessed against the others.

4–4A Flinders Street

38storeys · ~130 m

  • Current car yard site, North Wollongong
  • Single tower, about 130 m: the tallest building in the region if approved
  • 303 apartments (45 affordable) plus 174 co-living rooms
  • Site height limit is 32 m. Council opposes; the Department has raised significant concerns
  • Application: SSD-85464245, at response to submissions stage
NSW Planning Portal project page Illawarra Mercury: Department raises concerns

Figures from published reporting and the Planning Portal as of October 2026. Check the Planning Portal for current status before relying on them.

Side by side

Nine buildings, to scale

Every proposed building in storeys, grouped by site. The dashed lines show the height limits that apply to two of the sites today.

Proposed building Current height limit (approx. storeys)

Have your say

How to make a submission

  1. Find the projectSearch the application number (for example SSD-85464245) on the NSW Planning Portal's Major Projects page. The page shows whether submissions are open and the closing date.
  2. Say where you standSubmissions state whether you object, support, or are just commenting. Give your reasons in your own words. Short and specific beats long and general.
  3. Use the evidenceName the view you would lose and attach the before-and-after image for your building. Point to height limits, the Flinders Street Precinct Urban Design Framework, traffic, parking, flooding and overshadowing where they apply to you.
  4. Ask for the bigger pictureAsk the Department to consider the cumulative impact of all the nearby proposals together, rather than one at a time.
  5. Know what's publishedSubmissions are generally published online. You can ask for your name to be withheld, and you must disclose any reportable political donations.
  6. Owners corporations can submit tooA strata committee can lodge a submission on behalf of the whole building. If the exhibition has closed, ask the Department's planner whether a late submission will be accepted, and ask to be told if amended plans are re-exhibited.

Open the NSW Planning Portal, Major Projects

Request a view

See it from your window

Send a photo of the view you care about and choose the proposal. You will get back an indicative before-and-after, free, for use in your own submission or your building's.

Photo tips: send the original file straight from your phone (not a screenshot or a WhatsApp copy) so it keeps its location and lens data. Hold the phone level, at normal zoom, and include some sky.

How it's made

Method and limits

Method

  • Start from a real photo with its original location, height and lens data.
  • Fit the camera to known landmarks (typically within 1 to 2 degrees).
  • Build each proposed building as simple massing from the storey counts and plans in the application documents.
  • Place the massing into the photo at its mapped position and label each building.

Limits

  • These are indicative renders, not certified photomontages. They have not been prepared to Land and Environment Court standards.
  • Positions are approximate (about ±20 m). Heights come from storey counts and published figures, so final heights may differ.
  • Buildings are shown as plain blocks, without facade detail, setbacks or landscaping.
  • Spot an error? Use the request form and it will be corrected.

Community

Get involved

Highrisers

A group for strata committee members from apartment buildings around central Wollongong, sharing experience on strata matters, planning and local development. The mailing list covers about 30 buildings.

When
Second Monday of each month, 10 am. Next: Monday 9 November 2026
Where
Community room, Creston Apartments, 22–26 Corrimal Street
Join
Use the request form above and mention Highrisers, and you'll be put in touch

Wrong for the Gong

A resident campaign within Neighbourhood Forum 5. It says it isn't opposed to development or housing, only to the scale of these proposals. Find it on Facebook: Wrong for the Gong – overdevelopment.

Further reading