Wollongong City Council

As you get ready to dance the weekend away at the Yours and Owls Festival, take a moment to meet some of the awesome volunteers who helped our team plant and pick up rubbish. The program, run by Council and supported by Yours and Owls, saw festivalgoers work for a free ticket by giving back to their local community. The work our Dunecare and Bushcare volunteers do is so important! If you want to join a Bushcare or Dunecare volunteer group, see our website:

They’re the regular season champions! But our Illawarra Hawks are chasing the biggest prize of all. ???? Good luck to Coach Tatum and his Hawks as their post-season campaign tips off at the WIN Entertainment Centre this Friday against South East Melbourne. All of Wollongong’s behind you! Let’s bring that silverware back to the Gong! #werisetogether

In case you missed it… we adopted the Quarterly Review Statement December 2024 at the latest Council meeting. This is where we give an update on our progress on key projects and Council services. That’s everything from the number of library books borrowed (spoiler - we reached a major milestone last quarter), footpath and road works, and updates on exciting projects like the Southern Suburbs Community Centre & Library. Add to your local Wollongong knowledge by reading our deep dive into some of the projects, events and services that we’ve been busy working on last quarter. You can also read the full Quarterly Review Statement on our website: https://lnkd.in/gT6cMVzQ

Calling all teachers and educators! Our team at the Wollongong Botanic Garden have been working on a new nature education excursion program for schools. Led by expert educators, the new excursion program brings hands-on learning that’s linked to the NSW School Curriculum. There are loads of tailored excursions to choose from including: ?? Hands on Compost activities that show how organic waste gets turned into food for the soil ?? Explore an Illawarra rainforest to discover birds, mammals, reptiles, minibeasts and incredible plant species ?? Visit display gardens to compare and contrast different habitats and biomes ?? Learn about the tiny forest and how it can be used to fight climate change and improve our city. Check out our website and book in an excursion for this year: https://lnkd.in/g4eaat4k

Do you need some extra support to run an event or activity in our community? Applications are open for a number of financial or in-kind support programs for individuals or groups based in the Wollongong Local Government Area (LGA). Grants currently open include: ?? Connecting Neighbours grants ?? Minor donations ?? Bands and choirs ?? Community events ?? Heritage grants ?? NAIDOC Week grants ?? Small Cultural grants ?? ClubGRANTS. Visit our website and learn more about the opportunities available for individuals and community groups: https://lnkd.in/ghTMC7PT

?? Job alert. We’re looking for talented people to fill some key roles across teams managing our sportsfields, town planning and Wollongong Youth Services. Check out our current job opportunities: ?? Project Manager ?? Sportsfields Operations Manager ?? Town Planner Development Assessment Urban Release ?? Youth Development Worker. Visit our website to apply today: https://lnkd.in/gxtB4p9D

Ever wondered what plants and animals call Lake Illawarra home? We’ve been working with Shellharbour City Council and the NSW Government on a new technique to investigate life in Lake Illawarra called an Environmental DNA or eDNA study. It works by collecting genetic material (eDNA) that has been naturally shed from an animal or plant. This can include leaves, hair, scales or skin. By capturing these tiny, discarded DNA samples we’re able to build a picture of what’s been living in an ecosystem. Pipefish, hairy mussels, ghost shrimp, eels, octopus, cockles and mangrove saplings are just some of the plants and animals we’ve recorded through this study. You can check out the full list and see the detailed eDNA report here: https://lnkd.in/gEhq4DcR We’re also calling for people to join the Lake Illawarra Coastal Management Program Implementation Group as Community Representatives or Scientific Advisors. If this is something you’re interested in, apply by Monday 10 March: https://lnkd.in/guHERYqT

Our Wollongong Youth Services team is on the lookout for a local artist aged 18-24 years to become our next Artist in Residence. Running from April 2025 to April 2026, this opportunity provides: ?? Free access to the artist studio at Wollongong Youth Centre ?? $1000 worth of art supplies and equipment ?? Mentoring opportunities ?? Experience delivering workshops. Sound like the perfect opportunity for someone you know? Tag them in this post and encourage them to apply online by Friday 21 March. See here for more details: https://lnkd.in/eFe_nAgZ

Today, 13 February, is a significant day for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. On this day in 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally apologised to the Stolen Generations. The apology acknowledged the pain, suffering and transgenerational trauma caused by the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, communities, countries, and cultures. Today and every other day, we acknowledge their pain, strength, and resilience. ? If you'd like to know more about the apology and what it means, check out our infographic below.?

Nominations are open for the 2025 Regional NAIDOC Awards! We’re calling for nominations for individuals, organisations and businesses from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community whose efforts make a significant, positive difference. You have until Saturday 16 March to submit a nomination, with winners to be officially announced at the 2025 Regional NAIDOC Awards Ceremony on Saturday 26 July 2025 at the Shellharbour Civic Centre. Find out more and nominate someone today: https://lnkd.in/g4PSpqwm Shellharbour City Council