Wollongong City Council's five-year plan to enhance community safety is on public exhibition outlining ways we can ensure community wellbeing through reducing crime and antisocial behaviour in our city.
The draft Community Safety Plan 2026–2031 endorsed by Council for public exhibition on Monday night (23 March) builds on the work and findings of five previous plans that have strengthened long-standing partnerships with NSW Police, government agencies, service providers and community organisations.
Residents being able to safely enjoy all Wollongong offers is essential to Council's broader goals in building an inclusive, vibrant and liveable city. This requires collaboration with NSW Police, residents and community groups, government departments and specialist service partners to advance ongoing initiatives and proactively address emerging issues for our community.
Previous plans have included targeted safety upgrades through the Safer Cities: Her Way program, a partnership with the NSW Government to improve perceptions of safety for women, girls and gender diverse people moving through public places and the public transport network.
It's also seen the development of rapid graffiti removal partnerships and commissioning of public art to reduce and discourage vandalism and graffiti, and community safety audits that informed effective Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design upgrades.
The new draft Plan for exhibition continues to draw on crime data and industry best-practice advice, with a renewed emphasis on community feedback and perceptions of safety to form a more holistic understanding of local priorities.
This was informed by broad community engagement and targeted workshops, while community members also shared their views on safety in their neighbourhoods and the City Centre through the Community Safety Survey.
This identified things like improved lighting in public spaces , greater support for homelessness and mental health support services, stronger responses to drug and alcohol-related concerns, and improved activation of public spaces to reduce antisocial behaviour as community priorities.
"Whether it's at home, at work or out in public spaces at any time of night and day, everyone has right to feel safe in our community," Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown said.
"People feeling safe and comfortable underpins all our goals and objectives to create a thriving, vibrant, and inclusive city. The draft Plan continues the efforts we've made to improve perceptions and experiences of safety in our city centre and suburbs.
"It's not something Council can address on our own. It's very important that we continue working with police and local service providers to identify issues, not just from an enforcement standpoint, but from an outreach perspective to proactively address causes of crime and antisocial behaviour.
"We've really engaged with communities to understand their perceptions and priorities in building a safer, welcoming Wollongong. It's something we're absolutely committed to, and this plan will guide those efforts over the next five years."
Following Council's endorsement, the draft Plan is on public exhibition for feedback from 25 March to 30 April . It is anticipated the draft Plan will then go before Council for adoption in June.
