At left, the committee at the 2022 AGM; below, a 2023 Rise and Shine clean-up; and, centre, the 1984 NIRAG logo.
NIRAG celebrates its 40th NIRAG secretary Ross Dearden shares four decades of achievements
This August it will be 40 years since NIRAG began, and a gathering is planned at 4.30pm on Sunday, August 18 at the Black Diamond Bulli Heritage Museum to present a collection of records to the Local Studies Library. Afterwards there is an opportunity to socialise at Resin Brewery. Please RSVP to nirag@bigpond.com. What NIRAG has achieved in 40 years
First and foremost, we have led the movement to recognise the special environment where we live. From the very beginning, we were able to rally, unite and empower a whole community to value the area and prevent unsuitable development. The first challenge was to fight off the threat of 40m-high coal bins at Sandon Point in 1984. Supported by Jack Munday and the wider community, in the 1990s NIRAG members had ongoing representation on Development Control Planning, Rezoning committees and working parties, the Sustainable Development Committee and later on the Rick Farley Process committee. In 1993 NIRAG objected to the proposed cycleway route from Bulli to Thirroul that would have destroyed the Tramway Creek wetlands. The cycleway was relocated to the west and crossed the creek at the Water Board causeway. It is significant that this route now defines the western boundary of the Aboriginal Place, declared in 2007. From 1998 to 2006, NIRAG applied for and received CoastCare and Environmental Trust Grants totalling over $150,000 for revegetation projects along creeks and the foreshore from Woonona to Thirroul, led by Marcel van Wijk, with Jill Merrin as Project Manager. Since 1999 NIRAG has won annual Wollongong Council Environmental and Healthy Cities Awards for bushcare work and Rise and Shine clean-ups. 26 clubs & community
In 2003, the Tramway Wetlands Planning Committee led by Jill Merrin in association with NIRAG produced the Sandon Point Community Vision, to guide and protect natural and cultural values. Led by founding member Max Ackerman, NIRAG held public meetings and made representations and submissions to Council and the Land and Environment Court (LEC). In 2001 Max, who was Secretary from 1984 until 2004, initiated the Community Picket at Hill Street to oppose the inappropriate housing development. This resulted in concessions, including increased buffer zones and setbacks for Tramway and Woodlands Creeks; the Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) for Point St; and dedication (at no cost) of the 3000m2 land between the end of Hill St and the cycleway. Recognition of Indigenous heritage has always been important and NIRAG helped raise funds for environmental studies and to support both the Sandon Point Aboriginal Tent Embassy (SPATE), and the Community Picket at the end of Hill St Bulli from 2001 to 2006. More recently there have been submissions to Wollongong Council on the annual Infrastructure Development Plan, the Cycleway Strategy, and the Integrated Transport Strategy. We successfully lobbied to have the cycleway widened at Trinity Row, Bulli and have a commitment to widen the northern cycleway to Thirroul to 4m in future. We continue to support local groups threatened with contentious DAs, as well as promote access to the Lower Escarpment trail and finding solutions to the parking issues at the Bulli Hospital site; improvements to the cycleway road crossings, and encouraging solar and PV installations. Since taking on the role of Neighbourhood