Northern Illawarra Residents Action Group NIRAG Inc

NIRAG meets quarterly on the 1st Wednesday of February, May, August and November at 7:00pm in the Bulli Community Centre Hall (the old Bulli Council Library), Princes Highway, Bulli.

All residents are welcome to join NIRAG and attend our meetings.

To contact us we have an email for correspondence: nirag@bigpond.com

NIRAG collaborates with other community groups, including Thirroul Village Committee; Illawarra Bicycle Users Group; the Bulli Hospital Community Group and Better Planning Network and the Illawarra Escarpment Alliance. NIRAG continues to support the creation of a Keeping Place at Sandon Point, and the Hewitt’s Creek Bushcare volunteer group, and assists the community with local issues and development applications.

The NIRAG Executive for 2023 / 2024 is:

President:                              John Croker

Vice President                       David Beswick

Secretary / Treasurer:             Ross Dearden (Phone: 0411 484 166)

Since 2020 Neighbourhood Forum 3 hasn’t met, and residents of the NF3 area from Woonona, Bulli, Thirroul and Austinmer, are welcome to attend Northern Illawarra Residents Action Group (NIRAG) meetings to discuss local community issues.

Our community group, the Northern Illawarra Residents Action Group (NIRAG), was initially formed in 1984 as a reaction to proposals to construct 40 m high Coal Bins at Sandon Point, Bulli, about 12 km north of Wollongong. Since 1988 the group has focussed on the proposals to rezone and develop the 61 ha of largely undeveloped land east of the railway between Sandon Point, Bulli and Thirroul.

NIRAG insisted that the area should be utilised in an environmentally sensitive manner and proposed that the whole area be the subject of a Local Environmental Study (LES). In 1992 Wollongong City Council resolved to proceed with the Local Environmental Study and NIRAG continued to work with Council and the consultants on the LES working party.

As a result of the public outcry and the support from our community, in April 1993 additional studies were required to obtain a second opinion on the critical aspects in the LES Report :- foreshore setbacks, creek treatments, dune restoration, wetlands, flooding and fill impacts. By being a focus for community action we have helped achieve better environmental and social outcomes in our local area.

So that NIRAG can continue to represent the northern Illawarra communities, in May 1994 we became incorporated as a legal entity under the Associations Incorporation Act, 1984. Since then we continue to support the preservation of Open Space and the retention and enhancement of our Natural Environment, European and Indigenous Heritage.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of NIRAG are as follows:

• To protect and enhance the Illawarra’s natural environment, particularly in those areas of the Northern Illawarra from Helensburgh to Wollongong.
• To enable the residents of the Northern Illawarra to more fully participate in decision making on issues concerning their local area. NIRAG seeks to achieve this through cooperation with government, the public, industry, and unions in planning of the Northern Illawarra.
• To promote Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) principles for all residential, commercial and industrial development.
• To inform and educate residents and relevant bodies about proposed environmental changes and their likely effects on the Northern Illawarra.
• To encourage policies which will promote long-term employment prospects in the Illawarra.
• To promote transport policies that are safe, efficient, energy saving and which do not lower the quality of life of the residents of the Northern Illawarra.
• To support Aboriginal Reconciliation and recognise the cultural rights of Indigenous Australians.
• To promote research and formulate policies on areas relevant to our objectives.
• To affiliate and liaise with organisations with similar objectives.