Some bright spark recognised that the ideal place for a " Welcome to Wollongong " information centre would be where Bulli Pass and the F6 from Sydney intersect.
The site had a run down cafe and petrol outlet with magnificent views of the city and the Illawarra coastline.
A modest plan for a reasonable outlay was devised - and then the " movers and shakers " of this city got in the act. Like topsy - the " Gateway " as it was named - simply grew - and grew - and grew !
It is now going to cost an astronomical $ 9.3 million - ninety times it's original estimate - and has become a regional Taj Mahal with all manner of additions, including an Aboriginal centre.
We now learn that an additional $ 1.3 million will be coming from Wollongong ratepayers funds - because the city did not do it's paperwork and a contribution by the Federal government has fallen foul of Kevin Rudd's plan to punish Liberal party voters.
John Howard's " Regional Partnership Programme " was axed by the incoming Labor government because it considered projects favoured Liberal and National held seats. The irony of that decision is that Labor voting Wollongong - the heartland of Labor - will suffer a $ 1.3 million penalty.
The Labor dominated Wollongong council failed to ratify that $ 1.3 million to the Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation ( IAC ) for Gateway by way of a formal agreement or contract, and as a result - it has been cancelled.
Just another example of council ineptitude that not only has the Gateway " White Elephant " blown out to ninety times it's original estimate, but another huge contribution to it's cost has been lost - and now will be paid by the long suffering ratepayers of this city.
Another interesting comment from Geoff on what is wrong with Wollongong. I would however not lay all the blame for this initial irresponsible blow out at the feet of the Wollongong "movers and shakers." The expanding project in general and the Aboriginal additions in particular were driven not by the developers, but by the local Aboriginal community and their supporters. Things being what they are, the movers and shakers probably made a pragmatic decision to the Aboriginal addition as if they did not, they could face the Sandon Point protest mob dogging them every step of the way. I think its a case of the political correct using this threat to coerce them into agreeing to a mega-centre. Other parts of the plan unravelled for reasons unrelated to the Council and the centre's backers. You can't blame them for example for the Federal government ending the regional funding rorts and the loss of the $1.3 m. The blame here is spread much further around.
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