Urban Digest

$96.6m Housing Scheme Filed for Heritage-Listed Coke Works Site

February 19, 2026

An architectural drawing from the Corrimal Coke Works Stage 2a proposal.

Corrimal’s former Coke Works site has entered another pivotal stage, with Stage 2a of the redevelopment now on public exhibition.

The proposal seeks approval for four apartment buildings delivering 207 dwellings on a 12,905sqm parcel at 27 Railway Street. Importantly, 57 of those apartments — or 27 per cent — are dedicated affordable rental housing.

The application forms part of the broader transformation of the 18.2-hectare former industrial site. However, the scheme relies on height and floor space bonuses under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021, raising questions about scale, compliance and public benefit.

Industrial Legacy Shapes Redevelopment

The former Corrimal Coke Works operated as a heavy industrial facility linked to the Illawarra’s steelmaking industry. The plant processed coal into coke for use in blast furnaces and formed part of the region’s industrial backbone.

After operations ceased, the site became surplus to requirements and was progressively decommissioned. Meanwhile, contamination and legacy infrastructure required detailed investigation and remediation.

In May 2022, the site was formally listed on the State Heritage Register after the Heritage Council of NSW determined it met the threshold for State significance. The listing includes site-specific exemptions to facilitate redevelopment in line with the approved master plan and Heritage Interpretation Strategy.

Although the principal heritage structures sit outside the Stage 2a boundary, the listing has shaped the planning pathway. It informed the rezoning process, required detailed heritage assessment, and added another statutory layer to approvals.

As a result, the site’s redevelopment has unfolded through staged earthworks, demolition, subdivision and built form approvals over several years.

Apartment Mix and Built Form

The application seeks consent for four residential flat buildings ranging from four to six storeys, with heights between 14.8 metres and 21 metres. Together, the buildings provide a gross floor area of 19,948sqm.

The mix includes 150 market apartments and 57 affordable dwellings. Notably, all affordable apartments are consolidated within Building 2.2.

Three single-level basement car parks will deliver 252 spaces. In addition, the design incorporates deep soil zones and communal open spaces, including lawns, play areas and seating areas.

The applicant proposes staged construction. Therefore, separate construction certificates may be issued for individual buildings.

Broader enabling works have already secured approval. Earlier bulk earthworks consents established final ground levels, addressed contamination and permitted vegetation removal across Stages 2–4.

A page from the architectural drawings for the Corrimal Coke Works Stage 2a proposal. — A technical drawing from the Corrimal Coke Works Stage 2a redevelopment application, illustrating aspects of the proposed residential buildings.

Rezoning and Planning History

The project sits within a planning framework established through a 2017 rezoning proposal. Following Gateway determination in 2018, Council and the Department undertook detailed assessment of flooding, heritage and design controls.

The amended Wollongong Local Environmental Plan was gazetted in April 2022. Subsequently, Council adopted a site-specific Development Control Plan and executed a Planning Agreement in December 2022.

Since then, multiple development applications have progressed. These include demolition works, subdivision, bulk earthworks and a Stage 1 built form approval for 179 apartments.

In December 2024, the NSW Government established the Housing Delivery Authority to accelerate well-located housing. Shortly after, the Minister declared Stage 2a to be State Significant Development in June 2025.

As a result, the proposal now proceeds under a State-led assessment pathway.

Height and Density Debate

A central issue is the proposal’s reliance on uplift provisions within the Housing SEPP.

The scheme applies infill affordable housing and transport-oriented development bonuses to exceed baseline height and floor space controls under the Wollongong LEP. Buildings 2.2 and 2.3 seek height variations, while Building 2.2 also seeks a floor space ratio variation.

The applicant argues the uplift is justified because the site sits adjacent to Corrimal Train Station and delivers substantial affordable housing. However, the assessment must determine whether the additional scale aligns with the strategic intent of the rezoning.

The key question will be whether the Clause 4.6 variations demonstrate sufficient environmental planning grounds, or whether the uplift risks undermining the controls established through the 2022 planning framework.

Affordable Housing Commitments

The affordable housing component distinguishes the scheme from earlier stages.

Under the Planning Agreement, the developer must facilitate delivery of at least 35 affordable dwellings. However, the current proposal delivers 57 units, exceeding that minimum.

Bridge Housing will manage the apartments as a registered community housing provider. Meanwhile, the applicant relies on the Housing SEPP incentives to justify the associated increase in height and density.

The assessment will therefore test whether the scale of uplift is proportionate to the public benefit secured.

An architectural drawing sheet from the Corrimal Coke Works Stage 2a proposal. — Architectural drawings illustrate the design and layout of the Corrimal Coke Works Stage 2a residential proposal.

Heritage and Design Response

The Corrimal Coke Works site carries both local and State heritage listings. Although the retained coke ovens and brick chimney sit outside Stage 2a, the proposal must demonstrate a sensitive interface.

The design references industrial materials such as brick and metal cladding. In addition, façade articulation seeks to reflect the site’s industrial character.

Aboriginal cultural heritage impacts were addressed under earlier bulk earthworks approvals, including the granting of an Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit. Consequently, the current stage is not expected to generate additional impacts.

Nonetheless, the Department will assess whether the built form and public domain meaningfully respond to the layered industrial and cultural history of the site.

Parks, Public Domain and Planning Agreement

A Voluntary Planning Agreement with Wollongong City Council underpins the delivery of public infrastructure.

The agreement secures dedication and embellishment of Central Village Park, delivery of a southern park and riparian corridor, active transport links and a new roundabout on Railway Street.

Importantly, the timing of certain works is tied to occupation certificates. Therefore, park delivery and affordable housing commitments form part of the staging framework.

The assessment will consider whether these contributions adequately offset the project’s increased height and floor space.

Public Exhibition and Determination

The application is currently on public exhibition. Submissions are invited before the Department finalises its assessment report.

Following exhibition, the Department will refer the proposal to relevant agencies and prepare recommendations for the Minister.

Given the site’s strategic location and affordable housing component, the determination will test how the Housing SEPP uplift provisions operate in practice on complex heritage-listed brownfield land.