Port Kembla Steelworks 200ha Site Wins Rezoning Fast-Track

Defunct industrial land in the Wollongong suburb of Port Kembla will be fast-tracked for rezoning so the area can be developed to attract hi-tech businesses.

The NSW Government is bumping up the rezoning of 200ha of land owned by BlueScope Steel as a State-Assessed Rezoning Proposal (SARP) to expedite the planning assessment timeframes.

The process is intended to be a “streamlined pathway to help identify and evaluate key employment sites”.

The “underutilised” land was previously used for steelmaking, however, BlueScope has determined it was surplus to requirements. 

It unveiled a masterplan in 2023 to transform the 200ha of non-steelmaking, excess landholdings next to its Port Kembla Steelworks.

The manufacturer said it wanted to turn the land into a “next generation multi-industrial precinct” with potential to create 30,000 jobs in rising industries such as clean energy and defence.

The masterplan has potential for 800,000sq m of employment, training, education and research space as well as cultural and recreational venues, public space and retail.

▲ An artist’s impression of the Port Kembla hi-tech manufacturing precinct.

BlueScope, which will mark its 100-year anniversary of operations in Port Kembla in 2028, plans to invest in projects to support the decarbonisation of steelmaking in the Illawarra region. 

The state intends to finalise the planning frameworks and instruments and undertake technical studies before the end of this year.

BlueScope head of property development Michael Yiend said the announcement of the SARP was a “significant step towards unlocking the potential of the Port Kembla site”.

BlueScope and TAFE NSW previously announced a nemorandum of understanding to explore the potential for an industry-based ‘Super TAFE’ at the Port Kembla site. 

▲ The land has been deemed surplus to BlueScope’s requirements.

Planning minister Paul Scully said the Port Kembla Land Transformation Project was “a game-changer for the region”.

“It’s the biggest land transformation in the world right now and possibly the most significant change to the region since steelmaking began nearly 100 years ago,” he said in a media statement.

NSW has been supporting the development of hi-tech research and development facilities, research and development, approving Bradfield’s second Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility in Sydney’s south-west this month, with a hi-tech hub also in progress in Newcastle to support the aerospace industry.