Media Release - 15 October 2026

Greens Wollongong City Councillor Kit Docker has urged the State Government and Venues NSW to review the current leasing agreement of the southern WIN Stadium training field.

Ongoing advocacy from Greens councillors has pushed for the publicly-owned southern training field to be accessible to the community after the opening of the St George Illawarra Dragons High Performance Centre in North Wollongong.

However, advice received from Venues NSW has confirmed the site will remain permanently closed to the community, with ongoing use by the Dragons for training purposes cited as the primary reason and occasionally as an event preparation site.

Cr Docker said, “The decision to keep this valuable piece of public land behind locked gates to accommodate the Dragons is incredibly disappointing given the significant public investment in delivering a state-of-the-art facility for the club only a few kilometres away.

“I’ve been a lifelong Dragons supporter and want to see the club succeed. However, restricting public access to both sites for the benefit of a single private organisation raises serious questions about whether we’ve struck the right balance between supporting the club and supporting the community.

“The government should look to replicate examples like Redfern Oval in Sydney that provide space for both professional sporting teams and community use. There is no reason why this premium site can’t be enjoyed by both the Dragons and community.”

A consultation survey on the draft plan is open until Sunday.
https://winprecinct.insw.com/news-and-updates/

Media contact:
Cr Kit Docker
Wollongong City Councillor, Ward 2