Close to Sydney: Easy to travel and visit clients

Wollongong is only an hour south from Australia’s largest city, Sydney. Yet we live and work without the congestion and stress of a major city. This is a big plus for many of the entrepreneurs, business owners and companies who chose to base their business here.

We are also only an hour away from Australia’s most connected airport, the Sydney Airport which has a domestic and international terminal. The reality is that it will often take those who live and work in Wollongong the same amount of time or even less to travel to the airport than many of those who live in Sydney.

Wollongong is also only one hour away from the new Western Sydney International airport, Sydney’s second airport currently under construction. If you base your business in Wollongong you will be spoilt for choice as to which airport you choose to take a well-deserved holiday or head off on a business trip.

Visiting clients in Sydney is also easy given Wollongong is connected to the CBD and other key business centres across Sydney such as Parramatta, Macquarie Park, Liverpool and North Sydney through the M1 Princess Motorway and other major roadways.

Major port terminal

Port Kembla provides businesses based in Wollongong with access to worldwide markets and is situated just five kilometres south of the Wollongong CBD.

Our port is NSW’s largest motor vehicle port and grain export hub. It operates across two precincts, the inner harbour and the outer harbour.

It includes six major independently operated terminals; 18 import/export berths; two bulk liquid berths; 3,410 metres of quay line; 186ha of land; 3.5 kilometres of road network and 29 kilometres of rail network.

Port Kembla is the first NSW approved liquified natural gas  import terminal being developed by AIE. This terminal will provide a more reliable gas supply to households and businesses, supplying up to 7o per cent of NSW’s gas needs and helping drive down prices for consumers state-wide.

Access to this reliable energy resource has been welcomed by the many Advanced Manufacturing businesses that call Wollongong and NSW home.

“We are located close to a deep water port and to Southeast Asia, which is a huge and growing market.”

– Justin Suwart, Business Development Manager, Bisalloy Steels

View: NSW Ports map of Port Kembla.

Connected by train, freight rail and regional airport

Wollongong benefits greatly from being part of the Sydney train network, making travel for business and travel easy. We have our own train line, the South Coast Line, that connects Wollongong to the entire Sydney network including the CBD and other major business hubs.

Many of our travelling business people will take the train right to the Sydney International Airport and get to enjoy the journey that hugs the beautiful Wollongong coastline along the way.

Wollongong is also connected to the national freight network which is regularly used by Australian grain exporters.

“We’re strategically placed in one of the largest regional cities in the country, and it’s only an hour away from Sydney. We rely on transport and logistics to cover the whole country.”

— Anthony Cuoco, Chief Operating Officer, TCS BI

Access to the major capitals on the east coast is easy through the Shellharbour Airport with daily flights to Melbourne and Brisbane.

The amenities at the Shellharbour Airport are set to improve further with the NSW Government committing $16 million to its upgrade that will include a new terminal building and Aviation Business Park making travel even more enjoyable.

You will love the minimal queues and ease of parking that our local regional airport will provide you and your business.

Enjoy more culture and entertainment

Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne are all within easy reach of Wollongong.

An hour’s train ride from Wollongong will take you to Sydney’s iconic landmarks including the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, the city’s famous festivals – such as Vivid – museums like the newly renovated Australian Museum, or perhaps to watch your favourite team play at Allianz Stadium.

Australia’s capital city, Canberra, is a 2.5 hour drive away from Wollongong. The home of the federal government and its departments, as well as national cultural institutions such as the National Museum of Australia, National Art Gallery and Australian War Memorial, Canberra is also offers great bush walks and bike rides.

Melbourne is a short flight from the Shellharbour Regional Airport, which is 20 minutes from Wollongong CBD. Access the amazing shopping, dining, sports and cultural attractions of Victoria’s capital city.

Digital infrastructure to stay connected

Did you know that most locations in Wollongong offer double or even triple fibre optic redundancy? This gives peace of mind to data reliant companies and puts Wollongong in a great place to host your digital business.

The new $125 million data centre in Wollongong provides local businesses with data activity within two milliseconds of Sydney and Canberra and the region is experiencing a strong record of growth in the information technology sector.

Wollongong is also covered by a free to air Internet of Things (IoT) network platform using LoRaWAN with other technologies helping our region join the digital revolution.

The University of Wollongong along with the SMART Infrastructure Facility have created the Digital Living Lab and are working on various projects of benefit to Wollongong and Australia, such as building energy monitoring, air quality monitors, smart hydrants and various apps used by the community.

“We have fast internet here, the NBN connections are great.”

— Eamonn Bell, Co-founder, Accelo

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