Misplaced your birth certificate? From March 28 you may have to travel to Sydney for it to be replaced.
The Wollongong Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) Office located on Kembla Street has been scheduled to close, along with its five full-time staff to take up positions in the Chippendale operation.
Wollongong’s Service NSW will take on BDM transactions with “urgent” certificates delivered by mail within 3-4 days and non-urgent within 5 weeks. However, over-the-counter certificate issues and marriage services will be a thing of the past.
Yasmin Blundell caught up with Tony Heathwood, the south-east regional organiser of the Public Service Association, to discuss the closure and the impact this will have on the Illawarra. Laurie Edwards created a Facebook page ‘Keep Our Registry Office – Wollongong’ to protest these changes, and provided an insight behind his motivation.
Chelsea Anstee investigated the impact the closure will have on couples wishing to tie the knot, as well as celebrants. However, with the online world having greater prominence – Mayor Gordon Bradbery believes this will not be an issue.
Check out what other locals have had to say!