Stanwell Tops is an exurban locality between the cities of Sydney and Wollongong on the New South Wales, Australia coastline.
It is bounded on all sides by state-forest reserves and other forested crown lands, which are contiguous with the Royal National Park and the Garawarra State Conservation Area.
Stanwell Tops has its origins as a private parcel of land owned by property developer Henry Ferdinand Halloran.
Helensburgh was still closed for the next three days due to the health hazard associated with a malfunctioning electricity grid, and sewage and water systems, which were also damaged in the fire.
[12] Local community groups remarked on the solidarity of residents during the crisis, particularly in helping to preserve property; however opinions of the actions of authorities were mixed.
[12] An official inquiry found that fire originated from powerlines operated by Integral Energy, and that the company was liable for compensation claims made by residents of affected homes and businesses.
More recent proposals that included plans for expanding Stanwell Tops as well as Helensburgh and Otford were submitted to Wollongong City Council from 2004[16] onwards.