Killalea fight spreads
By SARAH ALLELY
ILLAWARRA councils have joined a mounting community campaign in demanding the State Government take urgent action before a multimillion-dollar lease is granted to develop Killalea State Park.
Minnamurra lawyer Susan Bunting raised her concerns in the Mercury on Saturday about the proposed lease of three parcels of land to a private Sydney company to construct strata "ecotourist" accommodation, the first such deal in NSW.
Ms Bunting has called for a public inquiry before the 52-year lease is granted.
Both Shellharbour City Council and Kiama Municipal Council on Tuesday night demanded urgent briefings from the Minister for Lands Tony Kelly and the Minister for Tourism Matt Brown.
Mr Kelly's spokesman said the councils could only be briefed after the lease had been signed, due to commercial confidentiality.
Shellharbour councillors were furious their only updates on the development were through the media, as its representative on Killalea State Park Trust, Councillor Barry Bird, was "gagged" for commercial confidentiality reasons.
They demanded the trust communicate its intentions for the land.
Yesterday trust chair Ed Gilmore confirmed the deal would make millions for the trust to maintain the park, and said he would put the council's request to the trust at its meeting on Monday.
He said the members were heavily restricted because of commercial confidentiality, but after the lease was granted everyone could comment on the development application.
"Since September 2002 we have been through due process. To say they know nothing about this is a load of rubbish," he said.
Ms Bunting splits her time between her Minnamurra home and Melbourne, and was here at Easter to catch the public notice placed on Good Friday advertising the minister's intention to lease the land to Killalea Coastal Investments Pty Ltd.
The newly registered company has a single shareholder, Mariner Land Limited, which is 75 per cent owned by Mariner Financial Ltd.
Ms Bunting questioned the company's experience in developing eco-tourism sites. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment, citing commercial confidentiality.
Mr Gilmore said the trust was confident the company had the eco-tourism ability, and had seen architectural drawings of its plans for the park.
"Because of the negotiations we have had over several years with them, they're the chosen proponent," Mr Gilmore said. "Wait until you see the plans and see exactly how good this is for the area."
Shellharbour Mayor David Hamilton said before the state election he put his concerns about the trust's operation to Mr Kelly.
Councillor Hamilton told Tuesday's council meeting he had asked the trust to fill a vacancy with another council representative, given the park is wholly within its city limits, but the trust decided not to fill the vacancy.
He said the council reminded Mr Brown early this week of its previous opposition to altering the park's plan of management to allow development.
Mr Kelly's spokesman said during the exhibition of the plan of management in 2005, eight submissions were received, including one from Shellharbour.
TIMELINE
KILLALEA State Park comprises 250ha of pristine coastal reserve situated on 8km of coastline with two surf beaches, The Farm and Mystics.
Under the Crown Land Act, Mr Kelly must wait 14 days before giving consideration.
Agreement to lease can then be signed, which is a commitment by the trust to allow the preferred proponent to seek development approval and a commitment to allow the development to go ahead if approval is given.
Once the development application goes to Shellharbour City Council, the public can see the plans and comment.
sallely@illawarramercury.com.au
EDITORIAL No secrets on Killalea, Page 21
Illawarra Mercury - 19 April 2007
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