Council avoids Killalea debate
By SARAH ALLELY
DEBATE on the Killalea State Park development was avoided last night, when Mayor David Hamilton announced he had arranged to take his concerns about the lease of land to private developers directly to the lands and tourism ministers.
Shellharbour councillors were spared from being forced to vote on the mayor's request for support on his protest against the 52-year lease to private developers. Instead, he said he would defer such a request until after his meeting with Lands Minister Tony Kelly and Tourism Minister Matt Brown, which was set for immediately after Parliament resumed.
"But rest assured my aim will be to put forward the concerns I have been contacted with by the local community," Councillor Hamilton said.
"I have never seen this kind of mobilisation before. The unions have mobilised, the residents have mobilised. As the mayor the onus has been put on me to come out and support the community."
On April 30, Mr Kelly signed an agreement to lease three parcels of land to Killalea Coastal Investments, a joint venture between Mariner Financial and Babcock & Brown.
Cr Hamilton said the points he would make to his Labor colleagues in State Parliament would be that he opposed a long-term lease of public recreational land to private enterprise, and that the development application, when submitted, should come to the council rather than the Department of Planning.
"I do not oppose all development of Killalea, my concerns are directed at the lack of forthcoming information that this council has asked for from (the) developer and the trust," Cr Hamilton said.
Cr Geoff Rose said opposition to the Killalea plans should include all development, not just private enterprise, as open space needed to be protected in Shellharbour.
Cr Jeff Bailey said people in Shellharbour City "don't want any development at Killalea".
Illawarra Mercury - 4 July 2007
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