your say
Reasons for Killalea proposal don't add up
Ed Gilmore, chairman of the Killalea State Park Trust, tells the world that private development is necessary in this park because "it takes a lot of money to actually develop the park" ("Why we must develop Killalea", Mercury, August 10).
I doubt anyone would deny that the level of development proposed would require access to large amounts of funding, however, we still are not being told why development on this scale is necessary.
Mr Gilmore tells us that state government funding of $250,000 per annum is unlikely to continue. Coincidentally, this amount exactly equals the lease payment we can expect from the private developers ($13 million over 52 years), although Mr Gilmore also says that "$250,000 is going to be grossly inadequate to develop this park".
In other words, Mr Gilmore intends the trust should lease this prime beach-front land for an amount that is inadequate to meet the needs of the park. This suggests that the trust would favourably consider a proposal to lease further areas of the park.
The community has every reason to be suspicious of the motives of the State Government and the Killalea Trust, especially given the level of secrecy that has surrounded this proposal and the State Government's close links to the development industry.
The trust's own figures show this park has had a surplus in excess of $160,000 over the past two years. This suggests that the community likes this park just as it is. We already own it, we have already paid for it. Why should we now have to sell it?
Illawarra Mercury - 15 August 2007
Return to "Killalea Media Index" Page - A list of all media articles found relating to Killalea State Park with links to the articles.
Return to "Killalea State Park Protest" Page - General information on what has been happening over recent months.
Return to Killalea Index - Additional Killalea family information.