NSW Lands Minister Tony Kelly is "running scared" of a referendum on Killalea State Park, activists say.
South Coast Labour Council secretary Arthur Rorris said Mr Kelly's decision not to support a referendum was evidence he was afraid of the result.
He also foreshadowed that "the best is yet to come" in the battle to prevent private developers taking control of part of the park.
"There is information about how this deal came together which is dynamite," he said.
The idea of a referendum was suggested by Shellharbour Mayor David Hamilton to gauge support for an Illawarra-wide levy to assist with maintenance costs of the park, thereby negating the need to lease a section to a private developer.
At a public meeting on Tuesday night organised by the labour council and the Save Killalea Alliance, more than 100 people overwhelmingly supported a referendum to determine the future of the park.
But a spokesman for Mr Kelly said a referendum would not make a difference to a decision to lease part of the site for 52 years.
"Holding a referendum would be a waste of time and money. We don't think the people of three council areas (Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama) should have to pay a new levy for something that would ostensibly be the same result," he said.
When asked what that result would be, he said "development of the site".
"Both mayors (of Shellharbour and Kiama) wrote to the minister confirming support for development, they just wanted their councils to have control ... there will be development on the site regardless of who controls it," he said.
Mr Kelly also accused Killalea activists of trying to "hijack" calls for a levy by turning it into "a call for an unnecessary referendum".
Save Killalea Alliance's Sonya McKay said she was shocked by the minister's comments.
"Saying the park will be developed regardless makes a mockery of the exhibition and public consultation process that is to come," she said.
Both Councillor Hamilton and Mr Rorris said they would pursue a referendum or postal vote to determine community opinion.
"The minister has no power to stop a referendum," Mr Rorris said.
Cr Hamilton said he supported development on the site, just not at the hands of a private developer. The secrecy surrounding the deal was also a concern, he said.
Illawarra Mercury - 21 September 2007
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