Killalea Media

Opponents challenge survey on Killalea

By COURTNEY TRENWITH

THE credibility of a survey to gauge support for a tourist development at Killalea State Park has been questioned.

The Save Killalea Alliance said residents had to answer questions without knowing details of the planned development and the survey analysis did not consider the respondents' full views.

Survey results were released last week, showing that support for an ecotourism development within the park was split down the middle.

The Illawarra Regional Information Service conducted the survey in Shellharbour and Kiama from June 18-20 and found that 53 per cent of respondents opposed the development outright, while 26 per cent could live with it and 21 per cent supported it.

Developer Killalea Coastal Investments was pleased with the results considering the immense publicity surrounding the environmental impact of the development.

However, the Save Killalea Alliance, which has led a campaign against the development, said the survey had not been conducted fairly.

Spokeswoman Sonya McKay said that residents were made to answer questions without having the full details.

"It is unclear what proposal 21 per cent of people indicated they supported since the survey doesn't provide any details through its questions or responses," Ms McKay said.

"The current proposal should have been clearly detailed in the survey report for any developer to claim any community support for it."

Ms McKay said many of the respondents who said they either supported the development or could live with it did so only with conditions, such as that the environment was not affected or that the camping area was guaranteed.

"All of this also ignores the in excess of 15,000 signatures collected opposing the leasing and development of Killalea State Park," she said.

The Illawarra Regional Information Service did not want to comment about the credibility of the survey on the proposal.