Councils speak out over Killalea
By SARAH ALLELY
OPPOSITION to the long-term lease of Killalea State Park land was given state-wide support from local councils yesterday.
Despite two Wollongong and Shoalhaven councillors objecting, delegates to the Local Government Association of NSW Conference in Coffs Harbour voted to support Kiama Municipal Council's motion regarding commercial developments on Crown land.
Earlier this year NSW Lands Minister Tony Kelly signed an agreement to lease three parcels of park land for 52 years to Killalea Coastal Investments, a joint venture between Mariner Financial and Babcock & Brown.
It allows for 202 residential lodges, swimming pools, tennis courts, restaurants and a conference centre.
Kiama deputy mayor Howard Jones stressed that the point was not to ban any development, but to stop large-scale commercial development on land leased for long periods of time to private companies.
"A small commercial development in conjunction with the trust is all that is required for this location," Cr Jones said.
The NSW association will now campaign to ensure commercial developments on Crown land are compatible with the general use of the land for public purposes, and are of a scale and nature that do not alienate areas from people who have traditionally used them.
The councils also voted to campaign for more open and transparent processes when commercial activities are proposed for state parks, and to campaign to ensure profits from public land are returned to the community.
When a councillor questioned the need to pass a broad motion encompassing all Crown land, Cr Jones noted that the Government had "trumpeted this development as the flagship" for its coastal land.
Wollongong councillor Kiril Jonovski argued against the motion, warning that protecting Crown land could impact on the provision of affordable housing and employment.
"If this motion goes through the opportunity for creating jobs and raising revenue is lost," Cr Jonovski said.
Shellharbour Mayor David Hamilton told the conference the key issue was allowing chunks of state parks being leased for 52 years to private interests, and expressed his outrage that his council was not consulted on the lease plans.
"Shellharbour City Council totally disagrees with these plans," he said.
Illawarra Mercury - 24 October 2007
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