By SARAH ALLELY
KILLALEA has been given the official tick this week to apply for National Surf Reserve status, but those in charge warn the proposal must not become a political football.
Two proposals for The Farm to be gazetted were received by the National Surfing Reserve Committee Australia at its Monday meeting.
One was from Illawarra surfer Chris Homer, backed by supporting letters from the community.
The other was from the Killalea State Park Trust, which has been publicly criticised this year for plans to lease land to a private company.
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.
After the committee decided there was broad support for Killalea to be a surf reserve, its deputy chair Professor Andrew Short visited Mr Homer on Wednesday to run through the formal application protocol.
Mr Homer now needed to form a steering committee to document why The Farm deserved iconic status.
But Prof Short said the process must be kept "apolitical".
"It must not be used as a political football," the University of Sydney geology professor and coastal studies unit director said.
"We don't want to get involved with the development.
"There's a lot of work to be done to get the nomination up and get dedication. We don't want people there just for political purposes."
If The Farm is gazetted as a Crown Land Reserve by Mr Kelly, a board of management would be appointed, which can make recommendations to the minister and apply for funding.
Prof Short suggested a public meeting be called to ask for steering committee nominations.
He said it was not just Killalea's surf that could be recognised.
"Also its inherent natural environment. Whilst it's surrounded by encroaching residential development, it is still in a relatively pristine state," Prof Short said.
In August, the Mercury reported the NSW Government had suggested making The Farm a surf reserve.
Mr Kelly gazetted the state's first surf reserve at Angourie, near Yamba, in January under the Crown Lands Act.
Illawarra Mercury - 26 October 2007
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