Media Release from SAVE
KILLALEA ALLIANCE – June 28th
2011
SAVE KILLALEA ALLIANCE'S spokesperson Mairi Petersen
has reiterated the SKA Group's opposition to the concept of gate fees for
Killalea State Park.
“People do not have to pay to go to
Bondi Beach, the Gold Coast beaches or the Wollongong beaches” she said.
“Killalea is one of our local beaches so why should people have to
pay to go there for a swim”?
“The Killalea Trust is supposed to care
for the Killalea State Park for everyone.
However, they never ask the general public what the public want for
the park – they simply make their decisions behind closed doors, and the
public learn about those decisions in the media.
Perhaps they could look at some of their work practises at the park –
hectares of grass are mown at great expense – maybe that is an unnecessary
expense. There are other items that could be looked at as well. For example,
the camping area is not well advertised, although it is a good camping area,
and I'm sure if it was properly publicised more money could be made in that
area,” she said.
The SAVE KILLALEA ALLIANCE convened a
Meet the Candidates Forum just prior to the recent state elections to
ascertain what the local candidates felt about Killalea.
We were heartened to hear Mr Gareth Ward, the new Liberal Member for
Kiama, tell the meeting that he was opposed to gate fees for Killalea and
would oppose any further development in the park.
Now, in the Advertiser of June 15 he says “the reality is every other
state park has a gate fee.” A
very quickly broken election promise indeed.
The SAVE KILLALEA ALLIANCE will meet
with Gareth Ward on July 11th to discuss the latest proposal for
a gate fee for Killalea and the operations of the
Killalea Trust.
SAVE KILLALEA ALLIANCE encourages
members of the community to attend the Information Evening convened by the
Trust at the Links golf Club Function Room on Wednesday July 6th
at 5.30.p.m. This meeting will
inform the community about the roles and responsibilities of members
of the Killalea Trust – as applications for new members of the Trust have
just been called.