Plans to develop Killalea State Park have been shelved

Surfers rejoice, South Coast. Picture: ELENOR TEDENBORG

Surfrider’s Woollongong representative, Ian Jarman shared some great news with us today, as described in the Lake Times article below.

SOUTH Coast Labour Council secretary Arthur Rorris has described the quashing of the proposed Killalea State Park development as the community’s reward.

“The community has found its voice – and it has roared,” he said.

“This is a victory for the whole community,” he said.

“It also shows what can be achieved with the community and the union working together. This is one of the most pristine places on the coast and the community already knew that and the government has acknowledged the community doesn’t want this spoiled.”

On Monday, it was announced the eco-tourism development proposed by Killalea Coastal Investments (KCI) for Killalea had been officially shelved.

Member for Kiama Matt Brown announced he had been informed by Minister for Lands Tony Kelly, that the agreement between KCI and the Killalea State Park Trust to provide for further development in the park had ended.

“There are no plans to reactivate the type of project envisaged by KCI at Killalea,” Mr Brown said.

In 2007, Mr Kelly signed an agreement to lease three sections of Crown land at the park for 52 years to KCI, a joint venture of Babcock and Brown and Mariner Financial, to build 202 units, tennis courts, restaurant and conference centre.

In 2008, the proposed eco-tourist resort was reduced to 106 units and other amenities. In the wake of the global financial crisis, Babcock and Brown and later Mariner found themselves in financial trouble.

Mr Rorris said plans to develop places such as Killalea had left a “very, very bitter taste in the mouths of locals” and any future plans should include full community consultation.

“The Trust should do the right thing and accept it,” he said.

“They should participate in discussions with the park’s other stakeholders to discuss the future (of the park)…

“It should be open and transparent.”

Save Killalea Alliance spokesperson Mairi Petersen reinforced Mr Rorris’ suggestion about meeting with the Trust to consider Killalea’s future. “The Trust is supposed to represent the community and I think up until now they haven’t been representing the community,” she said.

Trust chairman Ed Gilmore said the organisation wouldn’t be ruling out the possibility of another future development at the park.

“There has to be an income stream established and that was what we were trying to do,” he said.

“It’s disappointing that they didn’t have the wherewithal to go ahead with the project… we will look ahead to other alternatives.

“We have to look at other avenues and will discuss that at next Wednesday’s Trust meeting.” Save Killalea Alliance member Mark Whalan said despite his belief that the decision, “wasn’t a merit-based assessment, but was a political assessment” with State and Federal elections on the horizon, was “ecstatic, astonished and relieved”.

Illawarra Community and Environment Connection (ICEC) co-ordinator Sonya McKay said the decision should be met with excitement as well as continued vigilance.

“There had to be a point in which the decision-makers had to say that there was too much community opposition,” she said.

This article and image was replicated from the Lake Times http://www.laketimes.com.au/article/the_peoples_victory/

Article by BRENDAN CRABB