Wollongong MP Noreen Hay is calling on the region to "stop squabbling over the crumbs of $100 million" from the long-term lease of Port Kembla.
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Ms Hay has organised a public forum for 11am today at the Port Kembla Leagues Club, in the hope that people will unite and demand a greater share of the $760 million gained through the 99-year lease of Port Kembla.
State Opposition leader John Robertson will be a guest speaker at the forum.
Ms Hay said the various stakeholders needed to unite in a common cause.
"The first thing is instead of this government having us all squabbling over the crumbs of $100 million is that the community and the stakeholders should unite to demand a greater share," Ms Hay said.
"I have said from last year before the privatisation happened that, while I was opposed to privatisation, I did not feel that $100 million was enough to buy people off, especially when at that time when we thought they were going to get $500 million and we thought $400 million was going to go out of the region."
Ms Hay said she didn't begrudge the people of Newcastle for getting $340 million for the leasing of their port, but said they too should be asking where the rest of the money was going.
Not only was $100 million insufficient when compared to the $340 million promised to Newcastle, Ms Hay said there wouldn't be enough funds to go around the five local government areas that make up the Illawarra.
"[The government] is not just saying they're giving Newcastle $340 million but they've actually targeted the CBD of Newcastle [where the money will be spent].
"The $100 million is to be fought over between five local government areas and stakeholders. Divided up that's $20 million per area. What kind of infrastructure will you get for $20 million?"
