Depending on which Shellharbour City councillor you ask, people are either outraged at the plans for the $57 million Shellharbour City Hub or those who are against the proposal are a small, but noisy minority.
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A poll of people walking the streets of Shellharbour City Centre at lunchtime on Tuesday suggests the truth may lie somewhere in between.
The Shellharbour City Centre has been a work in progress since 1999, born from the idea of creating a central ‘‘heart’’ for the growing city. Many of the key components have been delivered such as a cinema, hotel, park and memorial and shopping centre expansion.
However long-held plans for a central library are now contained within the proposed City Hub, which will also include new council offices, council chambers, museum and auditorium.
Walking down Memorial Drive, Joe Antonelli of Mount Warrigal said he couldn’t see a reason why the council would spend extra money on facilities they already had in other places.
However his wife Frances Antonelli said she was not concerned either way.
On the other side of the street Louise Jeffrey said she wouldn’t come to the city centre to visit a library as she was happy with the one at Oak Flats, a sentiment shared by Kaye Wilson.
‘‘The kids love the Oak Flats library and I would be concerned they might want to close that,’’ Ms Wilson said. ‘‘I don’t think the council should be spending money it doesn’t need to spend.’’
Both said the existing council administration building at Lamerton House appeared to be an acceptable premises.
Near the entrance to the redeveloped Stockland shopping centre, Katie Bynum of Albion Park Rail said a new library in the centre would be a good thing and supported the idea of the hub.
‘‘I think anything that brings more people here and gives us more to do in the Shellharbour area is a good thing,’’ Ms Bynum said.
Further along College Avenue, Tarquinne O’Brien of Flinders and Zac Hilton of Blackbutt both questioned the need to spend $57million on a civic centre.
Ms O’Brien said it seemed the council would be wasting money on services they already had, while Mr Hilton suggested renovating existing facilities might prove better in the long term.
Watching the children play in the water fountains at the front of Stockland, Jo Puckeridge (Mount Warrigal), Diane Puckeridge (Albion Park) and Laura Papaconstantinos (Albion Park) backed the idea of the hub.
Both Diane and Laura supported relocating the museum to a new facility, aware the existing facility at Albion Park was limited with what it could display.
Last night, councillors voted 5-2 to support The Wave concept plan for the hub.