The State Government has confirmed it won’t intervene in the construction of the Shellharbour City Hub and has handed the matter back to local council for debate.
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Shellharbour MP Anna Watson said the NSW government had “washed its hands” of the matter, in response to the stop the hub petition signed by 10,000 people that was tabled in parliament last month.
“I always said the Stop the Hub Group leaders’ efforts should have been directed at trying to influence the council not the State Parliament because they would ultimately be very disappointed by the result," she said.
“The Minister’s views are entirely consistent with the views that I have expressed to the Stop the Hub Community Group and in the media."
Ms Watson said she held Member for Kiama Gareth Ward and Shellharbour councillor Kellie Marsh responsible for leading the Stop the Hub group “up the garden path”.
“In the end, as the minister has confirmed, neither he, Mr Ward, nor I, can stop this project and Mr Ward should have been honest with the community about that from the beginning”, she said.
Last month, the Stop the Hub group declined an offer by Shellharbour City Council to meet face-to-face and address issues about the hub
Ms Watson publically called for the meeting and said she was disappointed the group’s leadership had dismissed a proposal.
“I would ask the Stop the Hub Group leaders to revisit that decision…there is never any harm in people of good-faith coming together to discuss concerns and resolve problems”, she said.
Ms Watson said that the petition was still scheduled for debate in NSW Parliament on November 13.