[Greens-Media] (Sylvia Hale MLC) Shooters and Christian Dems Stop Release of Killalea Papers

[Christopher Holley]

Shooters and Christian Dems Stop Release of Killalea Papers


NSW Upper House Members of the Shooters Party and the Christian
Democrats joined with the Labor government today to block the release of
the Killalea State Park lease agreement and related papers. Killalea
State park covers 8 kilometres of pristine coastline between
Shellharbour and Kiama.
 
The Greens motion that the papers relating to the 52 year lease
agreement for the Killalea State Park be made public was supported by
MPs from the Liberal and National Parties but the motion was lost 22
votes to19 with the Shooters Party members, Robert Brown and Roy Smith
and the Christian Democrats’ Fred Nile and Gordon Moyes voting with
the government.

“It is a very disturbing development,” said Greens MP and Planning
spokesperson Sylvia Hale.

“The ability to order the release of papers like this is an important
element of the role of the Upper House as a house of review. The
government is clearly concerned to stop the release of papers that may
be embarrassing to it and the Shooters and the Christian Democrats
appear to be happy to support the government in keeping these sorts of
documents secret. Nothing appears to have been learned from the
cross-city tunnel fiasco.”

“This is also a setback for the local community in its fight against
the Killalea development. Despite being briefed by community members
before the vote the Shooters and Christian Democrats MPs clearly have
little sympathy for any coastal community fighting this sort of
take-over and development of public land.”

“With so many coastal developments on crown land currently being
pushed by the government it is very disturbing that the government will
not be required to make public the agreements it enters into with
multinational or domestic developers to hand over public land for
upscale resorts.”

“The public has been denied an opportunity to see the basis on which
the government has decided to hand over a piece of our most beautiful,
pristine and publicly-owned coast line to a multinational developer. The
government has shown contempt for the local community and the
traditional owners. The Shooters and Christian Democrats have just
rubbed salt into their wounds, said Ms Hale.

Contact: Chris Holley on 02 9230 3030 or 0437 779 546