Letter to the Editor: Game Fish Club refutes consultation comments Opinion Property/Sports/Opinion - popup ad by News Of The Area - Modern Media - February 7, 2024 DEAR News Of The Area, CLAIMS by Meryl Swanson MP that there have been delays by the Newcastle and Port Stephens Game Fish Club Limited (NPSGFC) in providing a set of conditions for presentation to the Hon Chris Bowen MP for his consideration when determining the feasibility licences for input to create parameters for proponents to work within in relation to the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure – Hunter Declared Area are misrepresentations of the facts and are refuted by the NPSGFC. An opinion piece published on Meryl Swanson MP’s Facebook and website titled ‘Navigating the Winds of Change: A Commitment to Community Engagement in Offshore Renewable Energy’ states: “I have made it my priority to have an open line of communication to relay the thoughts and opinions of the community to the Minister and his team.” The NPSGFC has requested more information from the Hon Chris Bowen MP via Meryl Swanson MP to enable a comprehensive and considered set of conditions to be prepared for presentation to the Hon Chris Bowen MP for his consideration when determining the feasibility licences. The NPSGFC has emailed Meryl Swanson MP on 14 December 2023, 19 January 2024 and 29 January 2024 requesting further documentation in relation to the Hunter offshore wind farm. To date, despite these written requests and numerous follow up phone calls, we are still awaiting a response. It’s very disappointing that Meryl or any of her team haven’t replied to our written requests or returned any of my phone calls. How can we be expected to give a set of conditions for presentation to the Hon Chris Bowen MP if we can’t even get the documents we need? Has she truly made it her priority to have an open line of communication to relay the thoughts and opinions of the community to the Minister and his team if we can’t even get a response to our own simple request? Well Meryl you could have easily caught up with me during the New Year period while you were ‘up the Bay’. Regards, Troy RADFORD, President, Newcastle and Port Stephens Game Fish Club.
