Dear News Of The Area,

THE Liberal candidate for Port Stephens was quick to celebrate the news that the Liberal Government has finally decided to return to public ownership, the Mambo wetlands site that it sold ‘by mistake’ in 2016.

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But what will be the cost of correcting that ‘mistake’?

A negotiated buy back of the land should be made on the basis of the market value of the land. The owner of the Mambo land has twice submitted development applications to build a dwelling on the site and twice Port Stephens Council has refused the application.

But the NSW Department of Planning and Environment has confirmed that any offer made by the government to buy back the land, will be made assuming that the owner HAS approval for the construction of a dwelling.

That assumption will significantly increase the market value of the land and completely disregards the past decisions of Port Stephens Council.

If it is assumed that a dwelling can be built on the 6 hectare Mambo site, the buyback price could be at least $1,000,000, which is $750,000 more than the amount the Liberal government received for the land following its sale by ‘mistake’.

That $750,000 could have bought fifteen dialysis machines for local hospitals, but the people of NSW will be deprived of these machines because of the ‘mistake’.

Grant Kennett
Corlette