Westport Park will remain as a public open space if Nationals candidate for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams is elected on March 26.
Ms Williams made the commitment last week with Shadow Minister for Planning, Brad Hazzard during a meeting with the Foreshore Protection Group.
“This is wonderful news for the entire Port Macquarie community,” Ms Williams said. “As I’ve said all along I will continue to support my local community and the Port Macquarie-Hastings Foreshore Protection Association on this important issue and make it absolutely clear that if I am elected on March 26 the views of my constituents will always be placed foremost in any decisions I make,” Ms Williams said.
Mr Hazzard said, “The NSW Liberals & Nationals are committed to re-empowering local communities by involving people in the decisions that affect them. Leslie Williams arranged for a petition with more than 16,000 signatures opposed to over-development of this site to be tabled in Parliament and it’s clear that the overwhelming majority of the community are opposed to the NSW Labor Government plans.
“With the NSW Labor Government officially now in caretaker mode it cannot legally make any determination on this matter although there is a chance the Minister has secretly signed off on a plan in the past couple of months without publicly announcing it.
“If we are elected on March 26, the NSW Liberals & Nationals will seek broad agreement to make the necessary changes to the legislation to dedicate Westport Park Reserve No 54279 as Public Open Space so that it is protected from further building development,” Mr Hazzard said.
Leslie Williams said the Port Macquarie-Hastings Foreshore Protection Association would also be directly represented on the Foreshore Land Advisory Group.
