Minister visits Myuna Bay site

I joined NSW Minister for Sport John Sidoti outside Myuna Bay Sport and Recreation Centre this morning to discuss the centre’s recent closure by the Office of Sport.

We spoke to representatives from Myuna Bay Waterski Club, Morisset Rotary and the community, and the Public Service Association which represents the Sport and Rec centre’s employees.

I’m very grateful to Minister Sidoti who has responded quickly to this issue and has already got the ball rolling on an independent review of the decision taken by the Office of Sport and Origin Energy.

Minister Sidoti said he wanted a first-hand look at the site and the adjoining power station land and ash dam before the new Parliament begins next week.

He’s very aware of the level of anger within the community and has expressed his concern that such a decision was made while the government was in caretaker mode and before a Minister had been sworn in.

The Minister said the independent review will be ‘frank and fearless’. Results of the review will be known in six to 10 weeks and will guide the way forward for the Government and the local community.

It will determine if the risk associated with the Eraring ash dam is a manageable risk. It’s important that we get that bit right because I don’t want a situation where we’re able to get Myuna Bay reopened, but can’t give parents, visitors and schools an assurance that everyone would be safe there.

The Minister said he is very interested in the underlying issues and the methodology used by Origin in preparing their risk report. All of those things will be covered by the independent review.

I’ll be tabling the petition with at least 18,000 signatures on it in Parliament on Tuesday, and we can be pretty much assured of having the matter discussed during the May sitting.

I’ll also be making a Private Member’s Statement to the Parliament on Tuesday.”

We also met with Northern NSW Football boss David Eland at Speers Point today to inspect the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility. This facility is about to be expanded courtesy of a $2.25m State grant.