Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips has urged Shoalhaven City Council to move forward and deliver on the new Sanctuary Point District Library.
Three years passed on Saturday when $7.5 million in federal funding was delivered in the 2022 Federal Budget for the Sanctuary Point District Library, funding Mrs Phillips secured as an election commitment.
While there was a shovel-ready site on the corner of Kerry Street and Paradise Beach Road, Council abandoned that site, and instead looked for alternate site options, which has delayed the project.
Council has now investigated eight site options, and multiple scopes of work over the years.
The Kerry Street/Paradise Beach Road site has the highest overall score across all criteria for site location.
While Mrs Phillips has assisted with ensuring the federal funding has continued to be available, she said Council needs to get a wriggle-on and the project needs to be delivered as intended.
“I see at Council’s meeting this Tuesday evening, there’s a recommendation for Council to now endorse a new site (subject to further investigation and stakeholder consultation), essentially going back to the drawing board. It’s also proposed to change the scope for the federal funding agreement, so it’s used for feasibility, concept development, planning and design, and site establishment, rather than its original intent for construction at the ready site”, Mrs Phillips said.
“People in Sanctuary Point deserve to see shovels in the ground and the new library being built. Council should stop wasting ratepayer and taxpayer money and just get on with building the Sanctuary Point District Library,” Mrs Phillips concluded.
