Kiama green group complaining about the wrong spot, says council

On World Environment Day the council announced it had received $20,000 from the state government for restoration work around the Minnamurra Waste and Recycling Facility.

The council will also contribute $20,000 to the three-year project.

While the council decommissioned the landfill site in 2008, the remaining facility still provides green waste and recycling services and the council is required to carry out weed management as a condition of continued operation.

In a media release the Friends of the Minnumurra River (FOMR) group claimed the council was spending $20,000 to restore an endangered forest that didn't exist any more - after the state government allowed Boral to bulldoze it six months earlier

That is the Bangalay Sand Forest - "the rare habitat of animal and bird species such as the sugar glider", the statement said.

"This $40,00 to restore a forest that's already been bulldozed to make way for mining is a total farce, an insult to thinking people, to the taxpayers of NSW and to the ratepayers of the Kiama local government area," said Will Chyra, Chair of FOMR Inc.

The media release describes the "destroyed forest" as south of historic Dunmore House and council's waste and recycling facility."

But, according to council, the Friends have the wrong spot - it wasn't doing anything at the sand forest site.

"The area that Kiama Council will work on is not the '7.5 hectares of 400-year old Bangalay Sand forest' or site 5B Boral dredge pit located on the west side of Riverside Drive and south of Dunmore House as stated in the FOMR media release," a council spokesperson said.

It said the weed management work was taking place to the north of Dunmore House and on the opposite side of Riverside Drive.

"This work will help restore and protect surrounding coastal wetlands, which are environmentally important," the spokeswoman said.

"The work is being undertaken as part of the environmental conditions council must meet to operate and maintain our facility."

The spokesperson also noted that Kiama councillors opposed the sand mine expansion - adding that it wasn't even in its council area.

"The management and monitoring of the Boral sand mine, which is located within Shellharbour City Local Government Area, is the responsibility of Boral and the NSW Environmental Protection Authority," the spokeswoman said.