ANGRY residents say they weren't notified about the Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) meeting which approved the Trinity Point marina.
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Despite being a hot topic in the community, only three residents spoke at the June 18 meeting, all in favour of the marina.
Lake Macquarie City Council received more than 120 written submissions about the proposal, including 78 from those who opposed the marina.
The JRPP said it sent notification letters about the June 18 meeting to locals who made written submissions to the council and who had provided their addresses.
The JRPP said it also advertises meetings in local newspapers.
It had placed an advertisement announcing the meeting in the June 11 edition of the Lakes Mail.
The Lakes Mail had also published a news story previewing the meeting in its June 18 edition.
The JRPP said it provided notification letters on June 5 in accordance with a list provided by the local council to people who made written submissions to council about the proposal, "irrespective of whether they supported or objected to the development".
The Lakes Mail was told it could find the list provided by council on a specific page of the council assessment report on the JRPP website; however the page was blank.
When the Lakes Mail questioned the JRPP about the missing list, it was told: "Due to privacy issues, the list was removed from the council assessment report on the JRPP website."
The Lakes Mail contacted several locals who had made submissions but none said they received a letter about the meeting.
Gary Wilson made a submission to council and spoke at the JRPP meeting but said he never received a letter advising of the meeting. He did, however, see the meeting advertised in the Lakes Mail.
Lake Macquarie businessman Bob Cowan and Mannering Park Amateur Sailing Club commodore John Skewes both spoke at the meeting.
They said the project's marina consultant, Les Binkin, rang them to inform them when the meeting was on.
President of the Sunshine Progress Association, John Quinlan, said in a letter published in today's Lakes Mail that the community had no idea the meeting was on.
"Why were not all people who made submissions advised appropriately?" Mr Quinlan asked.
"Clearly [Johnson Property Group developer] Keith Johnson was advised of the meeting and was able to gather his supporters for the occasion."
The June 18 meeting of the JRPP approved the marina component of the $388 million Trinity Point development.
The land-based component of the development is still being assessed.