The payment of the outstanding balance of the $5 million sale price of the land at Falls Creek for the proposed temple complex was due on Wednesday, December 17.

Shaolin representatives addressed the Shoalhaven City Council meeting at Ulladulla last night stating they would not be making the promised payment until January next year.

Foundation representatives Patrick Pang and Mr Liu said it would not be able to make the payment until January 23.

It is understood even then the foundation would only be making an instalment.

In front of a packed gallery at the Ulladulla Civic Centre, Mr Pang and Mr Liu blamed a bureaucratic board of the Chinese government for holding up their payment.

Cr Andrew Guile said council can’t believe the foundation’s promises any longer.

“If we were to trust the Shaolin in meeting their obligations then we should have expected them to deliver tomorrow, as they and the mayor promised,” he said.

“They applied to make a repayment on January 23 and we don’t know how much.

“We should be demanding payment in full.

“I think people were a bit surprised. There was great expectation we would be receiving payment sooner rather than later.

“We can’t believe their promises any longer.

“We were promised three months ago the payment would be made on December 17 and now we find out we have to wait at least another month.

“And we don’t know how much they want to pay.

“If we are generous enough to extend the time once more, Shoalhaven ratepayers should expect every cent under the contract plus interest to be paid by that date.

“They criticise our bureaucracy with the speed of processing the application and approving it, one would have thought the Chinese could have been a little more efficient.”

However council accepted Mr Liu and Mr Pang’s assurance that the funds would be received in mid-January following full clearance from the Foreign Exchange.

“The Shaolin Temple is an extremely exciting and important large scale development for Shoalhaven City,” said Clr Gash.

“Once completed, the Temple is expected to attract upwards of 300,000 overseas visitors per year while injecting approximately $132 million in regional turnover annually into the local economy.

“While Council would have liked to have already received the mortgage payment for land at Comberton Grange however I am certainly aware of the legalities and intricacies of the Chinese Foreign Exchange process.”

“Council welcomed the deputation from the representatives of the Shaolin Temple Foundation and appreciates their honesty and commitment to having finalised the funding process by mid January.”

The $360 million Shaolin temple and tourism development proposal comprises a Buddhist temple sanctuary complex, kung-fu academy, 500-bed four-star hotel, commercial shopping precinct and community centre.