The Abbot told the official Chinese news agency Xinhua, “If entrepreneurs see business opportunities and want to build a new community of Sino-Australia cultural cooperation, as long as the Australian government, the public and the investors are willing to do it, I just say it is destiny.

“Many friends from the media were curious about how the Shaolin Temple could get so much money to build a golf course and a resort hotel. But the investment and planning [for the golf course and hotel] have nothing to do with Shaolin,” he is reported to have said.

The Xinhua report was posted on Tuesday, the same day Shoalhaven City Council’s Property Steering Committee discussed in confidential session the possibility of extending a deed with the Shaolin to enable council to buy back the land should the project not proceed.

The Abbot’s reported reference to the golf course comes despite the Planning Assessment Commission ruling out that element of the temple project along with a proposal for 300 houses on the 1200 hectare site.

The Abbot told Xinhua he expected the “cultural centre” to open next year. However, there is still a rigorous development application approval process yet to be undertaken.

Shoalhaven Mayor Joanna Gash said she was unaware of whether the land at Comberton Grange could be leased to investors or not but was sceptical of media comments coming out of China.

Cr Gash said council would have to look at the Planning Assessment Committee comments and see if such an option was available.

“I don’t know what the options may be and I can’t really comment on it at this stage,” she said.

“Some things the Chinese media say may not be factual. I know some comments that have been attributed to me by media organisations, and I have spoken to probably six or seven agencies, sometimes don’t reflect what I have said.”

She said council would not be investigating the comments as it was not something that it had been personally told.

“I don’t listen to hearsay,” she said.

Cr Gash said in her numerous interviews with Chinese media she had made it very clear there would be no golf course or housing development as part of the project.

“We have got the money, how about a positive story? That hasn’t happened yet,” she said.

South Coast MP Shelley Hancock reiterated her opposition to any golf course or residential plans for the temple site.

“They will have to bulldoze over the top of me before that happens,” she said.

“I can’t understand how the Shaolin have been led to believe the Planning Assessment Decision can be overturned.”

Labor’s candidate for South Coast Fiona Phillips echoed Mrs Hancock’s view.

“As I far as I’m concerned the PAC decision stands,” she said.