The plan, lodged by the Halloran Trust, comprised 650 residential dwellings of low and medium density, tourist accommodation, cafes and restaurants, three kilometres of foreshore reserve and 3.5 hectares of industrial development, but was rejected mainly due to possible negative impacts on the nearby Lake Wollumboola and Crookhaven River. 

At a community meeting in June, residents in favour of the project said they were relying on the project to reinvigorate the Culburra Beach economy. However in its statement for refusal, the IPC said the project was not in the interest of the community. 

Cr Watson said this was “absolute nonsense”. 

“At that public meeting 90 per cent of the audience was in favour of the development,” he said. 

“The community strongly supported the project and wanted it to happen.” 

Cr Watson said he was not satisfied with the IPC’s findings, and claimed the department had misquoted council in its report. 

READ MORE: Conservationists pleased with West Culburra Expansion refusal

“They produced a highly flawed report and as far as I’m concerned the commission should be done away with for not supporting the community, but rather extreme minorities,” he said. 

Cr Watson said he was sick of seeing new developments knocked back, which could bring the Shoalhaven “into the 21^st century”. 

“This is the second time the IPC has ripped the heart out of the Shoalhaven,” he said, adding the first was with the Shaolin temple decision. 

“We have a situation where the permanent population is reducing [at Culburra Beach] and that’s placing stress on existing retail shops and businesses.”

Describing the rejection as a “fatal blow” to the community, Cr Watson called on the Shoalhaven’s state members to weigh in on the issue. 

“The option remains for the Halloran Trust to launch an appeal with the Land and Environment Court,” he said. 

“But I call on our state members to show an interest, because we have a department which is scuttling economic growth which could save business and employ more people.”