Shellharbour councillors Kellie Marsh and Peter Moran voted against a recommendation to progress the City Hub project.
SHELLHARBOUR City Council is moving forward with plans for its controversial $57 million City Hub after councillors endorsed the findings of an independent review into the project's business case.
The gateway review report found most areas of the project had enough planning for the hub to go to the next stage.
However, the decision to endorse the review - and bring forward $300,000 in funds allocated for the next financial year - was not unanimous at council's February 5 meeting.
In October, the council adopted the business case and resolved to progress the hub project to the next stage of development.
It also resolved that the business case be subjected to a gateway review.
The hub will include a civic auditorium and meeting rooms, city library, new city museum, offices, facilities for sessional services, public open space and public art. The project is proposed for the corner of Cygnet and College avenues.
The council expects more than $34 million in asset sales will help fund it, as will developer contributions and loans.
At this month's meeting, council general manager Michael Willis said the review was free of "red warning" risks, although there were two amber alerts in relation to affordability and risk management.
Mayor Marianne Saliba said it was crucial the council sent a message that, "we are able to stand on our own two feet".
Fellow councillor Kellie Marsh believed an amber alert was "red hot panic to the ratepayers of Shellharbour City".
Although voting in favour of the report, Cr Paul Rankin said the seven per cent contingency appeared too small, given the council's history of overruns.
Cr Peter Moran said the review stated "all stakeholders interviewed strongly supported the project", but pointed out the stakeholders were "council staff or consultants".
The recommendation was passed 4-2, with councillors Marsh and Moran opposed. The council hopes to complete the project by mid-2016.