The plans are approved, a builder engaged and work on the controversial $59.5 million Shellharbour City Hub project is expected to start within weeks.
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However, the Stop the Hub community group argues it is "financially irresponsible" for Shellharbour City Council to proceed with the project, given that $35 million in funds expected from the sale of assets has not been realised.
Stop the Hub spokesman Denis Chalker said only 10 per cent of the proceeds from the $13 million Tullimbar land sale had been received by the council so far, while only $2 million of the $4 million received for the former council chambers site at Warilla was allocated to the City Hub project, substantially less than the council had first anticipated.
Mr Chalker said given that Lamerton House and Lot 3000 failed to attract a bid at auction, the Stop The Hub community group wanted general manager Michael Willis to explain comments made in an opinion piece he had published in the Illawarra Mercury in 2014.
In the article, Mr Willis said "revenue from these sales will be finalised before a final commitment is made to construct the City Hub".
"In relation to Lamerton House, that will be part of any decision to proceed with acceptance of a construction tender ... once we know the actual proceeds from those sales, we can then turn to the other sources of funding and in particular, the raising of loans," Mr Willis wrote at the time.
Mr Chalker said it was councillors who must take the blame for the "reckless behaviour" rather than the outgoing general manager.
"When Mayor Marianne Saliba states 'it's not a bad thing that Lamerton House didn't sell, we don't need the money for two years', what crystal ball is telling her that the property will sell in two years, and at what price, and will the builder just wait for payment?" Mr Chalker asked.
Deputy mayor Paul Rankin, whose vote was key to the project, said he was comfortable with the funding arrangements "given the way it stands at the moment".
"Staff have assured me it won't go over budget ... it will also depend on how much we get for Lamerton House," Cr Rankin said.
He said he would "absolutely" have preferred to see the asset sales finalised.
"I would have liked to have seen all the ducks lined up but sometimes, it just doesn't happen that way," Cr Rankin said.
"I'd also like to see the hub group put up their plans and show how they would pay for what they want. They have told us what they want and don't want but have never put up a solid business case about how they would fund it."
