Last week the Department of Primary Industries announced it would enter into direct negotiations with Woolworths to purchase the Plaza car park.

Business leaders, local government representatives and residents have since panned the process' perceived lack of transparency.

Anthony Wilson, proprietor of Wilson Retail which owns Saltwater Wine and Stormriders stores, said the situation was "bloody atrocious".

"Clearly the community's wishes haven't been considered," he said. "The transparency of the process is really lacking, even though our local member says that the process has been adhered to, obviously it hasn't.

He said Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams' apparent continual distance from the issue was concerning.

"Who elected her?

"She is clearly not representing the local community at all.

"If she was doing her job she'd be getting into the Department of Lands and finding out what's going on and making sure that number one they adhere to their own process which they haven't done by the look of it, and number two representing the community.

"I don't think she cares."

The Hastings River Fishermen's Co-operative's Paul Hyde had doubts about the legitimacy of the process.

"I still feel there's been a few back flips and deals done to get it the way things are," he said.

Port Macquarie's Gary Cuttell decided to try giving power back to the people.

Last week he started the 'Stop Woolworths developing the plaza car park in Port Macquarie' petition on website www.change.org

Support has grown in recent days, with about 50 new signatures yesterday.

"As a resident, my concern is the consultation with the community," Mr Cuttell said.

"The original discussion between Woolworths and the Department of Lands was going to result in a nine-foot wall, which they subsequently changed."

He said he was concerned the community won't get the chance to review what happens next.

A recent conversation with Mrs Williams did little to allay his fear.

"She seemed very detached from the process, and said she had no opportunity to influence things," he said.

"Then she palmed it off onto the Council."

He was most concerned that "this is going to get railroaded through".

If the sale does go ahead, he wants Mrs Williams to guarantee the money gained will go to the Hastings.

"The proceeds must go back to the community," he said.

"We can't have the state government filling its coffers off the back of a sale of public land."

When asked yesterday to guarantee the funds gained will go into her electorate, Mrs Williams said there "has been no sale to date, Woolworths are now in negotiations with Crown Lands".

"I will continue to advocate for funds from any potential sale to be invested into the development of the foreshore," she said.

In response to the perception of her distance from the issue, she said it was "inappropriate for me to be involved in the EOI process which has now concluded".

"I will continue to promote outcomes for the development of the foreshore which are reflected in the Plan of Management that has previously undergone extensive community consultation," she said.