Forum convener Mick Hall said the community forum's purpose was to enable people to come together and feel empowered to find out more and give their opinions which would be conveyed to Woolworths, Crown Lands, Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams and the state government.

"It is to facilitate communication between the community, Crown Lands, Woolworths and the state government at this crucial time," he said.

"As things stand, all negotiations are being done behind closed doors."

Lands and Water Minister Niall Blair yesterday stressed the expression of interest process had been open and transparent.

The Department of Primary Industries and Woolworths are in negotiations to finalise the purchase terms for the Plaza car park.

Woolworths has a development planned for the land and its Food for Less site next door.

The department says the negotiations remain confidential as is normal practice in business negotiation.

But Mr Hall said the process was flawed as the state government was hiding behind a cloak of commercial in-confidence at the expense of public transparency.

Mr Hall said he had invited people to the forum from all sides of politics and those attending represented a broad range of political backgrounds.

Forum speakers will include Port Macquarie Chamber of Commerce president Hadyn Oriti, Three Rivers Greens secretary Drusi Megget and Kristy Quill representing Country Labor.

Port Macquarie-Hastings mayor Peter Besseling will be on hand predominantly to answer questions.

The forum is at the CWA rooms in Horton Street from 7pm on Monday.

The doors open at 6.30pm.

Ms Megget will share her thoughts about the sale process to date.

"It's not over until they actually start building and I would like to think we would have people to stand in front of the bulldozers," she said.

Miss Quill said the forum would be an opportunity for people to gather, ask questions and give their views on the sale.

"Our community is passionate about keeping this land in public hands," she said.

Port Macquarie Chamber of Commerce favours the formation of a state-owned corporation to be vested with Crown Land from Settlement Point to Town Beach.

The corporation would drive the foreshore master plan implementation.

Representatives from Woolworths and Department of Primary Industries, as well as Premier Mike Baird, Minister for Lands and Water Niall Blair and Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams have been invited to the forum.

Mrs Williams is unavailable to attend as she will be in Sydney for parliament.