Mayor Peter Besseling told the Port News yesterday that council supports community concerns about the transparency of negotiations between the state government and Woolworths and will now consider other options to prevent a big box supermarket development on one of Port Macquarie's prime waterfront locations.

"Council is clear in its support of the community in opposing the sale of the Plaza car park for a big box supermarket development," Mr Besseling said.

"It is owned by the public and should remain in public hands, so the community can ensure that any future development of the site is in keeping with the amenity of the foreshore and the Port Macquarie CBD.

"It is now clear that the government and new Minister are determined to finalise the sale to Woolworths against the clear wishes of the community and therefore other avenues to halt the sale will now be pursued by council."

This comes after an announcement by Minister Niall Blair on Friday, in response to a letter sent by council on July 23 calling for a guarantee that all existing public car parking spaces on the site will be protected regardless of any future development.

In its letter, council expressed concerns that despite 20 expressions of interest in the site, including its own submission, the state government agreed to continue direct negotiations with Woolworths. Council also reinforced its strong objection to the sale of the site, given freely to the Crown for the purpose of public car parking.

Director of development and environment Matt Rogers asked for a legal guarantee from the Minister, in light of considerable community concern, that Crown Lands protect all existing car parking spaces on top of any additional parking that may be generated by future redevelopment.

After responding to council on Thursday, the Minister issued a statement supported by Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams, offering that guarantee.

"I have had discussions with Leslie Williams and members of the community on this matter and I have now decided that any sale of the Plaza car park site must protect the existing parking spaces," Mr Blair said. "The parking places will be protected through a public positive covenant - this means any owner of the Plaza car park site will be bound to protect the existing car parks in any future development of the site."

Mrs Williams said the announcement was a good result for the community.

"This was clearly the desire of the community and I have worked hard to encourage the parties to come to this agreement," Mrs Williams said.

"This outcome is a positive result for the community and I am determined to make sure open and honest discussions on the future of the foreshore continue."

However, discontent about the transparency of the expressions of interest process, lack of community consultation and current confidential negotiations with Woolworths remains.

Cr Lisa Intemann said the community deserves clear, open and honest communication on the car park guarantee.

"I strongly support those who oppose the sale to Woolworths. But my main focus right now is preserving the 200 odd public parking spaces," Cr Intemann said yesterday.

"I've been corresponding with the politicians on the parking issue since July, without any meaningful reply.

"Now there's been an official statement, I'll be contacting the Lands Department for details, because the community needs certainty.

"There's no justification for secrecy here, and the government needs to come clean on the details for protecting the parking."

The call for greater transparency on the current process surrounding the proposed sale of the site has been the focus of community concern for months, resulting in a Change.org petition and a second petition championed by Country Labor representative Kristy Quill. The petition garnered more than 12,600 signatures and was tabled in parliament last month.

The Hon Courtney Houssos MLC spoke to the issue in the Legislative Council saying the Hastings community has made it loud and clear to the local member it does not want a waterfront Woolworths.

"The petition garnered more than 12,000 local signatures and now serves as an undeniable indication that Port Macquarie does not want this piece of Crown land sold off. The petition is a credit to the local campaigners who set about to make sure community opposition to this sale is well known," she said.

"Whether or not it is convenient for those opposite to admit, the local community in Port Macquarie feel like this process was flawed, they feel it did not take into account their concerns and, ultimately, they feel it was a bogus process set up to favour one outcome and ignore the rest.

"So while the member for Port Macquarie continues to deny that her community objects to this sale, we are firm in our support for the people of Port Macquarie, and we will continue to advocate until the government pays attention."