AS IT lies dormant, Samurai Beach Resort continues to suck cash from Port Stephens Council with the site costing ratepayers almost $170,000 since its closure 10 months ago - not including a $289,000 outstanding loan repayment.
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It has already been estimated that the resort has racked up $11 million in debts but that figure is set to increase with the final loan repayment due in June and $140,938 paid to Crown Lands for its annual lease just this month.
These fees then have to be combined with the ongoing maintenance and security costs.
It is hoped that part of the annual lease payment can be recouped when the leasehold, which is for sale via request for proposal for no less than $3 million, is transferred to a new owner.
The process as a whole has drawn the ire of councillor Geoff Dingle, who said the sale of the site and its future had been shrouded in a veil of secrecy.
Cr Dingle said he had sought answers from council staff but had hit walls.
"They [the council] have avoided talking about it... The public owns it, the public ought to know."
Last week the Examiner asked the council how many expressions of interests had been received and what some of the submissions proposed for the resort but the council declined to comment.
"Council cannot provide answers to questions ... because the process is still active," property services manager Carmel Foster said.
"Details of the proposals received are unknown until the tender closes."
The request for proposals was scheduled to close on Friday - about six months after the initial call - but on Monday the council notified the Examiner that it had extended the closure date by a week because one of the interested parties had been called overseas unexpectedly.
Cr Dingle said he was sceptical they had received any proposals at all.
"No one in their right mind would pay $3 million," he said.