Shadow Home Affairs Minister Walter Roban is calling on Government to clarify the status of a planned $300 million redevelopment of Hamilton’s waterfront.

And he pointed out that the controversial development, put together more than a year ago by the Corporation of Hamilton, will not make any further progress until at least next February, when the House of Assembly resumes.

The deal, giving contractor Allied Development Partners (ADP) a 262-year lease on the city’s waterfront, was agreed in October 2012, although details of the plan were not made public until March, six months later.

Speculation that the development could be scrapped was fuelled in October, when Government passed retroactive laws requiring leases longer than 21 years to be approved by MPs.

Although the waterfront contract was tabled in the House of Assembly earlier this month, it was not debated before Parliamentarians adjourned for the Christmas break.

The House will not reconvene until February 14.

Yesterday Mr Roban said: “Regardless of whether Government planned to support these leases, the fact is they have to be approved by Parliament before they are legal means that the waterfront development is effectively stalled until next year.

“It’s puzzling that Government has tabled the Corporation’s leases, and one has already been approved, and yet the waterfront lease is just sitting there.

“What is Government’s position on these leases — that is the question that needs to be answered.

“Because if the development is now going to be sitting in limbo for the next two months, that’s going to frustrate any efforts by the Corporation to move this development forward.”

The development hit another hurdle last Friday, when Ombudsman Arlene Brock raised concerns about the legality of the lease and contract with ADP.

In a hard-hitting report filed following a six-month probe into management of the Corporation, Ms Brock said the deal demonstrated the “general allegations of poor governance” within City Hall.

She said the tendering process appeared “unfair” and was littered with procedural irregularities.

So far, Home Affairs Minister Michael Fahy has declined to comment on how Ms Brock’s findings could impact the development moving forward.

In a brief statement issued last night, Mr Fahy said: “The Ministry of Home Affairs appreciates the time and resources that Ombudsman Arlene Brock has dedicated to compiling her report.

“We recognise that some of Ms Brock’s discoveries regarding the internal workings of the Corporation are quite concerning.

“At this stage, we continue to review the document and its findings and as such, we are limited regarding any additional comment.”

Yesterday Hamilton Mayor Graeme Outerbridge also declined to comment on the future of the project, saying that it was before the courts.

The corporation is challenging the legality of the Municipality Amendment Act 2013, which gave Government final approval on Corporation leases.

And the Mayor also declined to comment on the severe criticism his administration received in Ms Brock’s report.

“I haven’t actually read the Ombudsman’s report because an official copy hasn’t been sent to me,” he said.