A member of the Friends of King Edward Park group was behind the bomb threats made ahead of a Newcastle council meeting last month, a councillor has alleged.
At a public voice session on Tuesday about Newcastle Recreation Reserve (King Edward Park) potentially being added to the State Heritage Register, Cr Carol Duncan said one of the group's members had called in the threats to the February meeting.
"I am absolutely furious that the actions of a member of Friends of King Edward Park caused such anxiety and distress to staff and councillors," she said.
"I do not care if that person claimed they did not mean it ... or if they called back to apologise. Frankly for a few minutes ... I was waiting for that blast to hit the side of my head."
Cr Duncan spoke of her past work in emergency situations as a member of the media and said such threats caused genuine distress.
Her comments came after other Friends of King Edward Park members had presented to councillors about why the former bowling club site in the park should be included as part of the area the Heritage Council is nominating for the State Heritage Register.
"I find your presentation to be utterly tone deaf in its total ignorance of what happened in this chamber a few weeks ago," she said.
"King Edward Park is of value to this entire region, not just the privileged few of those who live nearby, and I am just as interested in the view of people and families from Minmi and Wallsend as I am as to what you have to say.
"This entire issue is the decision of a NSW minister, not [council]. Yet a member of your group chose to threaten our lives."
The Newcastle Herald sought comment from the Friends of King Edward Park group on Wednesday.
The council has banned the 85-year-old man who made the threats from entering its premises or events. Police also issued a warning.
Tuesday's public voice session was held after the council delayed a decision on endorsing the Heritage Council's proposed nomination, which does not include the park's former bowling club site successfully claimed by the Awabakal Aboriginal Land Council in 2018.
Both the group's members and land council CEO Rob Russell presented their cases as to why the Awabakal site should and shouldn't be nominated. The council will vote on whether to endorse the nomination next week.
