At yesterday's March meeting of Kempsey Shire Council a motion was moved to complete such a survey, despite the fact a random and statistically valid telephone survey of 406 residents was already conducted by Jetty Research in November 2014.

During the public forum South West Rocks’ resident Vic Henderson spoke in favour of a new survey, saying the 2014 version didn’t give the full facts within the question.

He presented 150 signatures of concerned ratepayers who also supported a new survey.

Mr Henderson said he was not against a theatre if an independent developer wanted to build one, but he added people don't go to the movies anywhere due to new technologies and services.

He said as a ratepayer the $2 million was his concern and that a survey of ratepayers should be done.

Mr Henderson said he had done his own survey and couldn't find one person who supported $2 million of ratepayer money going towards a cinema.

He finished by slamming council saying people won't remember the good things current representatives have done but instead will remember that they threw $2 million at a white elephant.

Local businessman John Moore argued against a fresh survey and for the cinema project.

Mr Moore said he didn't support the motion for a survey because we didn't need it and it would only show what a small sample think anyway, adding survey outcomes often depend on the wording of the question.

He recalled a time when Kempsey was the go-to place to shop, explained why he loves cinemas, and praised Gowings for being a great Australian company that liked developing on the Mid North Coast.

He said many other businesses had left Kempsey and more will leave if a cinema isn't built to rejuvenate the CBD, before declaring that the current representatives are a “good council”.

“It’s the best council I’ve seen in years,” he said.

This was met with chuckles from the public gallery.

Mr Moore finished by saying it is important to invest in the arts and he would like to see the cinema built so he can see a return on the $20,000 in rates he pays annually.

Following Mr Moore’s speech, Cr Dean Saul and Cr Patterson traded blows through question time.

Cr Saul said times have changed, people buy and watch movies online and asked Mr Moore whether he thought the bricks and mortar investment of the cinema would rejuvenate the town. Mr Moore thought it would.

Cr Patterson asked Mr Moore whether he invested in his business to make it grow and if he had children and grandchildren that could benefit from a revitalised Kempsey?

To which, Mr Moore replied absolutely, adding previous councils have not invested in our future enough.

In his next chance to speak, Cr Saul said for credibility a new survey was the way to go.

"It will indicate whether the community supports it or doesn't," he said.

"Let the survey happen and let it be done."

Councillors then voted and the motion was defeated.

Afterwards, Cr Sue McGinn said the reason she voted against a new survey is because it had been done before.

"I believe surveys are important and we should be engaging the community but it in fact has been done," she said.

While Cr Leo Hauville said the survey that was proposed was nothing like the 2014 edition, which just asked about a commercial cinema.

“The new survey was to investigate the support of funding the cinema with ratepayers money,” he said.

“Five councillors voted against it and not one of them argued one point as to why they are voting against it, which is unusual.

“It’s not how a local government and democracy should work in my opinion.”

Following the decision, Mr Henderson said the survey would have settled whether the community supported the project or not.

"I'm disappointed with the outcome of the voting on the survey," he said.

"The survey would have solved it.

"They didn't do it because they knew 90 per cent were against it."