Port Stephens Council open to Tomaree Lodge, but 'not if it's a lemon'

Tomaree Lodge has been closed for more than two years. File picture

Port Stephens Council says it will take a "strategic leadership role" in deciding Tomaree Lodge's future but will "not take on a lemon" if the site is a financial burden.

The Newcastle Herald reported last month that the state government was spending $1 million a year on security and maintenance at the disused disability centre.