"We believe that residents in Wollongong deserve the right to have an elected council," he said.

A 2011 election would mean a return to the polls more than a year ahead of schedule.

The announcement sparked a sharp rebuke from Wollongong MP Noreen Hay, who accused Mr O'Farrell of back-pedalling on his own calls for the elected council to be sacked in 2008.

"During all that time, Barry O'Farrell and the Opposition were calling for the council to be sacked. If they believe now that ICAC got it wrong, well, they should come out and say that," she said.

Local Government Minister Barbara Perry said early elections would be reckless and would undermine years of work by council administrators.

"While I appreciate the concerns of voters in Wollongong, the administrators need to make sure that there is strong governance and an appropriate staff culture in place.

"An early move to the polls could jeopardise this important work."

She said an early election would also prove a waste of time and resources, as the public would need to return to the polls in 2012 to keep the region in sync with council elections across NSW. But a spokesman for Mr O'Farrell's office said a Coalition government would allow Wollongong and Shellharbour councils to operate under an initial five-year term, bypassing the need for a second election in 2012.

Residents questioned during a Mercury street poll yesterday said early elections would deliver a "fresh start" for the city, although some were sceptical about the difference an elected council would make.

Support for an early trip to the polls was also forthcoming from the region's peak trade union body.

South Coast Labour Council secretary Arthur Rorris urged the State Government to step up to the plate and match the Opposition's plans.

"Do the right thing by the people of the Illawarra and end the collective punishment that's been meted out ... to pay for the sins of corrupt Labor councillors," he said.