The new State Government could be about to break a key election commitment after it was unable to guarantee local government elections would be held in Wollongong and Shellharbour as promised.
In July last year, Barry O'Farrell stood outside Wollongong City Council's headquarters and pledged to hold elections a year ahead of schedule in September 2011.
On Monday, Shellharbour City Council administrator David Jesson told the Mercury there were doubts that timeframe would be met.
Chris Hartcher, the likely new local government minister, is now unable to guarantee elections would be held on September 3 as promised.
Mr Hartcher described it as a "target date".
"But it will be happening then unless there's a good reason to the contrary," he said.
"There may be some impediment that comes up, I don't know, but I'm not the minister yet, I haven't been sworn in and it would be inappropriate for me to make any further comment."
The two councils were sacked in 2008 for corruption and dysfunctionalism.
A number of unsuccessful state election candidates are expected to put their hand up to serve on the new councils.
Michelle Blicavs, the Liberals' candidate for Wollongong, will almost certainly stand for Wollongong City Council.
"At this point I can't say definitively because I'm flat broke and my little business will not sustain me and my family," she said.
With support for Labor in the Illawarra at a record low, the new councils are likely to have significant Liberal and independent representation.
Ms Blicavs would not comment when asked if independent candidate for Wollongong, Gordon Bradbery, would be a unifying mayor should he not win the seat from incumbent Noreen Hay.
Elections would see David Jesson's role as Shellharbour City Council's administrator cut short by a year.
He yesterday criticised the Coalition's preferred structure of nine councillors split evenly between three wards.
The previous council had 12 councillors elected from six wards, plus a popularly elected mayor.
"I strongly believe wards are a breeding ground for disharmony and that's the last thing a council in Shellharbour needs," he said.
"Councillors should be elected to represent the entire community, not just a section of it."
There is still no word whether Wollongong and Shellharbour councils could be merged.
Mr O'Farrell has ruled out forced amalgamations.
Wollongong City Council administrators met with Mr Hartcher in the lead-up to the election. They were unavailable for comment.
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