The decision was made following an hour long debate behind closed doors on Tuesday night, after the previous week’s ordinary meeting failed to reach a conclusion due to a lack of quorum.

The two complaints were confidential however on the first complaint Cr Moran was censured and will be required to offer ‘‘an unreserved and public apology’’ to the general manager Michael Willis on the floor of the next council meeting for falling to show respect to the general manager and council staff.

On the second complaint Cr Moran was also censured and will be asked to table a ‘‘written undertaking’’ at the next council meeting not to release any confidential information.

While the second complaint was also confidential, last October Cr John Murray accused Cr Moran of a breach of confidentiality regarding a potential sale of Benson Basin to Stockland, and told the council he intended to make a code of conduct complaint against Cr Moran.

Cr Moran, Cr Murray and the general manager Michael Willis did not take part in the confidential debate after declaring conflicts of interest.

Shellharbour mayor Marianne Saliba, deputy mayor Paul Rankin and councillor David Boyle voted in favour of censuring Cr Moran, while councillors Kellie Marsh and Helen Stewart voted against.

Cr Moran said he would apologise at the next meeting and said he was not allowed to make any comment at all on the first matter.

However on the second complaint Cr Moran said it goes to show the way the current council operated in that Benson Basin was being proposed for sale ‘‘with no community consultation whatsoever’’.

‘‘It is all to be done in secret,’’ Cr Moran said.

‘‘I have been censured for refusing to take part in backroom deals and releasing information relating to the secret sale of a public asset.

Cr Saliba said the complaint was investigated by an independent reviewer who prepared a report to which Cr Moran could respond.

After that the reviewer made his recommendations to the council.

‘‘The reviewer made it clear to the council there was no alternative to him making the recommendations he did,’’ Cr Saliba said.