Speaking at an emotional extraordinary meeting on Tuesday night, the southern councillors worried Shellharbour's ripe development lands would be "pillaged" by Wollongong if the merger went ahead. 

"It's not a merger, it's a bloody takeover," Cr John Murray said, summing up the mood of all seven Shellharbour councillors.

At the behest of Mayor Marianne Saliba, councillors voted to formally oppose the forced amalgamation with Wollongong and make a submission to the government outlining their position. She said Shellharbour had been built into a “fine city” where significant developments like Shell Cove were now coming to fruition.

“What worries me is that, should there be an amalgamation [the returns from Shell Cove] will come OK, but we’ll go into a new council and the money could be spent absolutely anywhere.

“In fact it could be used to build permanent access at West Dapto, or propping up the Blue Mile or doing something up at Helensburgh, who knows,” Cr Saliba said

Similarly, Cr Murray said the “takeover” would mean Shellharbour’s funds would be redirected to pay for Dapto infrastructure.

“If you look at our record over the last 30 years, we’ve taken poorly serviced disparate rural communities and turned them into a city where our land values have gone up,” he said.

“It’s a good place to live and that’s why people are choosing to live here and I don’t want to see that watered down. We will basically disappear up the rear end of Wollongong and become, you know, Windang.”

Paul Rankin was worried about “the lack of noise coming out of Wollongong”, and said Wollongong councillors needed to “have the balls” to share their views.

“They’ve been silent because they know that if they get their hands on Shellharbour they will just pillage this community for everything that it’s worth,” he warned.

“I think the pressure should be on them to put or shut up if they’re not for amalgamations.”

With this in mind, Kellie Marsh moved Wollongong and Shellharbour councillors should hold a joint meeting as a matter of urgency.

“We need the community to have the opportunity, for better or for worse, to see us all in action,” Cr Marsh said.

Wollongong councillors will meet next week to discuss the merger, and Cr Saliba said she planned to apply to speak at the public forum ahead of the meeting.

Illawarra residents will be able to have their say on the NSW government’s proposed council amalgamations at a series of public inquiries in February.

The inquiries, to be held on the dates below, are part of government delegate Mike Allen’s review process to examine and report on the proposal to merge Shellharbour with Wollongong and Kiama with Shoalhaven councils.

Residents are invited to share their opinions. Registrations close at noon on January 29 and can be made at www.councilboundaryreview.nsw.gov.au or by calling 1300 813 020.