Speaking at Wednesday’s Shellharbour council meeting, Cr Saliba said she had been trying to talk to Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbury on behalf of her city’s residents about the proposed merger of both councils.

She said her comments – in which she shouted “You lied, Gordon” and could be heard telling Cr Bradbery to “Stick it!” as she was ushered out of the council chambers at his request – had been made out of “sheer frustration” after she had twice tried to speak at Wollongong council and had repeatedly asked for a meeting between the two councils.

“I was very frustrated that we had asked to meet with them as a matter of urgency and been completely disregarded,” she said.

“Towards the end of that night when Lord Mayor Bradbery was on his feet waving a document… telling us it was all our fault they were in this position.

“I was really frustrated and I know I was out of line… however I’m sure most people would understand being in the same position.

“So my apologies to the people of Shellharbour, but I do not apologise to the Lord Mayor of Wollongong. And I am still waiting for that meeting we’ve requested.”

Speaking to the Mercury earlier on Wednesday, Cr Bradbery described his relationship with Cr Saliba after the outburst as “frosty”.

“I did say hello to her at the public meeting the other day,” he said. “But she didn’t want to engage.”

Repeating his criticisms which led to Cr Saliba’s outburst, Cr Bradbery said he did not think Shellharbour’s “emotional” response to the state’s proposal was wise.

He also said Wollongong council had a clear public access forum policy which directed that those outside the LGA could only be allowed to speak at meetings under a particular set of circumstances, which had not been followed in Cr Saliba’s case.

He would not be blamed for Cr Saliba’s behaviour, and believed Wollongong councillors had acted in the best interests of their residents in forming a detailed and informed response to the merger.

On Monday, after Cr Saliba was ejected, Wollongong councillors agreed to ask Shellharbour council’s senior executives to meet with Wollongong’s executive staff to exchange information which may help in writing a submission to the NSW government about the merger.

Shellharbour’s John Murray on Wednesday said the meeting should go ahead to allow the councils to exchange information, but not that which is commercial in confidence.

He said he was disappointed that there would be no meeting of all councillors, but said Shellharbour should “show that we’re willing to act in the spirit of being a professional organisation” and agree to Wollongong’s request.

Liberal councillor Kellie Marsh, who also attended Wollongong council on Monday night, called on Cr Bradbery to “get his councillors together because we need to sit down as adults together”. 

She moved that Shellharbour should once again request a meeting of elected representatives.

Cr Saliba said her initial reaction to Wollongong’s executive staff meeting request was to say “no blow it” to the meeting request after they had been knocked back by the northern council several times. But, she said, “we’re actually better than that”, so agreed it should go ahead.

Also at Wednesday night’s meeting, Shellharbour councillors voted to spend more than $6000 on conducting a public opinion poll on the merger.