The report – which may worry those Shellharbour residents fearing a “takeover” from the bigger council – puts forward four name options for the proposed new entity, listing benefits and disadvantages and recommending councillors choose a favourite at next week’s council meeting.

Although it stops short of endorsing one name option, Wollongong City appears as the clear favourite.  Staff said it would have an immediate connection to the largest city within the council area, recognises Wollongong’s “city status” alongside Sydney, Newcastle and Parramatta and “compliments regional destination marketing and branding of Wollongong”.

Additionally, only 18 per cent of the local government area, or 25 per cent of the population would require rebranding, the report said.

City of Greater Wollongong would be slightly less favourable, due to the need for “significant” rebranding resources,  while Wollongong Regional Council would “not capture the city status”.

The fourth option, Illawarra Regional Council has “a number of disadvantages” as the merged council would be inconsistent with the Illawarra region’s physical boundaries.

“Potentially Illawarra does not have the same degree of national or international recognition as the name Wollongong,” staff said, adding it could put the title of Lord Mayor at risk.

Staff also recommended councillors debate the existence of this title under a merged council, noting it was granted by Queen Elizabeth II to the city in 1970, to mark “the importance of Wollongong as a major city of NSW”. The title, bestowed only on four councils, is of “significant value to the council”, staff said.

Staff also said councillors should put forward their preferred number of elected representatives in the event the merger goes ahead. They have listed seven different options comprising 12 or 14 councillors and a popularly elected Lord Mayor.