Former Premier Mike Baird was regularly in the firing line of Opposition MPs for not visiting the region.

However, the freshly-elected Ms Berejiklian has revealed she won’t shy away from Wollongong, despite the city’s political standing as a Labor stronghold.

“As Premier, I have promised that I will be governing for everyone across NSW and I am extremely keen to get out on the ground and listen to the views of the people,” she told the Mercury. 

“I am planning to visit communities across the state – and of course the Illawarra will be on the list.”

Ms Berejiklian has come under increasing pressure to scrap planned council amalgamations across the state, including the Wollongong-Shellharbour merger that is still before the court.

Opposition Leader Luke Foley and his Illawarra Labor faithful have slammed new Premier Gladys Berejiklian, saying the region’s lack of cabinet-table representation was the result of backroom deals being prioritised over the public interest.

Ms Berejiklian revealed her new-look cabinet on Sunday, sans a Minister for the Illawarra.

That position was dumped by former Premier Mike Baird in April 2015 and replaced by a parliamentary secretary role.

A parliamentary secretary is not a minister or cabinet member, but support and assist ministers.

Following the cabinet announcement, Mr Foley claimed the Illawarra had “lost out to the backroom operators and lurk merchants in the Liberal Party”.

“Rather than take this opportunity to appoint a Minister for the Illawarra, Premier Berejiklian was forced to hand out ministries to her Liberal powerbrokers like prizes at a children’s party,” he said.

“It’s scandalous that once again the Illawarra is overlooked by the Coalition and that the party interest trumped the public interest. This is a wasted opportunity.”

Keira MP, and Labor’s Illawarra spokesman, Ryan Park echoed his leader’s sentiment, saying “without a minister for our region we are continuously overlooked”.

However, Ms Berejiklian said the region would continue to be adequately represented via Kiama MP Gareth Ward’s position as parliamentary secretary for the Illawarra and South Coast.

The new Premier told the Mercury on Monday: “Gareth Ward has been an excellent parliamentary secretary for the region and he will continue to do a great job advocating on behalf of his community.”

Mr Ward also refuted suggestion the lack of a ministerial position had left the Illawarra worse off, saying the title didn’t make a difference.

“For me it’s about results and I think that’s what most people agree with as well,” he said.

Ms Berejiklian’s cabinet was sworn-in at Government House on Monday afternoon.

The region’s Labor MPs are calling on the state’s new health minister to scrap plans to part-privatise Shellharbour Hospital.

Wollongong MP Paul Scully said the MPs were seeking a meeting with Brad Hazzard to discuss the NSW government’s plans to enter into a private-public partnership to upgrade the ageing hospital.

‘’We don’t think this decision is in the best interests of the Illawarra, we don’t think it will provide the service public patients expect from their public health system,’’ he said.

‘’Minister Hazzard has a chance to reverse this decision and continue with the upgrade the government promised, but just do it as a public hospital.’’

Shellharbour MP Anna Watson said the proposal had caused an ‘’enormous amount of uncertainty and distress’’ among patients and staff at both Shellharbour, and Port Kembla hospitals.

Health workers’ unions have staged a series of rallies since former Health Minister Jillian Skinner announced the plan in September 2016.

A number of private providers have submitted bids to upgrade and run the facility.

However Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward said private investment in the system would mean more services for public patients.

‘’There’s a split demand for public and private health services – by uniting that demand we will be able to offer services that are not currently being offered,’’ he said.

- Lisa Wachsmuth