Anna Watson's attack is 'sad and disappointing': Shellharbour Mayor Chris Homer

The Shellharbour MP used parliamentary privilege on Tuesday to announce a motion lashing out at the mayor's "gross and ongoing incompetence" which should result in his resignation.

"I don't think there is any integrity or good faith in the commentary from Anna Watson towards myself as a local leader who is in her electorate," Mayor Homer said.

"I'm in local government and she's in state government, I'm trying to work together for the good of Shellharbour. You get this opposition politics from a person who is in government and, quite frankly, it's not working for Shellharbour.

"I find it completely sad and disappointing. My call is to act like she's in government and get things done, be progressive. Get things done for the people, not this arguing and bickering."

Ms Watson's motion stems from the fact Mayor Homer and Deputy Kellie Marsh were caught up in Kiama MP Gareth Ward's Shellharbour Airport funding bungle.

That took place last month when the trio were at the airport to announce funding in the budget - which turned out not to be there.

Mayor Homer outlined the background of why he chose to attend the media conference.

"The Member for Kiama invited us to a funding announcement," Mayor Homer said.

"We asked for his '23-'24 statement budget papers - to clearly state that the funding's there - which he provided. The number I was seeing on that state budget paper was as it was.

"We had a state member inviting us to a budget announcement in his state electorate and we were like 'yes, we should go and celebrate the fact that we're going to upgrade the airport'."

Mayor Homer said he believed Mr Ward came to the council "in good faith" about the funding announcement.

At the Shellharbour City Council meeting a day after the announcement that wasn't, Labor councillors quizzed the mayor - especially after he left it off his list of engagements customarily read at the start of each meeting.

As has happened in previous meetings, Mayor Homer shut down the discussion rather than just respond to the questions.

"I don't think the question was asked in such a way that they wanted an answer," Mayor Homer said on Wednesday.

"It was raised at that meeting, it was just something that was out of the blue. My job in the chamber is to stick to the agenda and the items, it's not to veer off."

When asked if he regretted leaving the announcement off his engagement list, Mayor Homer said "not necessarily".

"It was just one of those unfortunate things - the excitement of it didn't pan out as it should," he said.

"Obviously it was a big point of contention and there were all sorts of political narratives surrounding it. I just didn't see the benefit to the community to feed some sort of perception ... of what may or may not have happened.

"I just wanted to get on with the job of serving the community."

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