Speaking in light of Saturday’s shire-wide public meeting, held by the “Concerned Citizens of the Eurobodalla” and advertised as being on “council amalgamation”, Cr Brown said he was open to discussion about amalgamation.

He said he already proactively approached and met with Shoalhaven and Bega mayors last year to ask their thoughts on a potential merger or boundary change after the state government announced its independent local government review.

However the review found that Eurobodalla, Shoalhaven and Bega councils had the scale and capacity to stand alone.

“I am not afraid of amalgamation, my goal has always been, and always will be, to do the best for the entire community,” Cr Brown said.

“I met with both mayors (to ask) how we can work closer and obviously a boundary adjustment and amalgamations were part of that discussion.

“Both of them said they were going to stand alone.”

Cr Brown warned residents could lose local representation if amalgamation went ahead.

He also pointed that out that business owners in the Milton-Ulladulla area are drawing battle lines as they prepare to fight plans to lift their rates by close to 50 per cent over the next five years.

“Let’s say for example the (Shoalhaven) boundary is the Moruya River, what you’re saying to Shoalhaven is ‘we want to go to you, but we’re going to give you an airport that costs $150,000 a year and we’re going to give you a swimming pool that needs to be built at up to $50 million’,” Cr Brown said.

“(Shoalhaven is) currently underfunding by about $10 million a year for the next 10 years.

“Do you want to go and be a part of a council and be at the southern end where the nearest physical contact with the council staff will be an hour-and-a-half away?”

Cr Brown said he was not able to attend Saturday’s meeting, as he had a prior long-term family commitment.

He said he wished to meet with the meeting’s organisers, but was not fully aware of who they were.

Cr Brown said the meeting was all part of the democratic process and the community was “welcome to have those conversations”.

“I ask those who are presenting the meeting to ensure that the correct information is delivered to allow the people at the meeting make an informed decision,” Cr Brown said.

“If they go with the view that we just want to amalgamate because it’s better for us and because of a certain amount of criteria that they’ve put forward, that criteria has to be validated.

“I encourage people to read the council’s most recent (Fit for the Future) report before they go.”

Cr Brown said it was important to remember that when it came to Fit for the Future, the council was following the process recommended by the state government.

“We have no option to talk about amalgamation at the moment unless the state government decides to change their direction and they haven’t,” he said.

“It’s a fait accompli as far as we’re concerned, this is where we go, no one wants to talk to us about it

“We’re doing exactly what the Liberal government said we had to do.

“If things change the conversation will change.”