Related: Wingecarribee Shire Council issued notice to suspend, administrator to be put in place

Earlier this week, the minister released a statement where she announced she had issued Wingecarribee Shire Council a notice of intention to suspend council.

The notice to suspend came days after Wollondilly MP Nathaniel Smith and Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman wrote to the minister and asked her to intervene.

Mr Smith said he was surprised at how quickly the minister acted and that the intervention by her was "overdue".

"Myself and Wendy Tuckerman wrote to the minister on Monday," he said.

Related: MPs urge minister to suspend council

"Obviously the council has been under a Performance Improvement Order for nearly six months and that was meant to stop the dysfunctional behaviour and get people working together for the sake of the community. What we saw from the meeting on February 24 was absolutely disgraceful.

"Obviously the PIO hasn't worked and we have to move to phase two which is a suspension period and I believe the community is 100 per cent behind it.

"Both our offices have been inundated with people complaining about council."

Ms Tuckerman said she had noted the minister's response.

"It brings no joy to see a democratically elected council issued a notice of intention by the minister to suspend council," she said.

"Council had the opportunity to correct their performance and return to focusing on the community that they represent, this has not happened. Council has seven days to respond to the notice of intention by the minister."

Mayor Ducan Gair was disappointed.

"It's not a good day for Wingecarribee Shire," he said.

"It is so disappointing, other than being the worse day in Wingecarribee Shire, it is the worst day for the community and for the workers of Wingecarribee Shire Council."

Cr Gair said council will make a submission to the minister to show cause as to why they shouldn't be suspended.

"I will be working with councillors to make a substantive submission," he said.

"I just feel for the councillors that have given so many years of service.

"It's the worst day in Wingecarribee Shire's history."

Councillor Larry Whipper said he was disappointed by the statements made by Minister Hancock.

"It raises questions as to who they have been listening to before publicly tarring the whole council as dysfunctional," he said.

Councillor Peter Nelson said he didn't expect the suspension order at all.

"Mayor Duncan Gair called me to inform me of what has happened," he said.

"What happens now is that council has to show cause as to why they should not be suspended. The other council meeting for March 10 is still going ahead."

Councillor Graham McLaughlin had spoken to the Southern Highland News prior to the announcement and said if council was put into administration it would deprive the community of a voice.

"It would be a very sad and regrettable decision," he said.

"It would likely be that way for several years. Do the community really want that to happen with only five months to go to another election for this council?"

Following the news, Cr McLaughlin said he was sad and disappointed in the decision.

"However, the three months will mean the community can vote for a new council," he said.

Councillors Garry Turland said he and the mayor should step down.

"Hopefully if we do that an administrator won't be put in place," he said.

A Wingecarribee Shire Council spokesperson said council staff weren't affected.

"The operation of council will continue as per normal until we're formally notified of the process moving forward," they said.

Councillors Ken Halstead OAM and Grahame Andrews declined to make a comment on the suspension order.

Councillor Ian Scandrett was contacted for comment.

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