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Following 44 days on public exhibition, a motion was put forward to remove the civic prayer from council meetings at the June 15 ordinary meeting of council.

Wingecarribee Shire Council group manager for corporate and community Danielle Lidgard said 120 submissions were received between April 6 to May 20.

"Sixty-eight per cent of the respondents answered that they did not wish to have opening prayer," she said.

"Reasons include the desire to keep religion and state practices separate, that prayers were out of date, particularly considering modern and multicultural and multi-faith societies and that prayers weren't inclusive.

"Thirty-two per cent of respondents answered that they wished to retain Christian values and traditions, a belief that prayers assist councillors and staff and a belief that the prayer is inclusive."

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However, not everyone is happy with the removal of the civic prayer.

Wollondilly MP Nathaniel Smith said the removal of the prayer was a "blatant waste of time and resources."

"For a council still in administration, [they] should be focused on fixing potholes and other core issues instead of initiating motions to do with woke identity politics. Especially after recent natural disasters," he said.

"If widespread public consultation had occurred, you would find that most people in the Wingecarribee Shire want their traditions and history to remain intact.

"It is the one thing we can rely on and a reminder of our ongoing commitment to the common good.

"This is not an insignificant issue and should have been debated by councillors, but currently there are no councillors to hold a debate and represent community views. What we need is all levels of government getting out of people's lives."

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At the council meeting, interim administrator Viv May said he was pleased and surprised by the number of people who made submissions.

"It'd be recommended to the incoming council that councillors by rotation at the commencement of meetings read the statement of ethical obligations," he said.

"I declare the recommendation [to remove the prayer] carried."

This is not the first time the civic prayer has stirred up debate in Wingecarribee Shire Council.

At the June 26, 2019, ordinary meeting of the council, former councillor Larry Whipper moved a motion to include prayers from other faiths as part of the civic opening prayer at the start of each meeting.

The motion was defeated, and the civic prayer went unchanged.

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Do you think the civic prayer should remain? Or do you agree with the council's move to remove it? Have your say below.