Premier Mike Baird and Local Government Minister Paul Toole unveiled their plans for council amalgamations on Friday, reducing regional councils from 109 to 87.

Shortly after the announcement Shoalhaven Mayor Joanna Gash said she was unsure how the amalgamation would work.

“At this stage it is just a proposal until the boundary committee makes its final recommendations,” she said.

“It would see the creation of a new council taking in the Shoalhaven City area and the Kiama municipality.

“What it [a new council] would be called I have no idea.”

She said council was waiting on formal written advice from the Local Government Association.

“From what I can gather, the government and association are trying to form regional councils that would look after a population of more than 150,000 which is what this proposal between Shoalhaven and Kiama would achieve,” she said.

Cr Gash said a boundary commission would be formed in early January and would take submissions from the public until March.

“I have no idea how our city will feel about a merger and it is something that will have to be discussed,” she said.

“I urge people to have their say and make submissions with the boundary commission once it is established.

“It has only just happened and I have no idea what our residents or our council thinks about the proposal.

“And there will be a lot of consultation with both our residents and those of Kiama.”

She said any proposal would not see the city’s southern towns Milton or Ulladulla moved into the neighbouring Eurobodalla Shire.

“As I understand it Shoalhaven would be included as a whole, meaning Ulladulla and towns south would be included,” she said.

Cr Gash said she understood concerns Kiama might lose its identity.

“I heard Kiama Mayor Brian Petschler on the radio this morning raising concerns and I fully understand that,” she said.

“He is a passionate man about his community, as I know the whole area is, having formally been their federal member.”

Cr Gash said the council elections, which were due next September, had now been pushed back until March 2017.

She said the proposed merger was logical.

“Shoalhaven was found Fit for the Future and the boundary commission knows that and of the competency of our council and that would be why we have been linked with Kiama,” she said.

Cr Gash said she had worked on other councils in the Wingecarribee which had merged and while it was difficult she felt the community had benefited in the long run with better facilities and infrastructure.