The motion was brought to council at the Ordinary Meeting on Tuesday, July 27 by independent councillor Nina Digiglio and follows a public housing community meeting organised by Shoalhaven Community First - a team of council candidates led by Nina Digiglio.

"We are in the midst of a housing crisis, it does cost to work collaboratively with tiers of government and that's what was asked at this meeting - that we do make representation to the other tiers of government and shadow ministers," said Cr Digiglio in her motion.

"It was a meeting that allowed the community to have their voice heard which is what we're supposed to do at council."

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Independent councillor Joanna Gash asked Cr Digilio to clarify why, at the meeting, she said she wished to acknowledge the town's racist language.

"I found that extremely offensive. We're trying to have inclusiveness and this has certainly put us back in the division areas," said Cr Gash.

Cr Digiglio said she may have said that but she did not mean that everyone was racist, just that there was an undercurrent of racism in the community.

Shoalhaven Independents councillor Mitchell Pakes opposed the motion, calling it a political stunt.

"And don't tell me it's not because Shoalhaven Community First is the political group that councillor Digiglio has been running in the council election," he said.

"This wasn't open to the community, I didn't know about it."

Cr Pakes was then told that the meeting was advertised on community Facebook pages.

"I think in the last census eight per cent of the Shoalhaven population used Facebook," he replied.

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Shoalhaven Independents' councillor Andrew Guile said it was mayor Amanda Findley (who attended the meeting) and Cr Digilio who "fought tooth and nail ... every step against changes to the medium density policy in the council that sought to drive down the cost of affordable housing".

"It's these people that went to this meeting, and have been purported by the mayor to be in favour of affordable housing that have done everything they can, in this chamber, to work against the provision of it," he said.

Greens councillor John Levett said it was a pity that a genuine motion like this got treated in such a shameful way.

"The fact is that there is a housing crisis here, and I'd welcome any measure at all for it to be delivered to whatever level of government is appropriate ... [stating] that there needs to more done about it," said Cr Levett.

"Some how or another, our Liberal driven government that thinks the market forces will solve every problem known to man, abandoned the system that worked very well.

"And look what the markets have done to the price of houses.

"You know, $800,000 for a three bedroom house that barely holds up in strong winds at Shoalhaven Heads. It's ridiculous."

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Cr Digiglio said she was shocked and disappointed by some of the comments that came from her fellow councillors.

"It wasn't about a political stunt, it was about gathering a group of people and allowing them a safe space to communicate their feelings," she said.

"I want a compassionate community Cr Guile, I don't want one that just shoves these people to the side and let's them sit in their cars on the side of the road and not care about them."

Following the outcome of the Ordinary Meeting, Cr Digiglio said she was in planning with members of the community to stage a sleep-in in cars out the front of council chambers.

The motion was lost with Crs Findley, Alldrick, Digiglio and Levett voting in favour.

Against: Crs Gash, White, Wells, Gartner, Guile, Pakes, Watson, Kitchener and Proudfoot.