Shoalhaven Council will not put out the welcome mat for King Charles and Queen Camilla when they visit Australia later this year.
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And it was a self-confessed royalist leading the fight against inviting the couple to the Shoalhaven.
Cr Paul Ell had called on council to extend an invitation to King Charles and Queen Camilla to include the Shoalhaven as part of their official visit to Australia later in the year.
With an official portrait of King Charles only just installed in the council chambers, Cr Ell told the council meeting on Monday, July 22, that a royal visit would be "a great opportunity to promote our community".
"I know it would mean a lot for a lot of people," he said.
But with estimates that hosting a royal visit could cost council in the order of $50,000 to $100,000, Cr Matthew Norris hit out at the idea as "a blatant example of financial recklessness".
That money would be better spent of some of the many projects needed
"I as a Labor councillor, probably the only one in the state, nay the country who supports the monarchy, recognise that now is not the time for such a visit," he said.
"Instead we should focus on the substantial work needed to support our local community, rather than orchestrating a fleeting visit by a head of state."
Suggesting council invite the royals for a visit showed "a fundamental disconnect with the real needs of our community," Cr Norris claimed.
Cr Tonia Gray went even further, describing Cr Ell's motion as "a vanity project" and "political grandstanding".
The motion was lost six votes to five, with Cr John Wells absent.
