The decision was made at council's meeting on September 27, after the realisation that most of the committee's work would be done during the polling period for local government elections this December.

With the postponement of elections until December 4 and declaration of the polls unlikely to be complete until the week beginning December 20, there would have been no councillors to guide the committee during that period.

Cr Peter Wright said the decision was a sensible one, given the predicament council found itself in.

"If there is common sense in local government, this does make common sense," he said.

"These two delegates are organising something that will happen after an election, which normally doesn't happen.

"For the day to work, we need people that have the knowledge, so if this meets all the guidelines of local government I support it."

However, in endorsing Cr Walsh's and Cr Miller's continuation through that period, Cr Judi Smith noted council would also be without a mayor during that period.

"The last sentence in the introduction, either to you (Mayor West) or to the General Manager, says that the mayoral position will be vacant from December 4 until January 10," she said referring to a report presented to the meeting.

"My understanding in the past was that the mayor remained the titular head after an election and this appears to have changed.

"So I'd like firstly, confirmation that has changed and if anyone knows the reason, I'd like to hear that, because that's a very long time for a council to be without someone performing the functions of a mayor who may be needed for example in an emergency situation or at other times when the general manager can't do the duties that a mayor would."

General Manager, Paul Devery, confirmed the change had been made to the regulations following the 2016 Local Government elections.

"It's of course been exacerbated by now the lengthening of the time for the receipt of the postal votes and of course this year exacerbated by the Christmas period," he said.

"The rationale for it, I understand, is that some mayors who may not have previously been re-elected at the ordinary election are then perhaps causing, for want of a better term, mischief between the election and the date of the first council meeting where a new mayor is elected.

"If I can make a comment, it's probably not dissimilar to lot of things that happened, we seem to cater for the lowest common denominator in city legislation and policy."

Mayor West agreed, saying a number of councils had already raised concerns with the length of time they would be left without mayors.

"I know that REROC for example are writing strongly worded letters to the minister and their state representatives in regard their concerns about that length of time and the change in the regulations," he said.

"And I know that at the virtual meeting of the Deputy Premier John Barilaro with country and rural/regional mayors and general managers a couple weeks ago this matter was raised.

"Actually the Deputy Premier seemed somewhat surprised."

As such Cr Smith moved a supplementary motion that council would write to the local member and the Minister of Local Government raising concerns at the legislation that results in a mayor elected by councillors ceasing to hold office from the day of the election until the first council meeting of the newly elected council.

Cr Bruce Miller agreed, saying there should be a sensible response from the minister.

"It's ludicrous that we would have a council without leadership, only in emergency situations, for this length of time," he said.

Cr Walsh also indicated that the fire season and pandemic should also be raised in the letter.

"A: this is going to be right in the middle of the fire season and B: of course we're still in the middle of a pandemic," he said.

"Certainly leadership is still required right through that Christmas period so I think it's important to bring those two factors into the letter."

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