From "showpiece" to a "run-down housing estate" were the words Shell Cove resident Brian Walker used to describe the current state of Shell Cove over the past 18-12 months.

Mr Walker said gardens were overgrown and straying onto walking paths. He said mowing was consistently a "half-done" job and grass cuttings were left in piles in the parks.

"It takes them about five minutes to do a job that would take a day," he said.

"It has just gone downhill and it's a mess. We pay a lot of money to live here and it is such a beautiful place."

Mr Walker said he had gone to the council five times in the past year with his concerns on the matter but his calls had been left unanswered.

There is no specific policy on Shell Cove's general maintenance, however Shellharbour City Council said the maintenance of public open spaces was managed at a city-wide level using available resources.

"Priority is given to areas based on the level of use, visibility and accessibility to the site," a council spokesperson said.

At an added cost of $60 a quarter Shell Cove residents used to pay for extra general maintenance in the estate, which ended in 2009.

However, according to council this agreement stopped in response to resident complaints about the fees.

Resident Steven Thomas of Flinders said litter and illegal dumping was at an "all-time high" in the city.

"The Shellharbour municipality has never looked grubbier," he said.

"Litter along Shell Cove Road - an area that is supposed to be a landmark for the area - is an eyesore.

"There are large bits of plastic and litter on the side of the road and behind the bushes that sit there for months and months.

"Someone comes in to mow the lawn but they don't pick up the actual rubbish. It just sits there and it is left up to the public, the ratepayer, to pick it up."