The mayor hit back, saying council was within its rights to approve the proposal and labelled claims secret meetings had been held with Woolworths and a deal done as a lie.

Shoalhaven Council, led by an 8-5 voting bloc by Team Gash on Tuesday night, voted to approve the $13.8 million supermarket proposed for the former John Bull Centre site near the corner of the Princes Highway and Cambewarra Road, overturning a staff recommendation.

“All members of the Gash party voted to overturn the staff recommendation to refuse the Woolworths application as it was contrary to the objectives of the zone, council policy and the Shoalhaven Local Environmental Plan,” Cr Guile said.

“The Gash group’s performance was a disgrace on what is a make or break issue for the future development of retailing in the north of the Shoalhaven.”

Cr Guile said he was appalled at the conduct of the meeting.

“We should not so casually junk all our planning policies, put the future of small businesses at risk and further damage the Nowra CBD without some further examination,” he said.

Cr Guile claimed Team Gash councillors appeared to have agreed to vote as a bloc before the meeting.

“They were reading prepared statements and speeches while revealing the mayor and other Gash councillors had met privately with Woolworths representatives,” he said.

“It seems that a deal was done with no other non-Gash councillor being contacted by Woolworths in the lead-up to the meeting.

“One non-Gash councillor admitted to being lobbied by the deputy mayor to support their proposal so it did not look like a Team Gash bloc vote.”

He said an attempt to properly discuss the motion in committee was voted down by Team Gash councillors who time limited speakers against before attempting to curtail debate.

“For years the Shoalhaven has attempted to establish plans for the development of retail. Based on these plans, small businesses and property investors have committed their resources and in many cases, their livelihoods,” Cr Guile said.

“Now a big retailer turns up with an opportunistic application and the rules are thrown out as a favour to them.

“Not only will local jobs be lost, profits will now also flow out of the local area. This hit is on top of the lost jobs at the paper mill, Pentair, and Rambor as well as for all the local subcontractors that supplied them.”

Cr Gash refuted the claims and said councillors, as the determining body, need to assess the merits of the proposal and make a determination of the application.

“Team Gash does not always vote as a bloc, look at the past history,” she said.

“Cr Guile says he was appalled at the conduct of the meeting, ask anyone about his behaviour. It was out of the ordinary.

“He was hyped up about something.

“He threw a childish temper tantrum during the meeting. It was the behaviour of a two-year-old. He threw a hissy fit - a tanty.

“And he put in a rescission motion and now this proposal is held up for another month.”

She refuted claims she had met in private with Woolworths.

“The statement that myself or other Gash councillors met in private with Woolworths is an absolute lie,” she said.

“He [Cr Guile] claims prepared statements were read which revealed the mayor had met in private with Woolworths.

“Prove it, if it is the case. It is just a mischievous assertion.

“As far as I know Woolworths did not contact any councillors - there was certainly no deal done.”

She said claims proper procedures were not followed were wrong.

“Proper meeting procedures were followed. Council debated and discussed the issue for almost one and a half hours,” she said.

Cr Gash defended council’s decision to go against the staff’s recommendation and approve the proposal.

“It is permissible to have a bulky goods and retail store on the site,” she said.

‘“We took the staff’s recommendation into account.

“It’s not the first time council has gone against a staff recommendation. Cr Guile has done it on many occasions.

“The staff ultimately said it was a decision for the council to make.

“Woolworths has changed the DA on three occasions due to community demands to fit in.

“Why would we sterilise that land?”

She said it was the entrance to Nowra and other businesses such as takeaway food outlets, service stations, motels and bottleshops were in the vicinity.

“This is definitely zoned to allow it,” she said.

“All we are trying to do is do the best by the community. There are no ulterior motives.”

Cr Gash said any conditions for the development application would also be the subject of a further report to council.