Show the people of the Milton-Ulladulla region that council expenditure has been spread equitably across the city over the past 10 years and we will happily publish details of each and every dollar spent in the southern Shoalhaven, and how us 'southerners' get as good a deal as anyone in the north.

This isn't about pointing the finger of blame at any one councillor or group of councillors.

It's about showing our council has the ENTIRE city's best interests at heart or if the Shoalhaven's ward system is so horribly skewed in favour of the city's north that a very real effort should be made at a grassroots level to have that system changed.

Ward 3 councillors - former Greg Watson ally John Willmott included - have argued for many years that the south is missing out.

And there has been nothing except personal protestations from anyone else on council to suggest otherwise.

Anyone on council (or at council) can say otherwise but there is a REAL perception in the city's south that the residents of the Milton-Ulladulla region are missing out when it comes to council expenditure.

And we have said it before and we will say it again - perception is everything in politics.

Take for example council's decision last week - a unanimous decision we might add - on how to spend $614,000 received as part of the Rudd Government's Local Regional Community Infrastructure Program.

Claims that it will "fund numerous projects across the city" would more correctly read "fund numerous projects in the city's north".

Of the total received $219,000 will be spent in Sanctuary Point, $265,000 in Berry, $30,000 in Kangaroo Valley, $30,000 in Bomaderry and $70,000 in Basin View.

Not one token cent for the Milton-Ulladulla region.

With everything well documented at a local government level, it should be easy enough to prove that ratepayers' money has been spread evenly throughout the city and that those 'knockers' in the south should put a sock in it.

We're quite happy to run the figures past an independent auditor if we ever receive them - but we're not reaching for the Yellow Pages just yet.

* The Times will be willing to publish any feedback from councillors in the interest of public debate.