The Tumbarumba mayor said he was upset the NSW government had decided to combine the shires into a nine-member Snowy Valleys Council extending from south of Khancoban to north of Tumut.

“We're singularly unimpressed to be quite honest,” Cr Chaffey said.

“The community won't forget this, they will see they've been let down at a local level by their local member.

“People in the country have a long memory.

“By the government's own assessment we were found to be the best-performing rural council in NSW and they've put us in with the 63^rd best-performing council – that's indicative of the intellectual capacity of the decision.

“I think it's devastating for Tumbarumba Shire, that's my personal opinion.”

Cr Chaffey warned the decision would have fallout for Liberal member for Eden-Monaro Peter Hendy.

“This will have quite a significant impact on the seat of Eden-Monaro in the coming federal election,” he said.

“While the community can differentiate between different spheres of government, be they state or federal, they don't differentiate between Liberal and Labor at different levels.”

Albury MLA Greg Aplin said it was fair Tumbarumba residents were upset and he would cop some of that anger, but he downplayed the federal election impact.

“I would expect people would be concerned with the issues that concern Australia as a whole at a federal election,” Mr Aplin said.

“They will be making their decision based on things such as finance, defence and border protection, rather than local government which doesn't have anything whatsoever to do with the federal government.”

Mr Aplin said he fought hard for Tumbarumba.

“At every step I have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Tumbarumba Shire against any amalgamation,” Mr Aplin said.

“Under the criteria of Fit for the Future, Tumbarumba … deserved to stand alone.

“I have made this support very clear to the Premier and Minister for Local Government repeatedly.”