to pull all involvement with the State Government's growth area plan last week during a council meeting dominated by anger at the NSW mini-budget.

Much of the anger came from Labor councillors, as well as the Liberals.

But the council eventually decided it would be more constructive to maintain its ``good'' relationship with the Department of Planning, which is looking to Campbelltown to absorb some of Sydney's expanding population but with no promise of providing adequate transport infrastructure. The council will lobby the State Government to keep infrastructure provision in line with growth.

The privatisation of Picton's Queen Victoria Memorial Home and WSN Environmental Solutions, the sale of 140 hectares of Hurlstone Agricultural High School land and the deferral of the South West Rail Link are included in the mini-budget and drawn council anger.

Liberal councillor Jai Rowell has slammed the ``Team Macarthur'' Labor MPs, spurred by Wollondilly MP Phil Costa's comment that the region was given a reprieve in the Government's mini-budget. ``Phil Costa must be so out of touch,'' Cr Rowell said.

Liberal councillor Paul Hawker said that there had not been ``a rustle in the trees'' from the four MPs Mr Costa, Camden's Geoff Corrigan, Campbelltown's Graham West or Macquarie Fields' Andrew McDonald on the mini-budget.

Mr West said no major projects had been stopped in the area. He said the train line had been deferred and the Government was still acquiring land, which showed ``a genuine commitment'' to the project.

A spokesman for Mr Costa, who is also Regional Development Minister, said he understood ``tough decisions have to be made as part of a budget''.