Lionel Britton, who has served on the Castle Hill Showground 355 Committee for 30 years, resigned in protest last week over alleged derogatory comments made by north ward councillor Greg Burnett.

As the News reported on September1, Cr Burnett told a meeting of the Annangrove Progress Association that the committee, in appointing as one of its members Dermot O'Sullivan the would-be Liberal MP for Mitchell ``had gotten stale and when things get stale they get a stench about them''.

On hearing of this comment, Mr Britton, a former Liberal Party heavyweight, said he was incensed. He demanded a public apology from Cr Burnett.

``I tried for a long time to get that apology but he refused to do it,'' Mr Britton said.

``The apology is not so much for me but for the good people who serve on these committees all selfless volunteers who care about the community. Someone had to take a stand for them.''

Cr Tony Hay, former Labor mayor, told last Tuesday's council meeting there was ``something going on under the surface here that needs to be addressed when our volunteers feel they have to resign because they don't feel appreciated something's seriously wrong.''

Cr Hay called on the council to conduct exit interviews with any departing long-term volunteers.

After the meeting, Mr Britton thanked the Labor councillors for their support but told the News he was ``extremely disappointed the council has become politicised to the extent it has''.

``Everyone knows we have Liberals out-voting Labor 8 to 4 every time,'' he said. ``Good ideas are being ignored. This is a good idea because people who are disenfranchised don't get the opportunity to voice their concerns.''

A spokeswoman for The Hills Shire Council said the council conducted exit interviews as a matter of course.