Inner West Council chief Richard Pearson declares he will fight WestConnex

The administrator appointed by the Baird government to run the newly merged Inner West Council, Richard Pearson, has written to residents vowing to "tirelessly" oppose the $16.8 billion WestConnex​ road project.

Mr Pearson was spat upon by a protester in May while trying to hold the council's inaugural meeting, which was disrupted by opponents of the forced merger and the motorway.

The protests followed Greens MP for Newtown, Jenny Leong, disclosing that in a meeting with Mr Pearson he said the new Inner West Council's position on WestConnex was "yet to be determined".

Inner West Council Administrator Richard Pearson was heckled at his council's first public meeting Photo: Christopher Pearce

This was despite the councils that were forcibly merged - Leichhardt, Marrickville and Ashfield - being vehemently opposed.

But in a letter to inner west residents advising them of his appointment, Mr Pearson acknowledged the community's opposition to the planned motorway, which would run through the area.

"The position of the new Inner West Council on the WestConnex project has not and will not change," he said.

"The community is strongly opposed to this project and I am committed to tirelessly representing that position to the state government."

Mr Pearson, who will be the council's administrator until elections are held in September next year, notes that "unfortunately our first council meeting was interrupted by protesters".

"While I support the right to peaceful protest, I am determined to make sure that council meetings continue to function," he said.

The protester who spat on Mr Pearson, cartoonist Nicola Minus, 26, was charged with offensive conduct.

No conviction was recorded and Ms Minus was given an 18-month good behaviour bond. Mr Pearson did not want to press charges.

Former Leichhardt mayor Darcy Byrne welcomed Mr Pearson's comments but added: "It will take more than glossy brochures to defend the inner west from [Premier] Mike Baird's developer driven agenda."

'With crude high rise development slated for the Bays Precinct, Parramatta Road and the Sydenham to Bankstown corridor, the new council is going to have to provide real scrutiny and strong advocacy or risk being seen by local people as the Premier's puppet regime," he said.

Local government minister Paul Toole​ said Mr Pearson is independent of the government and "has worked hard to ensure that most former councillors and mayors are continuing to represent the community in an official capacity as members of advisory committees".

"It's appropriate for administrators to communicate with residents," he said. "It's also appropriate for administrators to maintain the positions of the previous councils on policy matters."