MOST Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors will be forced to share wards from October if recommendations released last week by the Victorian Electrical Commission are adopted.

While the VEC's much awaited final report retains 11 councillors, the number of wards they represent has shrunk from 11 to six.

The council campaigned hard to retain the existing system of single-councillor wards but the commission wants two three-councillor wards, one two-councillor ward and three single-councillor wards.

The VEC has called for communities be merged to create three multi-councillor wards to cover the urban population along the Port Phillip Bay coast.

Single-councillor wards have been retained in the less-populated Western Port side of the shire.

Mayor Frank Martin said he was surprised by the VEC's recommendations. "There will be many challenges for the council under the new system," Cr Martin said.

He maintained the unique characteristics of the peninsula had been well served by 11 single-councillor wards for more than a decade.

That the VEC had chosen to change a system that had worked extremely well in the past was equally surprising and unexpected, he said.

"On a positive note, when the new system comes into effect we will continue to work hard and collectively to provide the best representation possible for our community."

Rosebud Ward councillor David Gibb said the council was being punished for good behaviour, after six of the 11 single-councillor wards went uncontested at the previous election in 2008.

In a submission to the VEC, Cerberus Ward councillor Reade Smith argued that the proposed model would make it difficult for the three single-member wards on the Western Port side of the peninsula to get a fair share of the shire's rate revenue.

Electoral Commissioner Steve Tully said the VEC had considered all public submissions, as well as the municipality's demographics, growth potential and the electoral structure of similar municipalities.