With very little fanfare, at Tuesday night’s council meeting, Kiama Council ratified a previous July 2023 decision to take a constitutional referendum to the community at the forthcoming local government election to be held on 14 September 2024.

The referendum will ask voters the following question:

The Mayor of the Kiama Municipality is currently elected every two (2) years by the nine (9) elected Councillors. 

Do you want to change to the direct (popular) election of the Mayor by the voters of the Kiama Municipality, for a four (4) year term?

Now that the proposed wording of the referendum has been approved by Council, the NSW Electoral Commission will make the final decision to include the proposed change at the September election. 

The question will be on a separate ballot paper to the election of local council representatives and will be carried if a majority of formal votes are in favour. 

If the community votes in favour, it can expect this new voting regime to come into place at the following local government election to be held in September 2028. There will be no changes to the existing Mayor voting regime over the next four years after this year’s election.