It’s a very bold claim for Kiama Council to pronounce that the community has spoken on the basis of a petition opposing Springside Hill.

Adopting “no” or “hell no” as the default position is exactly the attitude that NSW Premier Chris Minns identified as the root cause of the housing crisis we are in.

Two drop-in sessions that we held to inform the community about our proposal to provide the homes that Kiama so desperately needs, assured us that there are many voices that have gone unheard.

Their support for Springside Hill, insightful suggestions of ways to improve the masterplan and desperate need for housing are all the encouragement we need to continue working to progress our plans.

We spoke to residents caught in a desperate rental situation, fearful for their future. It was hard to explain to them that Council’s current position ignores their plight, voting to not support our plan to build around 1,000 homes with 25 per cent guaranteed for locals, essential workers and affordable housing.

We could begin work on Springside Hill tomorrow with the first homes delivered by 2027 yet the people of Kiama are being asked to pin their hopes on other proposals with no plans, no analysis and no timeline. People like the grandfather who owns a home near Springside Hill and is living with his son and daughter-in-law, and their young family. He wants his grandchildren to live near him, but not necessarily with him. He sees Springside Hill as an opportunity to keep his family close by, otherwise they’ll have to move out of the area.

Or the mother of three who endured a $200 a week rent rise only to find themselves looking for a new home when the owner decided to sell. Together with her husband she’s in the final decade of her working life, and with market rents and house prices having soared beyond their means, she is

fearful for what the future holds.

These are the untold stories from within the community that need to be heard.

Our position has always been that Kiama faces an immediate housing crisis requiring an immediate solution, which Springside Hill provides.

Bombo Quarry will play an essential role in meeting Kiama’s longer term housing needs given the time required for rehabilitation and planning. Not a single local we spoke to expects Bombo to provide housing relief before the 2030s.

Housing insecurity takes an enormous human toll, every waking moment consumed by a sense of dread about what the future holds. Some of the conversations we had at the drop-in session were raw and uncomfortable. For these people, Springside Hill offers a glimmer of hope.

Feedback from attendees highlighted elements of the proposal that won most favour – the 25 per cent guarantee for locals and affordable and key worker housing, the creation of new jobs and services for the community, like GPs, groceries and childcare, the diversity of housing types from

small lots to lifestyle lots, townhouses and apartments, providing opportunities for young people and families with children.

The Springside Hill proposal is a carefully considered plan. It is not about building the maximum number of dwellings for maximum profit but providing homes in which people can live their lives in safety and comfort.

There was a great diversity of viewpoints among those who attended the drop-in sessions. Some were concerned about the direct impacts on their lifestyle. That is a reasonable concern and we have already demonstrated our willingness to make changes to lessen the impacts.

A young family were strongly supportive of the additional housing that Springside Hill will provide. Like many with homes in Kiama, who bought before the surge in property prices, they would benefit further from locking the gate to new housing, yet with two young daughters, their greater concern is

for the next generation.

Council’s decision not to support the Springside Hill proposal was not unexpected. Change is difficult yet when development is done well it brings wide-ranging benefits. So, we wholeheartedly agree with the Planning Minister, Paul Scully MP, that addressing the housing crisis is a shared responsibility and that more needs to be done.

Some will applaud Kiama recording the highest regional property price growth in NSW, outstripping even Byron Bay. But without housing equity the town stands to lose its young people and essential workers, becoming a community affordable only to Sydney blow-ins. Just a pretty town with expensive houses that no locals can afford.