Councillor Matt Brown has announced his ticket for the Council election, now on 4 December, which will campaign under the name: We Love Kiama Gerringong Jamberoo!

It is an unusually large ticket, with five other candidates standing behind Cllr Brown and Councillor Don Watson.

“A number of candidates contacted me wanting to be on the ticket and I was very humbled by that,” says Cllr Brown.

“I’m pleased we have such a diverse ticket from every corner of the Municipality – each with their own specific qualities and experiences.”

The new candidates (in their order on the ticket) are Sylvia Kondrackas, a retired public servant active in many local clubs, including Kiama Surf Club; Greg Gunning, a born and bred in Kiama with a large extended family involved in business and the community; Morgan Lewis, who runs an art and music space and is an organiser of the Kiama Jazz & Blues Festival; Alyson Coleman, a Jamberoo resident with small business experience; and Paul Dopper, a third generation Gerringong local, former member of council staff and now a small business operator.

“We are for merit-based decision making rather an ideologically-based decision making,” says Cllr Brown.

“We are looking to keep the character of the area, but are also looking at sustainable jobs throughout the whole of the area.”

He has been frustrated by how long it takes for decisions to be made, and wants that to change.

“A lot of people have had extensive delays in getting decisions made and I want to help streamline that. There needs to be more certainty when people have interactions with Council, so issues and processes are clearer.

“Lots of decisions take too long because there are too many reports. We are for less reports, more decision, more action.”

While Kiama Labor is running an endorsed ticket this time, Cllr Brown says he has never been a supporter of party politics at council level.