Yasmin Tatrai has lived in Kiama for more than a decade but knows she’s still considered “a newbie in town”.

“I think of myself as a local but then people will say ‘oh, I’ve lived here for 30 years and I’m finally getting closer to being a local’. 

While she may have a few years before she hits that milestone, there is no doubt Yasmin, who was elected as a Kiama councillor in October, is committed to better serving the community she has grown to love.

“It’s my home,” she says. “My heart is here, it’s where my soul is.”

Yasmin grew up on Sydney’s northern beaches and stumbled across Kiama while visiting a friend in the Illawarra.

“We went for a drive past Bombo Beach and I remember saying to her ‘I’m home’.”

Not one to mess around, Yasmin called a real estate agent the next day and asked to view rentals in Kiama. Then she phoned her husband, who was touring overseas with

Def Leppard at the time, to tell him of her plan. Two weeks later the pair moved to Kiama Heights. It was Yasmin’s first step on her journey to becoming a bona fide local.

Fast forward a decade and Yasmin, her husband and their dog Frankie are familiar faces in Kiama Downs, where they now live. The trio walk around their neighbourhood each morning, frequently stopping to chat about important issues. 

“It really is about that sense of community, you walk down the street and people say hello to you, you know they really care.”

It’s what led Yasmin to run for council, her way of giving back to the community that embraced her. 

“We’ve got a great group of councillors and we all work really well together,” says Yasmin. “Sometimes we will have to make decisions that people won’t like, but if it doesn’t benefit the community, it won’t get my vote.

“Affordable housing is the biggest issue our council is facing. Our job as councillors is to weigh up environmental concerns with the need for more homes. It is going to be difficult to unpack that and bring in the amount of homes the NSW government says we need, while maintaining the environment that makes Kiama so unique. It’s a tricky balancing act.

“But I want any development to be considered, and I’d like councillors to have an opportunity to talk to developers so we can work in tandem to do what’s best for our community. The environment, overbuilding and Blue Haven Terralong St are real concerns for the community.”

Balancing the budget is another key issue for Yasmin.

“The budget is the most pressing thing for the council at the moment,” she says. “We need to be sensible with the finances, but also empathetic to what the community wants.

And that's a really fine line. But the wonderful thing about this group of councillors is that we want to work with each other collaboratively to get the best outcome for the community.”

Yasmin is working closely with Erica Warren and Matt Brown on strategy and planning for Destination Kiama - the council’s tourism and events department. She would love to see more cultural opportunities for young people in the region, and has big visions for a centre where they can engage in art, theatre, music and radio under the one roof.

Yasmin says she “does not shy away from a challenge” and is determined to “get the job done”. She is eager to learn and is picking the brain of councillors like Matt Brown, who has a wealth of experience in both local and state government.

In exchange for his knowledge and expertise she has “got Matt on a health kick”, with the pair climbing Saddleback Mountain while workshopping ideas and strategies to “balance Kiama’s growth while maintaining its integrity”. 

“I'm not anti development, but I want housing growth to be considered, fit in with the environment,” explains Yasmin. “I really want to make a difference and make sure that I've done some good for the town that has embraced me. And maybe then I’ll be a step closer to being considered a local."