Michael Malone, the newly appointed Director of Infrastructure and Liveability, is enjoying overseeing Kiama’s engineering, roadworks, public services and parks.

He’s clear-eyed about what’s ahead, not just because of his previous experience with Wollondilly and Wollongong councils but, as a long-term resident.

“I’m prone to noticing potholes and drive my family nuts taking detours to see newly installed traffic calming devices,” he says.

It’s been a difficult few years on the engineering front with rains severely impacting roads, ongoing weather conditions, and contractor availability, meaning extended delays. The good news is the imminent reopening of Jamberoo Mountain Road means attention can be redirected towards other areas of concern.

Council’s financial issues resulted in severe cuts to last year’s infrastructure budget. However, acknowledging that the financial challenges have been unsettling for the community, Mr Malone is pleased to share there’s a $9.7m budget for capital works for the next financial year.

The public will be seeing that money, from grants and reserves, in action on roads, the Hindmarsh Park development, paths, cycleways and car parks. Money is also being set aside for implementing the recommendations of the Jamberoo and Gerringong flood studies.

In addition, a refresh of the traffic management plan; and reviews on the Holiday Parks and Waste Commercial Services, are underway.

"The holiday parks are a vital part of our visitor economy, so we need to make sure that we are doing our best to keep people coming into Kiama and providing customers for local businesses,” he says.

Mr Malone is impressed by his team, feeling that their work is sometimes underappreciated.

“Some of our crew start at 4 am – cleaning toilets, emptying bins, cutting grass, fixing potholes,” he says.

While he understands the community’s frustration with weather-related delays in mowing and road repairs, he encourages people to say ‘hello’ to Council’s workers occasionally, remembering they’re doing their best to keep Kiama clean and safe.

Acknowledging residents’ interest in their town, Mr Malone urges them to report problems directly by phone or the ‘report problem’ link on the Council website.

Further, he courageously invites community members to contact him directly if there’s a delay in addressing an important issue, saying he may not know the answer but will find the right person to help.

“Right now, I can only look forward to what we’re hoping to deliver for the community. But in the future, I want to be able to look in my rear vision and be proud of what we’ve done.”