Walking on Kiama’s pathways should be a joy, but lately, they’ve turned into battlegrounds. Between rogue e-scooters, off-leash dogs, and dog poo littering public spaces, it’s getting harder to enjoy the area without dodging danger or stepping in something unpleasant.

Councillor Yasmin Tatrai isn’t mincing words. “These are shared spaces, and people need to start behaving like they’re part of a community,” she said. Her concerns echo those of locals who are fed up with the disregard for rules and common decency. Privately owned e-scooters are illegal on public roads and footpaths in Kiama, yet they’re everywhere. Riders zoom past pedestrians without helmets, sometimes at alarming speeds. It’s not just reckless, it’s dangerous.

“These things aren’t toys,” said Cr Tatrai. “It’s terrifying for elderly residents and parents walking with young kids. Someone is going to get seriously hurt.”

Kiama isn’t part of the e-scooter trials running in other parts of NSW, so there’s no legal framework for their use here. Yet the riders keep coming, and so do the near-misses.

Kiama’s parks and beaches are a magnet for dog lovers, but some are pushing their luck by ignoring leash rules. While most dogs are friendly, off-leash pets can frighten children, start fights with other dogs, or jump on unsuspecting walkers.

The final straw for many is the poo. “It’s absolutely disgusting,” said one local. “I’ve had to scrape dog poo off my shoes more times than I care to count. Why can’t people just clean up after their pets?”

Do the right thing. Put the poo in the bin

Cr Tatrai is calling for tougher enforcement of e-scooter laws and leash rules, alongside more patrols to catch offenders. “This isn’t about cracking down for the sake of it,” she said. “It’s about making sure everyone can enjoy these spaces safely and comfortably.”

But rules only go so far. Change needs to come from within the community. Peer pressure and public shaming, yes, shaming, might be what’s needed to get the message across.

Kiama’s natural beauty deserves better than this chaos. It’s time for e-scooter riders to stick to private property, dog owners to follow the rules, and everyone to remember that shared spaces mean exactly that, shared.