The Bugle has consulted Councillor Renkema-Lang’s Facebook page which represents her opinion. It is well worth the read. 

“As this Council term draws to a close it’s appropriate to ask Councillors, and indeed Council as a whole, what have they achieved in the last three years. 

In my view, the honest answer for myself is “not enough”. While I have had mixed success at getting motions and amendments adopted and enacted by Council, my efforts in the main have not led to tangible outcomes for the Community. A huge disappointment.

The most important lesson I’ve learned over the past three years is that it is not enough to have passion, to uphold your principles, and to strive towards a clearly defined purpose. In hindsight this was naïve of me given my experience.

I’ve learnt that a politician (at any level of Government) has to navigate the tricky space of power and politics while maintaining their passion, their principles and their purpose. I did not know how to navigate this space effectively. 

In spite of the above, I couldn’t have done things differently, and I’m pleased that regardless of the difficulties I faced that I have upheld my principles and my commitment for transparency and accountability. This is evident in my newsletters, radio interviews and in the questions I have asked on the floor of chamber. 

Our community wants Councillors who respect the views of others, even when they may strongly disagree. They want Councillors who understand the value of contested debate and the need to question and verify information provided by Council staff as part of their Governance role. Our community expect and deserve Councillors who uphold the highest standards, who are comfortable debating issues based on credible evidence without stooping to personal slurs and criticisms.

People in our community have stated that “Council needs to repair the community’s trust before it can move forward”, and “Ratepayers are looking for outcomes, not more talk”. 

In my view, in order to ‘repair the community’s trust’ Council must listen with a view to bridging the gap between the halls of power and everyday experiences. They must demonstrate that they are delivering tangible outcomes that make Kiama more liveable, that unite members of the community rather than divide them, and that enhance the wonderful culture of the Kiama community in looking after each other. 

Council must also demonstrate that relevant information is provided to the right people at the right time, that information is presented in plain language, and that Council owns up to mistakes and demonstrates a commitment to learning and improvement. 

Of late I have been challenged about meeting my campaign commitment about being Sensible with Money. I have moved or supported many motions and amendments over this term with this commitment in mind (with mixed success). These include at least three in 2023 directly related to meeting the initial Performance improvement Order issued in November 2022. They were all unsuccessful – with the same six Councillors voting against them each time.

For more detail about the above or about my efforts in striving towards meeting my campaign commitments over this term of Council please read my newsletter or visit the my progress SAFEKiama webpage.”