It’s been a wild and whacky start to the year and hopefully this is not a sign of what’s to come for our community in the coming months of this year.

Horrendous weather lashed the Illawarra over the last week with wild storms creating dangerous situations on our roads, along the coast and inland. Wild turned to whacky as a waste truck caught fire this past Monday in what looks to be a case of incorrect disposal of a lithium battery. Thankfully no one was hurt.

As January comes to an end, people come back from holidays and the return to school is just around the corner, we move into what will be a big year for our community. Kiama Council has already signalled that this term of Council will be filled with challenging decisions and with that, significant milestones and changes are slated to occur. The first Council meeting kicks off the year with a familiar subject – financial mismanagement of previous Council and the impact it has had on subsequent Council operations – namely, Blue Haven Bonaira. 

With settlement of the sale still on track for next month, it is hoped that by the March Council meeting the Blue Haven Bonaira saga will finally be over and whether you agree with the sale and the process, at least we can all move on. There’s no doubt that the settlement fee will provide a much needed injection of cash into Council coffers, at the same time as special rate variations are no doubt being considered.

The first part of this year will also see a Federal election, with Gilmore being a key seat in what will no doubt be a hotly contested and whacky point for our region. 

The Bugle’s View is that these milestones and (possible) changes should not draw our community’s attention away from the here and now, and the challenges that we are all facing on a daily basis. 

Mr Ward has called on the NSW Rental Commissioner to investigate rental conditions and affordability in our area. A $420/week rental property in Kiama that is currently on the market whilst also appearing to be uninhabitable, was the lightning rod. The Bugle has continued to highlight the issue of housing affordability and affordable housing – an issue that is now commonplace across the region and in sharp focus for the NSW State Government. The housing crisis is no longer the stigmatic experience of an unfortunate few. Key and essential workers face insurmountable challenges being able to live where they work and flow on effects for our ageing community are extreme.

Council has foreshadowed that an updated Growth and Housing Strategy will be tabled as early as the February 2025 Council meeting. No doubt there will be some direction as to their thinking, and strategies they will try to implement.

However, with housing affordability comes the inevitable conversation of growth and the need to expand both up and out. Who pays for the infrastructure? What strategies are in place to ensure there is affordable housing is part of future development? How does all this happen in conjunction with the State and Federal Government?

Whilst it has been a wild and whacky start to the year, sentiment will quickly change as cost of living and the daily grind puts the silly season firmly in the rear-view mirror. Kiama Council led by Mayor McDonald will have its work cut out to ensure the positive outlook and honeymoon of their 2024 election is not overrun by frustration, inaction and ‘more of the same’. 

The Bugle’s View is that Council is more than capable, and the community should give them every chance on delivering positive change, strong investment in our facilities, infrastructure and services, and improvements and policies to tackle housing affordability. 

As they say, the proof in the pudding is the tasting, and sooner or later the community will know what this Council has cooked up.