Kiama Council provided a progress report on their Growth and Housing Strategy at their Ordinary Meeting on 18 June 2024, with more concrete plans penned for the following July meeting. Acknowledging Kiama’s growing population and subsequent housing target of 900 new dwellings by 2029, Council has engaged with the community as active participants in establishing viable solutions moving forward.

The Growth and Housing Strategy Engagement Report outlines various community and stakeholder engagement activities hosted throughout April to June. Activities included various modes of communication with broad demographics within the community, including landowners, workers and business owners, developers, precinct and committee groups, councillors and youth. Feedback obtained from these events subsequently provided Council with an informed strategic approach to development in the Kiama local government area (LGA). 

The community and stakeholder engagement and associated report was completed in accordance with Council’s Community Engagement Strategy, Disability Inclusion Action Plan and Community Participation Plan. 

Council stated (Agenda of Ordinary Meeting, 18 June 2024, item 15.3) that the “... community and stakeholder engagement carried out to inform preparation of the Growth and Housing Strategy has been comprehensive and will ensure that the strategy is reflective of community and other stakeholder’s feedback”.

Furthermore, the “... Growth and Housing Strategy will clearly articulate where, how, and why growth will occur within the LGA and to carefully and appropriately manage this growth well. It is therefore essential that the Strategy be informed by the community.”

Another point raised in both the agenda and the meeting itself is that the ability to simply say ‘no’ to housing development is no longer sustainable amid the undeniably growing need among varied demographics. 

“Supply will instead be forced upon the community rather than being appropriately located and strategically planned. That’s most concerning,” reiterated Councillor Karen Renkema-Lang.

“The other thing that we need to understand is how increased housing supply will manage the competing needs of property investors – whether that’s a retiree, new property investor, or property developer or an international investor who might be land banking – and needs for short-term rental accommodation and housing needs for retirees, families, and key workers who choose to live here.

“I hope it happens when we get the housing strategy, that we see those targets mapped to those different demographics and then also mapped to different areas and zoning of those areas within our LGA.”

It is expected that the Growth and Housing Strategy will be reported to the Council at the next Ordinary Meeting on 16 July. Once given the nod of approval from the Council, the Draft Growth and Housing Strategy will be placed on public exhibition for 28 days.