This week's special edition of The Bugle is filled with all the wash-up from the Kiama by-election last Saturday.

McInerney has identified housing, infrastructure, early childhood, public education as her big ticket items in her 500-day mission to convince the Kiama electorate that she deserves to be their long-term state MP.

There is also in-depth coverage on the Folk By The Sea festival and the Hot Rods which roared into town on the weekend.

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Despite the artistic success of the Folk Festival, organisers remain frustrated by an issue that is preventing the festival from reaching its full potential: the lack of camping at Kiama Showground.

You can also read plenty of great community stories, including the latest from Kiama Council's monthly meeting on Tuesday night, our local SES captain's highway heroics and how The Pines is making a difference in the community.

In sport, you can read about Kiama Rugby Club's grand final victory, the Knights getting through to the Group 7 decider and how the Sporting Complex revamp is progressing.

Kiama went “one more step" higher than last year with a thrilling 37-36 victory over Shoalhaven on Saturday afternoon in the Illawarra rugby grand final at Collegians Sports Stadium.

They began emphatically to claim a 22-point lead but that was cut to 12 points by half-time with the second half turning into a real nail-biter.

Shoalhaven’s Luke Marnane scored a try in the final minute which could have stolen the trophy from Kiama but Mark Brandon’s conversion was off target.