Local community members are being urged to help raise awareness and funds for people living with Parkinson's disease at the annual 'Walk in the Park' at Black Beach on Sunday (28 September).The fundraiser is hosted by Parkinson’s Support Kiama, and will help to raise vital funds through a fun afternoon that accommodates all ability levels.Parkinson’s is a movement and mood disorder that progressively worsens over time, and it affects thousands of Australians.Parkinson’s Support Kiama committee member Carmel Mahoney explains that the disease is different for each person.No two Parkinson’s patients are the same in the way they present.Parkison’s Support Kiama provides assistance to locals who are living with the disease as well as their families and carers, and holds regular monthly meetings.The Walk in the Park fundraiser is a scenic coastal walk that offers something for everyone and raises awareness of Parkinson’s and promotes the importance of exercise for managing the disease.“It's not the sort of walk where…you're doing 10 kilometres, it's people with Parkinson's who are participating as well as their family and friends,” Carmel said.“Some of them are on walkers, some are in wheelchairs, some are very able."The day will feature a warm-up exercise session led by a physiotherapist from BaiMed Kiama, followed by the gentle walk along the harbour. Rotary Club Kiama will provide a sausage sizzle and drinks, with proceeds going to the local Parkinson’s support group.There will also be a raffle with impressive prizes, including an Ultimate Jamberoo Escape valued at $1000, a basket of Beauty & Bubbly worth $500 and a $100 Bunnings gift voucher. Tickets are $5 each or three for $10, with the raffle being drawn at 2:30pm.“The main thing is to get an awareness of Parkinson's out there and to have a nice social time together,” said Carmel.Registration and donations can be made on the day. For more information visit Parkinson’s Support Kiama’s Facebook page or Parkinson’s NSW.

Kiama will be represented in one of Australia’s most unique sporting events, Pledge for the Planet’s 48 Hour Mission, where sports achievement crosses paths with environmental action.Instead of paying entry fees, this virtual competition has participants across Australia pledge to make environmental changes in their daily lives, then they run, ride, swim, or walk from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 September to climb the leaderboard.Local resident Amy Kline leads The Girls Run Club in both Gerringong and Berry, and is among over 30 teams signed up from NSW for the event trying to make a positive impact.“It’s an amazing opportunity for the girls to see that their running could be part of something bigger and make an impact beyond our little community as well,” she said.The 48 Hour Mission is now in its fifth year and it challenges participants to commit to environmental pledges such as reducing plastic consumption, ditching the takeaway cup, eating less meat, or using public transport more often.Rather than individual pledges, Amy chose a collective approach for the club, their pledge focuses on recycling running shoes through a partnership with Shoes for Planet Earth, an organisation that distributes recycled shoes to local organisations.“Any running shoes that they're no longer using that are in good condition, they've brought to the session,” said Amy.“We've also had some members of the Kiama Run Club get on board with this as well, so they've donated some shoes too”.The Girls Run Club runs weekly morning sessions before school in Gerringong on Tuesdays and Berry on Thursdays for girls aged between 10 to 18, and was established by Amy who is a qualified run coach. Amy started the club as a way to give back to the community and to help adolescent girls stay engaged with movement.“I really want to provide a space where girls felt supported and encouraged to find a love of movement for how it feels in themselves rather than the results or the competition,” she said.Amy encourages Kiama to get involved in the 48 Hour Mission and looks forward to seeing the event on a “bigger community scale”, people can join The Girls Run Club pledge or make their own pledge.The 48 Hour Mission runs from 4pm 26 September to 4pm 28 September, more information about Pledge for the Planet can be found at their website www.pledgefortheplanet.org.The Girls Run Club welcomes new members of any ability or pace level.

Drug & Firearms Squad detectives have charged four men following the alleged theft of 40 firearms from a private property on the South Coast earlier this year.A property on Seascape Close in Narrawallee – about 3km north of Mollymook – was allegedly broken into and 40 firearms were stolen between 22-29 March.The stolen firearms were a collection of modern and collectible firearms which were stored at the property in various gun safes.South Coast Police officers were notified immediately and the matter was referred to State Crime Command’s Drug & Firearms Squad under Strike Force Coaldale.About 6.15am on Monday, strike force detectives – with assistance from the Tactical Operations Unit, South West Metropolitan Region Operational Support Group, Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit and the Dog Unit – executed a search warrant in Cobbitty.During a search of the property, police located and seized two loaded firearms, 150 rounds of ammunition, six gel blasters, a hand grenade, electronic devices and clothing relevant to the investigation.Police arrested a 31-year-old man at the address who was taken to Camden Police Station, where he was charged with aggravated break & enter commit serious indictable offence-in company-steal etc >$60K, participate in a criminal group, and two counts of possess unauthorised firearm.The man was refused bail.It comes after three arrests earlier this year from strike force detectives.

More than 1000 anglers of all ages – from mums and dads and extended families to youth who love to drop a line – will take part in the inaugural Fish Reflections “catch and release” fishing competition this weekend.Registrations are still open in the debut Fish Reflections event on September 27-28, which has attracted anglers keen to fish sustainably at a location of their choice and have a crack at winning a prize, all while having fun with friends and family.More than 700 anglers have entered the seniors category alongside 230 juniors (Under 16s), with organisers confident more than 1000 entrants will be registered by the time the competition begins. Event director Michael Guest was thrilled to see so many anglers supporting a catch-and-release competition with entries flooding in from up and down the NSW Coast and popular inland fishing spots.“NSW boasts so many fantastic fishing locations – the best thing about an online-style competition is that you can fish at your favourite waterway and bring your mates and family, too,” he said.Reflections Holidays is running the event and CEO Nick Baker said they were thrilled with the scale of entries the inaugural event was attracting.“If you love fishing, you know that you may not even catch a fish during the competition but what matters most is spending time with loved ones and having fun, and of course fishing in a sustainable way that minimises impact on the environment,” he said.Earlier this year, Reflections, a Crown Land manager which cares for 47 community reserves, invested $1.1 million to assist the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to bring endangered native fish species back from the brink via repopulation programs.Minister for Lands and Property, Sport and Tourism Steve Kamper said recreational fishing is a great sport for people of all ages to relax and connect with nature.Entrants have the chance to win their category or perhaps get closest to the “mystery length” and be in the running to win a share in a prize pool that includes a 420 Busta tinnie valued at $23,990 and a four-night stay at a Reflections holiday park.

Cedar on Collins residents and staff warmly welcomed the community to tour Kiama’s premium coastal retirement community last Friday.Visitors were invited to stroll through the beautifully designed residences and manicured gardens, while also viewing the development’s state-of-the-art amenities.Staff were on hand to answer questions and showcase the open living spaces and well-appointed apartments.One of the highlights of the day was meeting some of the residents who make Cedar on Collins such a lively place to live.Graham, who helps coordinate the rooftop gardens, could not speak highly enough of the atmosphere at Cedar on Collins.“I’ve lived here for two years now. It’s a fantastic place to live,” he said.“Wonderful amenities, lovely excursions and the staff are brilliant.”The rooftop is not just a garden but a place where residents grow fruit and vegetables and share their harvest with friends and neighbours.Vida, the Cedar on Collins concierge, helps curate the program of events, including:Weekly programs including film appreciation, cooking, art, and fitness classes such as chair yoga and gym sessions.Bi-weekly and monthly outings. Residents recently enjoyed a trip to Bundanon Trust for a homestead tour, lunch, and an exhibition visit, thanks to a collaboration with Kiama Leagues Club for transport.Cultural and social experiences: from creative workshops in the art studio to regular wine tastings and guest presentations.“It’s a very lively program,” Vida said. “We also collaborate with other Kiama-based organisations to enhance the experience for our residents. They love to learn and share their skills - it’s almost like being part of U3A.”One of the big drawcards is the wine cellar where residents have regular Friday drinks.There are some upcoming sessions planned with Dave from Manning Cellars where he will impart some sommelier knowledge.The atmosphere at Cedar on Collins reflects this ethos of community, learning, and enjoyment - whether it’s the Friday night drinks, a trip to a local winery or simply sharing produce from the rooftop garden.The residents all get on famously and a real community has developed.Cedar on Collins is offering an incentive of free levies for 12 months when you settle by 31 December.Visitors on the open day also enjoyed the chance to win lucky door prizes.For more information or to register your interest, visit cedarkiama.com.au.

Micro dairy farmers Kel and Mahlah Grey have become experts at adapting.To the ups and downs of farming, the fickleness of the elements, the demands of balancing parenthood with a 24/7 job and to the impact of global politics and the fluctuating economy on milk prices.Most people in Kiama have shared the cheeses and gelato handcrafted by Kel and Mahlah, who run The Pines, a micro dairy milking 26 cows on the picturesque Saddleback Mountain. But few are aware of the blood, sweat and tears required to run a successful, sustainable dairy farm.Earlier this year Kel and Mahlah planned a trip to Mahlah’s native New Zealand. It was the first overseas family holiday for the couple and their three daughters since the birth of their six-year-old, the youngest of their children.Just days before they were due to fly out, galeforce winds and arcing powerlines sparked a grass fire on their 40-hectare property.“How do you know a farmer is about to go on holiday? Shit starts hitting the fan,” joked Mahlah.Despite the chaos and last-minute scramble of literally putting out fires, the family enjoyed a well-deserved break and have returned to continue serving delicious gelato at their shop on Collins St and at the weekly Kiama Farmers Market.Cheesemaking has been put on hold, with The Pines famous cheddar and brie flying off the shelf as production wound up on the back of COVID and a dramatic drop in supplier demand. “We never thought we would have cheesemaker on our resume,” laughs Mahlah. Nor did she expect to be working the land surrounded by “huge cows”.“When I first arrived here I thought ‘Why are these cows so huge’ but Holsteins are specifically bred to be bigger animals for better milk production.”Kel is a sixth-generation dairy farmer whose family immigrated from Ireland in the 1840s, among the original immigrants given a clearing lease. The Greys were also skilled cattlemen and began dairy farming in 1854.Kel grew up surrounded by cows but was never particularly drawn to farming, preferring to travel and ski. Mahlah was raised in New Zealand and grew up with a deep love of horses. She became a professional rider and moved to Australia 20 years ago to work for Kerry Packer at his famous Ellerston Estate. Mahlah went on to study equine nursing and after qualifying, she decided to take a short break skiing at Thredbo before moving to Sydney to work as an equine nurse.“Then I met Kel at the snow and that threw all those plans out the window,” she says smiling and pointing to her husband as he expertly maneuvres the tractor around the steep hillside. “The rest is history.”With a background in large animals, Mahlah took to dairy farming like a duck to water. But it’s her passion for sustainability and regenerative farming that saw The Pines pivot from conventional milk production to a micro dairy, focused on farming from paddock to plate and creating community connections.The family has turned The Pines into a destination dairy with the farm opening its gates to visitors each month throughout the milking season so people see the challenges and triumphs of dairy farming, which Mahlah describes “as a lovely, complete circle of primary industry”. “You can see it all the way through, you're not losing animals as you go, you're seeing them every day,” she explains. “But the labour is so intense you either have to commit to working seven days a week, all year long or focus on scalability and sustainability.”The Greys chose sustainability and work-life balance.“Kel and I are both critical thinkers with a thirst for knowledge,” says Mahlah. “Both of us entered into this dairy system, handed over to by the last generation, and thought ‘how can we make this work better for us? The landscape is changing, our climate is changing, economic times are changing, so what do we need to do to remain viable?’ “Just producing milk to sell into a co-operative or on contract with someone wasn't going to make enough money. Cows can require a large amount of grain and hay to maintain high levels of milk production but the pastures on The Pines weren’t good enough to maintain a large number of Holsteins.”So Mahlah, who also has a keen interest in genetics and breeding, began looking into a cross-breed of dairy and beef cows and ways to diversify the grazing land to provide constant access to fresh pastures. Mahlah and Kel soon learned that being at the mercy of the elements meant sustainability was the key to successful farming. ”We just couldn't afford to keep farming in the manner that we were with the amount of grain and hay that we were having to buy in, the financial pressure was too much so we turned to regenerative farming where we created a functional ecosystem where it's not just one species that is thriving.”A mix of 16 different species including plantain, chicory, rye, and peas were seeded throughout winter to sustain the herd and create healthy, biodiverse soils. At the height of The Pines cheese production the farm was supplying restaurants across the state with their award-winning cheese.They also began selling their products direct to the public through The Pines Gelato Bar, now a destination break for ice-cream lovers up and down the coast. The Greys are also big believers in creating a connection between farmers and consumers through education and sharing an authentic glimpse into daily farm life with the wider public.So once again Mahlah and Kel pivoted, branching into agri-tourism, and opening the farm gates to thousands of visitors each year on the back of a “massive increase in tourism” post-pandemic. “We've got Grounded Education up here four days a week running a school-based education program and Kerryn from The Passion Project who has created a biodiverse, permaculture garden selling produce direct to the public,” says Mahlah.“Then we've got Laura from That Local Honey who runs a bee breeding program. Our little Grounded students open the hive and check on the bees, they extract some honey and get to learn about where their food is coming from and the role that they can play.“Our education programs and open days are all about showing how farming can balance tradition with innovation and the connection between the wisdom of past generations and the opportunities for the next.”The Pines Gelato Bar, located at 26 Collins St, is being refurbished and will be ready to relaunch on 27 September. Farm “Pop Ups” will resume for the September school holidays.

Kiama Business Network members aired their grievances to Council last Monday over the lack of options for local businesses to expand their operations within the area.KBN hosted a roundtable discussion with Director of Strategies and Communities Ed Paterson regarding Kiama Council’s Employment Land Strategy.Around 20 local business operators took the opportunity to grill Paterson on the draft strategy which was recently placed on public exhibition.Paterson said on the back of the roundtable discussion, Council had decided to extend the period for community engagement and the Strategy would now be on public exhibition for a further fortnight until 19 October.At the information session, Paterson discussed how the draft strategy sat within the Housing Strategy which was approved by Council in July as well as the assumptions and potential shortcomings within the document, as well as barriers to economic growth in the LGA and how they can be overcome.“Most of the conversation was around supply, but I want to tease out those other barriers to sort of economic development and employment growth at the moment,” Paterson said. “I'm really keen to understand are there other things going on in our towns and villages that either we have within our responsibility and power to make changes to or if it's things that have to do with superannuation and public liability and workers’ comp claims, they're not something that we have the power to change but we can advocate in partnership with KBN and Business Illawarra to the other tiers of government to change.”Council will consider community feedback before it hopes to finalise the Strategy by the end of the year. Gerringong businessman Derek McMahon, who has been lobbying Council to include his Sims Road property as part of the available employment lands, said there were dozens of local businesses that were dismayed by the lack of options in the LGA.“It was a good opportunity for the planning department to learn how the business community felt about it,” he said.“We certainly felt that we were listened to but it’s just a start.”McMahon said the key takeaway from the meeting was that the Council planning department agreed that the baseline numbers for current available space were wrong and that would be reconsidered.Paterson said Council had already started reviewing the accuracy of the assessment of the current supply.“We'll start re-crunching numbers. I don't think you can get much better feedback than what we heard in the room from a supply point of view. McMahon added that there were several of hectares of land, particularly around Gerringong, that had been allocated as future employment land in the draft strategy which was useless for local business because it was a riparian zone or part of the rail corridor.KBN is keen to set up another meeting with Council, ideally with the elected Councillors, to emphasise to them about the critical shortage of employment land in the LGA.As part of the Employment Land Strategy, Council is aiming to vastly improve the area available for businesses to operate to more than double the industrial space, an extra 12,000 square metres of retail outlets and 8885 square metres of commercial space.This is to be achieved through the enhancement of existing areas as well as extra supply in Bombo Quarry, south and west Kiama, and Gerringong. Bombo Quarry has again been raised as a potential long-term option for employment land but it would require years of restoration work before it could be suitable.

Kiama Rotary recently welcomed two new members, Alison Spice and David Stevens, to the club. Club president Phil Whyte also expressed his pleasure at the attendance of the newest honorary member, Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald, who addressed the meeting regarding his first year in office and discussed the forthcoming challenges facing the area.“We are honoured to have Kiama’s Mayor as an honorary member of the club,” Whyte said. “We welcome him back to outline the Council’s challenges for the future.”He also thanked Alison and David for seeking membership: “It is great for our club to have two new members wishing to give service to the Kiama community. “We welcome all who are interested in our ideals and who look for a way to make a difference in our area.”Mayor McDonald provided an overview of his initial 10 months in the role, highlighting the commitment of the Council team to addressing the needs of the community. He emphasised the importance of safeguarding the local area while striving to strengthen the Council’s financial position and ensuring the municipality responds effectively and equitably to State Government policy directives.The Council is complying with the State Performance Order on financial recovery.A significant challenge is the NSW Government’s mandate to accelerate housing development, which necessitates the delivery of an additional 900 housing units within the Council area by 2029.To address these requirements, Council has released its Housing Strategy and has released its draft Employment Lands and Rural Lands strategies, aiming to balance local aspirations and state obligations. Cr McDonald underscored the necessity for development growth to proceed, where possible, in alignment with local priorities.A central concern for any development remains infrastructure, which demands close collaboration and funding among Council, developers and the state government.Key considerations include sewerage, roads, drainage and maintaining the high standard of services.On a broader level, Cr McDonald referenced effective regional cooperation through the Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation of Councils and highlighted the potential opportunities emerging from the Kiama by-election. He concluded with an optimistic perspective regarding the future of Council, noting improvements in financial stability, updated policies, and governance enhancements. These advancements will better position the municipality to meet state policy requirements and accommodate growing interest in local development.

As the days get longer and the temperatures rise, Kiama Council is reminding residents and visitors to make safety a priority by swimming only at patrolled beaches during the spring school holidays.Patrols officially kick off Saturday 27 September, with Council lifeguards and volunteer surf lifesavers on duty across our most popular spots.Patrol hours will be:Surf Beach: Patrolled daily 10am – 4pmJones Beach & Werri Beach: Patrolled on weekends only, 10am – 4pmBeach safety will ramp up even further from 22 December, when Council's full summer lifeguard team comes on board.“No matter how confident you are in the surf, one rule applies to everyone: if there are no red and yellow flags, don’t swim," Supervising Lifeguard Craig Bowley said.“While our beaches are stunning, they can also be unpredictable. "South Bombo Beach, in particular, is one of the most hazardous locations along our coastline.”To improve safety, Kiama Council and Surf Life Saving NSW have installed Emergency Relay Beacons (ERBs) at high-risk areas including South Bombo, Kendalls Beach, and Blowhole Point. In an emergency, these beacons connect you immediately to the Surf Life Saving NSW Operations Centre and alert nearby lifesavers via text.

Ashley Sullivan’s boots were polished, dress uniform ironed and hair styled. The SES fleet manager and Kiama volunteer was meticulously prepared for the 9 September ceremony at Government House, where he was due to receive the prestigious Emergency Services Medal as part of the King’s Birthday awards. “The weather was horrendous,” says Ashley. “So I gave myself an extra 45 minutes contingency time to drive to Sydney because the rain was torrential and I knew the traffic would be bad. I always like to be early and I teach my kids that on time is late.”Despite his best-laid plans Ashley, who has been an SES volunteer since he was a teenager, and on staff since 2010, ended up being late for the ceremony; but for good reason.He was the first on scene at a serious car crash on an isolated stretch of road north of Helensburgh. When a car aquaplaned in front of him and slammed into a rock wall Ashley did not hesitate, springing into first responder mode to help the injured driver.Ashley grabbed his radio and called for help before comforting the driver, who had been knocked unconscious by the car’s airbag and was struggling to breathe.“There was a bit of smoke coming from the front of the car and one of the front doors was severely damaged so I just sat with the driver and kept her calm until help arrived,” he says. “I was in constant communication with the ambos and fire and rescue but the weather was horrendous so help was a while away.”For the next 30 minutes, Ashley - who was now “absolutely drenched” - stayed with the driver while his children, on their way to see their dad presented with his award, watched him in action.“I did stop and think for a minute ‘oh do I really want to meet the Governor drenched to the core?’ but there was no time to change out of my good uniform,” says Ashley. “I had my full kit in the car but the rain was so torrential it was too late, eventually I put on my wet weather jacket but by that stage everything was soaked through.”A week after the rescue Ashley received an email from the injured driver, who made a full recovery, thanking him for his help.“I didn't do anything out of the ordinary,” he says modestly. “I just did what we’re all expected to do as part of being in the emergency services.”For almost three decades, Ashley has come to the rescue of community members in crisis across the region. Chances are if you live in the Kiama, Jamberoo or Gerringong and you’ve been hit by torrential flooding, had trees come down in gale-force wind or a roof ripped off in a rare tornado, then Ashley has been part of the SES crew arriving on scene for clean-up, recovery and support duties.When a series of tornadoes devastated Kiama in 2013 Ashley was one of the first team members on the ground to help with the recovery effort in a scene he described as “like a war zone”.He has pulled people from cars in rising floodwaters across the state, has used his skill as an SES Fleet Services senior manager to develop unimog vehicles used in deepwater rescues, and co-ordinated the state’s SES response to a NSW Government flood inquiry.It is no surprise Ashley was awarded the prestigious Emergency Services Medal and in the end he was only 10 minutes late for the awards ceremony.“It was a worthwhile excuse to be late,” laughs Ashley. “And I turned the heater up and dried out a bit on the rest of the drive. But my socks were still wet when I shook hands with the governor.”

Serena Copley was always up against it in her campaign to win the Kiama by-election for the Liberal Party.The Libs on the nose with voters nationally after Peter Dutton’s resounding defeat to Anthony Albanese in May, NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman battling to stay in the role after being consistently outshone by Premier Chris Minns, and the Gareth Ward factor was always going to count against them following his conviction on sexual assault offences.Copley knew she was facing an uphill battle when she entered the by-election race early last month but was undeterred by the challenge and proud of the way she fought against the odds.The former Shoalhaven City Councillor attracted a tick over a quarter of the primary vote but trailed victorious Labor candidate Katelin McInerney 60-40% on a two party preferred basis.She is on track to more than double the primary vote that Melanie Gibbons received for the Libs at the 2023 election when Ward narrowly edged out McInerney.“I was extraordinarily proud of our campaign and the effort we put in,” Copley said.“I've never been afraid of hard work and working hard for our community has always been something that's driven me. “We were overwhelmingly outnumbered with resources that the government threw at the by-election but our volunteers were outstanding and put in a wonderful effort.“It's interesting to see that with all of the resources that Labor threw at the by-election, they received less than half a per cent extra in their primary vote for all of that swarm of red across the electorate.” Copley said she highlighted issues that Labor will need to deliver on in the next year and a half.“The promises that they've now rolled out on a couple of occasions, we absolutely need to see those things delivered like Tripoli Way and Calderwood Public School should be well on the way to being finished by the next election,” she added.“I'll be watching eagerly to also see what new projects the Labor government are initiating when they finish off the Liberal-funded and planned projects that they're currently working on and claiming.” Copley said she could not say whether she will nominate again because the Liberal Party will go through its process before deciding who will be its candidate in the March 2027 state election. “I love defending and working hard for my community and I've never stopped feeling that way so I look forward to the future and being involved in my community and working hard for it again in the future. “I'm not going anywhere. I've lived here for 34 years and I'll just carry on doing the things that I've done in the past and helping out and volunteering where I can and advocating hard for this community that I love.”

Community Independent candidate Kate Dezarnaulds is optimistic about the future despite falling short in the Kiama by-election.After finishing third in Gilmore in the federal election in May, she again got the bronze medal in the state by-election with 10.3% of the primary vote.It was her first crack at the state seat and the Berry businesswoman believes the Community Independent group can move forward from this base.Dezarnaulds described the election campaign, which had a “wild and woolly” ballot paper of 13 nominees, as genuinely enjoyable.“Respectful, friendly, and focused on ideas and the needs of our community,” was how she described the by-election race.“There are also valuable lessons here for our growing Independent for South Coast movement.”She said at the federal level, where compulsory preferential voting applies, it is easier for an independent to succeed but the optional preferential voting system in NSW made it hard for an outsider to impact the final two-candidate count.“There is no doubt that the major parties are united in their desire to stem the threat of community-backed independents,” she said.“Our scrutineers reported that where voters did choose to use their preferences, we attracted strong second-preference support across the spectrum - from Liberal, Labor, Greens, and minor parties alike.“The Liberal Party recommended ‘just vote 1’, a strategy that ultimately has helped entrench Labor’s dominance. “We now have Labor at a state and federal level from south of Sydney to the border. “That lack of diversity says far more about the current state of the Liberal Party than it does the popularity of Labor‘s platform in the regions.” Dezarnaulds claimed the nine candidates from the minor parties and “non-local independents” had made it difficult for her mission to break the Labor-Liberal stranglehold. “With no genuine prospect of success, this noise made it trickier for our community-backed, sensible-centre campaign to distinctively stand out from the crowd,” she said. “Despite those challenges, we achieved real growth this time to be really proud of.“Across the Kiama LGA and northern Shoalhaven, we now consistently hover at around 15% of the primary vote, a super strong platform for the future.“This foundation puts us in a strong position for the next contest. We may have fallen a few percentage points short of our goal this time, but we’ve earned our bronze medal, learned the lessons, and built the foundations again.“In 18 months we have the opportunity to be back, stronger, more time to be organised, and ever more determined to keep challenging the broken two-party system with genuine community-led solutions.“Politics remains too important to be left to the politicians.”

With the 2025–26 storm season now officially underway, the NSW State Emergency Service is urging communities across the state to take proactive steps to prepare for severe weather.Following a year where we’ve already seen record-breaking flooding, a cyclone and damaging winds wreak havoc across the state, the NSW SES is reinforcing the importance of early planning and community readiness.NSW typically experiences increased storm activity between the beginning of September and the end of April, with risks including heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and flash flooding.Last Storm Season, the NSW SES responded to more than 29,000 storm-related incidents across the state.You are encouraged to know your risk, know the warnings and make a plan before the first storm strikes. Having a plan will help you prepare, respond and recover better from storms.Create your emergency plan now using the NSW SES Emergency Planning Tool available at www.ses.nsw.gov.au.

William Campbell College, a specialised school supporting children who have difficulty learning in mainstream settings, will hold its annual fundraising dinner at Kiama Pavilion on Friday 10 October.The Nowra Hill based school has an innovative approach to education, supporting 27 students who face social, emotional, mental health, and disability challenges. They support students from kindergarten through to Year eight who have struggled with mainstream education or who are at risk of school placement breakdownThe school’s trauma-informed and student-centred approach is producing attendance and learning outcomes that exceed national averages. Providing academic, emotional, physical, social, cultural, and spiritual support within an inclusive environment they aim to meet every child's needs.However, the school’s success has brought its own challenges. The William Campbell College currently has a growing waitlist, showing an increasing demand for this type of special assistance education. The fundraising dinner aims to address this need by raising money for facility expansion and a school bus to make excursions and community engagement more accessible.The evening will host presentations from teachers and students, offering a look into the school’s education programmes. Attendees can expect live and silent auctions, raffles, music, and catering by Culinarius.The event is being hosted by master of ceremonies Marty Haines, CEO Sonia Liddicoat, founder William Campbell, and principal of William Campbell College Amie Hunter.The William Campbell College Fundraising Dinner is on Friday 10 October 6pm-11pm, RSVP by Monday 29 September. Tickets can be purchased online from the college website.

A woman has been charged with failing to submit to a breath analysis twice in two days in the Illawarra.About 3.50pm on Wednesday, police were notified of a person allegedly driving erratically on Lake Entrance Road, Warilla.Officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command stopped the sedan on the Primbee Bypass.Police subjected the 34-year-old female driver to a roadside breath test, where she allegedly returned a positive reading.She was arrested and taken to Port Kembla Police Station where she allegedly was unable to provide a sufficient result and then allegedly refused a subsequent breath analysis.She was issued with a court attendance notice for refuse or fail to submit to breath analysis and her licence was suspended.About 8.20am on Thursday, Highway Patrol officers were patrolling The Esplanade, Oak Flats when they detected the same sedan.Officers approached the female driver who had parked in a nearby carpark and when police requested a breath analysis, she allegedly refused.She was arrested and taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station for the purpose of a breath analysis, where she allegedly refused.She was charged with refuse or fail to submit to breath test, refuse or fail to submit to breath analysis and drive motor vehicle while licence suspended. Her keys were confiscated for 24 hours.She was granted conditional bail and will appear in Port Kembla Local Court on Wednesday 22 October 2025.

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.CLICK HERE TO READ THE DIGITAL EDITIONDespite 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.

Disgraced former Kiama MP Gareth Ward’s standing in the community has been “shattered”, according to his lawyer, as the convicted rapist faced a sentencing hearing at Parramatta District Court on Friday.Ward appeared via video link from jail before Judge Kara Shead again after he was convicted of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of indecent assault, stemming from incidents involving an 18-year-old in 2013 and a 24-year-old political staffer in 2015.The 44-year-old was wearing a green prison uniform and his legal counsel, David Campbell SC told the court that his client had suffered "an enormous fall from grace".Campbell said Ward’s once cherished standing in the community is “shattered” after he resigned early last month just hours before NSW Parliament was due to expel him."He's languishing in custody,” Campbell told the Court.Crown Prosecutor Monika Knowles said the former NSW Families Minister, who held the seat in Kiama from 2011 until his recent resignation, that Ward was well aware of the risk of losing political office when he committed the offences.The Court heard a victim impact statement from the then recently turned 18-year-old from the 2013 incident, who spoke about having flashbacks to the night when he was abused by the former Kiama MP.He said that he feared for his safety before giving evidence after receiving a voicemail which contained the sound of two gunshots.The victim said he has "haunted” by the initial incident at Ward’s Meroo Meadow home in the Shoalhaven and that he was "assaulted by someone I trusted then unconscious next to him for a number of hours".He said he abused alcohol and drugs after the incident as his mental health worsened.The older victim from the second incident also said he turned to drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism after he had been abused by Ward.In his victim impact statement which was tendered to the Court, he said he was raped by someone “entrusted with protecting our most vulnerable”.Judge Shead is expected to deliver her sentence when Ward next faces court in October.Earlier on Friday, Ward issued a statement from jail to congratulate Katelin McInerney on her by-election victory after the Labor candidate's landslide win last weekend.He paid tribute to the 13 candidates who threw their hat into the ring for the recent by-election which was announced by the NSW Government after his resignation."Representing my local community in Parliament has been the greatest honour of my life and I look forward to watching what the new member is able to achieve for our region," he added."My only advice to the new member is that people will judge you not on what you say but what you do and deliver."Labor promised a lot at this election, it’s now up to them to deliver.”

A locally assembled light flood rescue vehicle will help emergency services in Kiama respond to natural disasters.As part of the NSW Government's fleet replacement program, State Emergency Service volunteers will have the latest, purpose-built equipment to keep communities safe.Built locally at Alexander Perrie & Co at Port Kembla and designed with enhanced offroad capability, the 4WD vehicles have a custom-built body for flood rescue equipment, and integrated stowage for inflatable flood rescue rafts. These vehicles are also being delivered to SES units in Sydney, Wyong, Tamworth, Ballina, Yamba, Orange and Forbes.September to April is typically the time when the frequency of storms, strong winds and heavy rain increases, but August has already been wet for the South Coast, with Kiama experiencing its wettest winter on record with close to 600mm falling.Moruya is also getting a high clearance vehicle to increase volunteers' ability to access isolated communities and perform critical rescues during flooding.They are designed to operate in extreme off-road conditions and through floodwaters up to 1.2 metres deep, enabling SES crews to deliver essential supplies, complete rescues, and support other emergency services in remote and hard-to-reach locations.The delivery of the new vehicles comes as South Coast and Illawarra emergency crews responded to more than 3,200 incidents in the past 12 months, an increase of 500 incidents from the previous year in what has been the busiest year for the region since 2022.High clearance vehicles will be delivered across the state, including to areas recently impacted by flooding, such as Murwillumbah, Coffs Harbour and Taree. Others will be operational throughout Ku-ring-gai, Broken Hill, Goulburn, Moruya, Forbes and Dubbo.Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast Ryan Park said this is an important investment that will make a real difference in keeping South Coast communities safe.“It’s only right that our brave SES volunteers have the best equipment possible, made nearby in Port Kembla," he said.“As the region continues to face more extreme weather events, making sure our front-line emergency services are prepared is essential.”Newly elected state member for Kiama, Katelin McInerney, thanked the local SES volunteers for "their bravery and dedication to our community". "They exemplify the very best of Kiama and what I love about this community so much," she said.“Our community has faced repeated extreme weather events recently and this vital investment will boost our resilience to them, support our SES in doing their important, lifesaving work.“I’m really thrilled to see this investment delivered and will continue to advocate to ensure we receive our fair share of extreme weather resilience and response support.”

Former Kiama MP Gareth Ward has issued a statement to congratulate Katelin McInerney on her by-election victory after the Labor candidate's landslide win last weekend.Ward will appear before Judge Kara Shead again on Friday in Parramatta District Court for sentencing after he was convicted of sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of indecent assault, stemming from incidents involving an 18-year-old in 2013 and a 24-year-old political staffer in 2015.The 44-year-old, who held the Kiama seat for more than a decade for the Liberal Party before he won the 2023 election as an independent, paid tribute to the 13 candidates who threw their hat into the ring for the recent by-election which was announced by the NSW Government after his resignation."I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate Katelin on her election as the Member for Kiama," he wrote in his statement. "I also take this opportunity to thank all of those who stood for election and put themselves forward along with their ideas for our community for consideration. "It is important that we all fight for a vibrant and robust democracy, and that the people get the opportunity to choose who they believe is the best representative for our local community."Ward said the Labor government had made plenty of pledges during the by-election campaign and it was incumbent upon them to deliver on those promises."Representing my local community in Parliament has been the greatest honour of my life and I look forward to watching what the new member is able to achieve for our region," he added. "My only advice to the new member is that people will judge you not on what you say but what you do and deliver. "Labor promised a lot at this election, it’s now up to them to deliver. "I take this opportunity to thank my hardworking electorate office staff who have served our community with distinction during my time in office. I also take this opportunity to thank my, family, friends and supporters. "I'll continue to watch on with a very keen interest on the issues that matter to our community."