100,000 people will be taking the plunge across Australia’s beaches over 100 days and Kiama is invited. Cold Nips, in partnership with the Happiness Co Foundation, have announced a nationwide tour from August to November to raise $1 million for mental health initiatives by way of cold plunges across Australian beaches.Kiama Surf Beach will be hosting a cold dip on Sunday 8 September at 6.15am. You can sign up using the QR code below."We aim to break barriers and ignite conversations about mental health through the power of community, connection and nature,” said Cold Nips Co-founder and Director, Jian.Cold Nips is a leading community movement for mental health, the nation-wide tour hopes to foster mental wellbeing by igniting conversations and mental health across the country. They host weekly sunrise beach events across Australia and attract up to 800 participants per week. Join the movement by donating or signing up at here to participate in local community sunrise dips and support mental health awareness.

It looks like the wind is back for more following last week’s storm as the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) issued a severe weather warning today for strong winds. The weather warning has been issued for people in the Snowy Mountains and parts of the Illawarra, South Coast, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands and South West Slopes districts.Today, you can expect strong winds with damaging gusts along the Southern Tablelands, South Coast and Snowy Mountains until the early afternoon.On Friday, damaging winds will impact the Southern and Central Tablelands, Blue Mountains, Illawarra, South Coast and Snowy Mountains from mid-morning through to mid-afternoon.The NSW SES advises that people should move vehicles under cover and away from trees, secure loose items around their house, keep at least 8 metres away from fallen power lines or objects that may be energised and to stay vigilant in motor conditions.You can read the full warning here. For emergency help in floods and storms, call the NSW SES on 132 500. In life threatening emergencies call Triple Zero (000). 

Kiama local, Joan Hughes is playing a vital role in this year's Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games.She is currently in the French capital working as a support volunteer to provide spectators with disabilities, or those who need assistance a helping hand to navigate the venues and events of the Paris Games.When the call out came for volunteers, Joan put her hand up half way through 2023. She has previously volunteered with the 2000 Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games, which she believes strengthened her application.Joan has developed a keen sense of recognising fellow Aussies around France, the sight of green and gold making her proud.Joan Hughes“I have connected with many Aussies by recognising their accents or those wearing green and gold. Some are supporting athletes, others are working in Paris and I’ve met Aussies who are holidaying in France,” she said.Back on her home turf, Joan is heavily involved with volunteering, mostly on governance boards that focus on ageing issues.“Being a volunteer in any capacity is a way of giving back to the community who have provided me with many educational and professional opportunities throughout my life”, she said.There were 45,000 registered volunteers at the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics responsible for welcoming spectators and guiding them around venues, as well as assisting with sporting events. Her experience has been a fulfilling one, and she is keen to continue volunteering overseas in the future, “‘I will never forget my volunteer experiences in Paris and the privilege of meeting so many wonderful people. Travelling in another country is always an enriching experience and what’s not to like about being in Paris, the city of light…. and love.”

Kiama Council has updated the Jamberoo Pool facilities page to reflect new entry fees for 2024-25.Residents voiced their concerns on Facebook about the fees.“Our family certainly won’t be able to use the pool as much”, a concerned resident wrote. Entry fees are listed as $4 for adult entry, $2 for children and $10 for a family pass. Residents called upon the Council to ask why community consultation hadn’t taken place before fees were finalised. “What does Jamberoo get for the rates we pay? We don’t have a library like Gerringong”, another resident wrote to the Council.Labor Councillor Stuart Larkins responded to the outrage.“It was put out for public consultation in Kiama Council’s Fees and Charges document around May 2024,” Larkins said, “I’m a little surprised to see that the fees were introduced without the changes to the pool opening times.”The fees are outlined in Kiama Council’s Fees and Charges document for 2024-25 which was released in July of this year. A Jamberoo resident conducted a survey eight years ago, asking residents if they would be happy to pay a small fee and prefer longer opening hours, both questions were responded affirmatively.“Council also needs to obtain money for a pool covering, to help stop it turning into a duck pond for the other half of the year,” Larkins said.The Jamberoo Pool is still listed as having free entry on the NSW Government website.The pool is currently closed and scheduled to re-open in December 2024. 

The Minnamurra Progress Association held a candidate forum on Tuesday 3 September to provide residents the opportunity to speak to the councillor-candidates that seek to represent them.In attendance from alphabetical order of Group A to Group H; Cameron McDonald, Alan Smith, Matt Brown, Imogen Draisma, Melinda Lawton, Michael Cains, Gail Morgan and Mark Croxford. All councillor-candidates touched on the fraught housing situation across the local government area. Preservation of the natural environment opened up each of the candidates addresses, Melinda Lawton raised the importance of the Minnamurra River, “we have a duty to protect these waters,” she said. Community members present verbalised their concerns for building small properties on small plots of land. Mike Cains stressed the importance of preserving our landscapes, but the need for sustainable development is ongoing, an outlook many candidates shared.“We also must acknowledge that young people, seniors, and service workers also have the right to live in affordable housing,” said Cains.Matt Brown echoed this notion, “we need a diversity of homes, which we don’t have at the moment.”Imogen Draisma also noted the composition of housing stock in Kiama is heavily skewed towards large plots of land with multi-bedroom homes. Homes that aren’t suitable for many Kiama residents, “I’m a young renter myself. We need two bedrooms, we need one bedroom.”Cameron McDonald addressed the residents core concern for housing that Kiama will be urbanised, “[the community] don’t want to see urban sprawl, they don’t want to see our green rolling hills turned into condominiums.”Gail Morgan provided her stance on development in the municipality, with calls to end high rise development, “we’re calling all the horrible high rise development that we’re planning for central Kiama. We’re calling it infield, that’s a lovely euphemism.”Another topic heavily discussed was the financial position of Kiama Council, and how this will be resolved in the next term.Financial stability and revenue management came into question. All candidates recognised the poor management of the Blue Haven Bonaria site.“Two years of backwards and forwards. Do we sell it? Do we not? It gave a signal to the market that turned it into a fire sell,” Alan Smith said.Draisma said a priority will be “getting back into black”, and the council cannot “survive on rates alone”, with all candidates in agreement that revenue generation will need to be a first concern. “If we cannot live within our means, we shouldn’t be putting our hands in other people’s pockets,” Croxford said. Croxford continued by discussing the dire state of affairs the council was left in when the previous term of councillors were sworn in.“We inherited a situation that no council should ever have to inherit,” Croxford said.Fresh faces on the ballot paper said they want the future council to be a professional one.“I’m not a politician, I stand in because I was tired of seeing the dysfunction that was the previous council. I watched your meetings. They were shocking,” Alan Smith said.“The first thing is to make sure that the next term of council is a professional council… one where people aren’t focused on petty squabbles but rather getting on with business of council, of getting things done,” Cains said. Incumbent Councillor Mark Croxford addressed the comments of dysfunction in the previous council chambers as a result of other councillors refusing to come to agreements. “In the previous term of council, there were far too many who were not willing to compromise,” Croxford said.Residents of Minnamurra pushed the candidates to share their views on the offshore wind farm project, Cains and Smith expressed their distaste for the sight of wind turbines, however, Smith noted it ultimately lies with the federal government.

David Bailey loves cars. He loves racing cars, and he loves fixing cars. He likes refurbishing old cars and he likes building them from scratch. With the Kiama Hot Rod Run coming to Kiama 6 -8 September, The Bugle spoke to Bailey about this insane lifelong passion.Having caught the racing bug, Bailey began his journey riding motocross at 16. From there, he got a job as an apprentice mechanic. It was during the apprenticeship he realised that he loved fixing and toggling with cars.In 1988, a new category called HQ racing was introduced for racers, who wanted to get into racing but couldn’t afford it. The aim was to create a class of racing that was both affordable and exciting. This was Bailey’s first foray into real car racing.“ I thought, well that progresses my next step up into racing cars. So I built, from the ground up, a HQ Holden for this HQ race series which started in 1988 and is still going now,” says Bailey.Bailey pursued HQ racin for a while, before taking a break to start a family. After 10 years away, he wanted to get back into it and began with motocross again. Although he enjoyed it, his body couldn’t handle it longer. This led him to production car racing, which is a racing category where unmodified (or slightly modified) production cars race each other.“This is basically how it was in the 70s. Get them off the showroom, a few modifications and then let's go racing. So I bought a Toyota 86, turned it into a production car in 2012 and did production car racing right up to this year,” Bailey says.A popular race within production car racing is the Bathurst 6 Hour. Bailey has competed in it four times and twice, raced in his own built car, a Toyota 86. He has been most successful in this car.“I was lucky enough to get third in our division in consecutive years. And it felt amazing racing my own car and coming third after a six-hour race around Bathurst. It was really hard work. Then to come back and think I actually built that car and, not only did we race it, but it lasted. When there were bigger teams than us who had issues,” he says.Then Bailey came across a 1970 Ford V6 GT Capri, one of the only cars of its kind still in running order in Australia. It sparked some nostalgia, and he just had to have it.“It combined my two loves: old cars and racing. Also, my very first car when I was 16 was an old Ford Capri, a little 1600, and I had that for a year or so before I sold it and bought the V6 GT. But back in those days, you used to think it was just another car.”He races the Ford Capri in historic races, which are races limited to a specific era. For Bailey that means cars that were used as race cars before December 1985. “This car has been a racecar since 1980, it has a proven history of racing. It raced against Peter Brock and Allen Moffat back in the early 80s. So I could build another car exactly the same beside it, down to the nut and bolt, but it will not be a historic race car because it has no history of racing,” says Bailey.He raced the car down at Victoria’s Winton Raceway but didn’t test its limits too much as, he says, drivers have to get used to new cars. He was also wary of crashing the Ford Capri as the parts for it aren’t easy to find these days.“By the last race on the weekend, the guy who owned it told me that the best time it had ever run around that course was around 1 minute 53s with racing tyres. We ended up going round in 1 minute 52s on non-racing tyres. I told him after, we could find another 2 seconds in this car easily. There's just a few maintenance issues,” says Bailey.As to why he has dedicated his life to cars and car racing, especially historic racing, Bailey confirms that there is a little bit of nostalgia involved in reviving these old cars and bringing them back to life. But he also says that he has an enthusiasm for and appreciation for cars that he can’t explain. He just loves them.“The amount of money that you spend is ridiculous. Some people make a spreadsheet with all of the money they spend on a car and that is the last thing I would ever do. I don’t want to know how much I spend on a car. I love fixing cars just as much as I love racing them. There are just things you can’t put a value on in money. Why do people go rock climbing? Surfing? Hang gliding? Because it's something they love.”Apart from racing and building/fixing cars, Bailey gets to express his passion during car shows, where he meets like-minded people, is able to share his ideas and possibly steal some from fellow car lovers.“Car shows are a great community event, it brings a lot of people into a town. Even people who aren't that into cars, will come because they like looking at old cars. And when you go to any car show, there is such a wide variety of cars. You’ve got everything from maybe a car that's ten-years-old to something that a guy spent ten years restoring, which is 50-years-old. There’s always stories to be told and you’ll find that people at car shows are very open and there’s no secrets, which is way different to racing where everyone has their own secrets,” he says.The Kiama Hot Rod Run takes place in various locations around the Kiama LGA from 6 to 8 September. You can access the schedule via the Bugle app.

By Heather and John McAlpineJust as you maintain your car to keep it running smoothly, you need to take opportunities to give your relationship a boost. We have benefited from learning skills and insights to help our long-term relationship last the distance, and not just survive but actually thrive.Emotional and relationship intelligence helps us get through the tough terrain and sticky patches in our life journey. But we’ve had to learn it. We weren’t born with it, and with all due respect to our parents, we didn’t gain it from our upbringing either.Kiama will host two date nights enabling couples to keep romance alive while juggling the chaos of life. We’re fortunate to have Gil and Brenda Stuart speaking locally as they’re international presenters, who are highly acclaimed marriage educators, coaches and therapists, having appeared on countless national TV and radio programs in America. As relationship educators ourselves, we know that this couple is brilliant.The coffee and dessert date nights will be fun-filled evenings as Gil and Brenda are renowned for their humour, insights and vitality.Credit: Heather and John McAlpine.On Wednesday, 18 September, their focus is on how to keep romance alive while juggling the chaos of life, looking at being intentional in our marriage to create the space for friendship and fun. If you think you’re too tired, too busy or too burdened to attend a mid-week talk… then, this one is definitely for you!On Thursday, 19 September, Gil and Brenda tackle ‘Understanding the joy, challenges, stress and wins that come with a blended family.’ The Stuarts will provide practical and personal insights about the myths of blended families and suggest growth points around dealing with both sets of children’s issues, no matter their age or living at home or not. Whether you’re in, or come from a blended family, fostering, or want a clearer understanding of how to navigate your multi-family gatherings, there is something in this for everyone. You’ll gain deeper perspectives and wisdom into the complexity of families, and how they impact our marriage. Use this opportunity as a couple to have a date night that can be relationship enhancing in ongoing and life-changing ways. What better gift can you give to each other than strengthening your legacy of love.You can register for these events at: kiamabaptist.church/events.

Totem Eco was founded by husband and wife Toby and Katie Gibson, who made the shift to Berry with their family in search of a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. For the second year in a row, Totem Eco has been awarded Gold for Best Sensitive Natural Deodorant for their Honey Myrtle Natural Deodorant Stick at the Clean and Conscious Awards. The brand focuses on providing ethical and non-toxic body-care products in recyclable packaging. They also received a Silver award for Best Zero Waste Body Brand for their Blue Gum Natural Deodorant Stick. “We didn’t want to leave a plastic legacy behind us,” Toby Gibson said. A study by Monash University highlighted that environmental impact is becoming a growing consideration for Australian consumers. 64 percent of participants in the study said that it’s important for the products they are purchasing to be produced locally. 59 percent said packaging made from recyclable materials was also an important factor.“It’s great that the market is moving towards a greener future” Toby said, “with that comes a lot of greenwashing, a lot of brands are trying to jump on that train.”Cosmetics and personal care is one of the leading industries that falsely labels products as sustainable or makes environmental claims. “People are creatures of habit…” Toby continued, “a small change in your daily habit like your deodorant or soap over a lifetime is a massive change.”According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), over 70 percent of cosmetic and personal care businesses involved in a sweep raised concerns about claims they made about their products and were investigated for ‘greenwashing’.Totem Eco are transparent about the ingredients in their deodorant and soap products, which are 100 percent vegan, natural, palm oil free, sustainable and ethically produced. Toby said one of the most important values of their business is their transparency, “your integrity is everything, a savvy consumer will see right through that,” he said. Totem Eco are regulars at the Berry Market hosted at the Showgrounds on the first Sunday of the month, and the Berry Farmers Market held at the Bowling Club on the fourth Sunday of each month.Totem Eco's award winning Natural Deodorant in Honey MyrtleYou can visit Totem Eco to view their full range of products or reach out if you have any questions.

At the local government elections on 14 September 2024, voters in the Kiama LGA will face a referendum question: YES or NO – as to whether they want a popularly elected mayor in the future. Historically Kiama has nine elected councillors who vote for the mayor (and deputy) among themselves. This role is held for two years and then re-voted. Should the method of electing the mayor be changed?Interestingly when The Bugle held the public debate on 31 July on this subject, the Against side were mostly former Mayors, who argued strongly against changing things. In a nutshell, the way they see it was succinctly stated by Brian Petschler, "The mayor needs the support of a majority of councillors, and everyone’s focus needs to be on local issues."They also cited incidents in other councils where administrative intervention was needed when the elected mayor was inadequate or there was a dysfunctional council due to their lack of support from councillors. Councillor candidate Mike Cains is in favour of change, saying, “Not far from us – in recent times Wollondilly Council had 21 changes of Mayor in 27 years. To immunise ourselves against such nonsense a directly elected Mayor is essential.”He also maintains that “A four-year term gives the mayor the authority that comes with the ability to set strategy and see it through, the mayor also carries with them the mandate to lead that is given to them by the residents”.The Bugle has written extensively on this subject in July and August, so please visit the App for the full summary of ideas on both sides of this fence.Should the mayor be directly elected? Results from The Great Debate

The 2024 Volunteer of the Year Awards celebrated our local heroes that put the needs of the community above all else. The ceremony was hosted by Gemma Rygate, Chief Executive Officer of The Centre for Volunteering.Gareth Ward MP, John Knox & Maryanne Stuart MP“It’s fantastic to celebrate the incredible efforts of volunteers who contribute so much to our communities,” Rygate remarked.Over 139,000 nominations were received across New South Wales, a figure that speaks volumes about the vital role that our volunteers play in our communities. Rygate also highlighted that volunteers contribute an astounding $178 billion annually to the NSW economy. Gareth Ward Barbara Adams Judi Sandilands-Cincotta with Ollie and David Abela Among those recognised, a few are familiar faces in our community:Barbara Adams, from Jamberoo, took home the awards for Regional Senior Volunteer of the Year and the overall Regional Volunteer of the Year. Under her presidency, the Jamberoo Red Cross raised over $100,000 and organised community events like the Jamberoo Australia Day celebrations and the town’s Christmas decorations. Barbara will proudly represent the region at the state finals in December.From Gerringong, Joelie Robson was honoured for her work with Disaster Relief Australia. Robson has dedicated her personal time to assisting those in crisis situations.David Abela of Kiama has brought hope and joy to children and families battling cancer through his work with Camp Quality. John Knox from Kiama Downs, a stalwart of the Minnamurra Lions Club, has quietly gone about making the world a better place, one service project at a time. Knox was recognised for his various charitable contributions.Vivienne Marris from Jamberoo, was recognised for her work with the Jamberoo Country Women’s Association including local initiatives and providing support to her community.Finally, Judi Sandilands-Cincotta from Kiama, a volunteer with Guide Dogs NSW who spends her days as a therapy dog handler with five-year-old labrador, Ollie. They attend high schools, courts, libraries, police and ambulance stations across the region to bring comfort and support. Local state Member for Kiama, Gareth Ward took to the stand to share personal stories of his experiences with volunteers.Joelie Robson and Hon Paul Scully MP “Volunteerism can save lives, but it can also change lives,” Ward said, recalling a farmer whose life was turned around by the simple act of joining a Men’s Shed. “As someone who has benefited from volunteer efforts myself, I know firsthand the difference volunteers make in our communities,” Ward continued. “Congratulations to all the nominees and winners. Your work is a shining example of the difference that committed volunteers can make in our society. Let’s continue to spread the word about the importance of volunteering and inspire others to get involved,” Rygate concluded.  Watch this space for interviews with our local heroes.

Kiama Councillors Jodi Keast, Kathy Rice and Karen Renkema-Lang are demanding Kiama Council release a letter from the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) which informs the Council that the ICAC will not investigate them.Kiama Council referred the Councillors to the ICAC in May 2024. The three Kiama Councillors state that they know of no grounds which would justify referring them to the ICAC.Clr Keast said, “We have now been informed in a very brief email from Council that it has received correspondence from the ICAC stating that it is declining to investigate us. We have requested that the Council provides a full copy of the correspondence from the ICAC. We want to know when the Council received the advice from the ICAC, how long it took the Council to inform us, and what the ICAC letter actually said.”Clr Keast continued, “This Council should take steps towards increased transparency and release this correspondence to the Councillors who are personally affected. It is outrageous that Council still has a media release on its website proclaiming that it has referred three Councillors to the ICAC and yet for an unknown period of time has had correspondence from the ICAC that it won’t investigate those Councillors.”The three Kiama Councillors said they really appreciated an earlier letter written by ICAC Commissioner The Hon. John Hazsistergos, that was tabled at the August Council meeting. The letter warned current Councillors and registered Candidates that “public statements that matters have been referred to the Commission… irrespective of whether there is a reasonable basis for such an allegation, may cause political damage, and such allegations should not be used as a weapon to level at a political rival. The weaponisation of the Commission for political advantage… is inappropriate.”Clr Kathy Rice states, “A referral to ICAC should be done silently so that proper process can occur, and the reputations of individuals can be protected should their referral be found to be unsubstantiated. Ever since hearing in the media that I had been referred to the ICAC by Council I have been troubled by the motivation behind the leak and I have experienced unfair public suspicion.”“Without firm evidence, there was little basis for suspecting us of inappropriate behaviour as the ICAC assessment has now shown”.“I urge voters to examine this situation and make up their own minds at this election to determine how the Council swings. Please value transparency and openness in Council. Please value Council candidates who will prioritise the opinions and values of residents in their decision making at Kiama Council.”Clr Karen Renkema-Lang states, “For me personally the ICAC referral was the final straw in a very disappointing experience of local government. I was censured by the Council for simply giving my opinion in a radio interview. Fortunately, I was able to have the NSW Supreme Court declare the Council’s censure of me invalid. Council wasted so much of residents' money just trying to silence me. Anthony Whealy KC (the Chair of the Centre for Public Integrity) described the censure as "an ill-considered measure to silence a dissenting Councillor" and said “this censure motion strikes me as susceptible to an inference that it was really designed to shut her up.” Read the ABC article here.“The ICAC referral seems to me to be in a similar vein, i.e. it was not based on any apparent reasonable evidence and was unjustified.”All three Councillors call for Council to supply them with the official ICAC correspondence, to remove any reference to the ICAC referral from its website, and for there to be an external review of the governance procedures that led to the leakage of this sensitive information.Kiama Council were contacted for comment, and said that they "cannot comment on current Councillors or candidates during caretaker period, as per our Local Government elections (caretaker period provisions) policy." 

Ken and Ann Laves have operated their family business, House2Home in Kiama for 25 years. They are key members of the community, both born at the hospital and raised in Jamberoo and Kiama respectively. It’s the only store in Kiama where you can stock up on kitchenware, home decor, party and art supplies – all in the same place.  End of August, they announced they would be closing their doors to the community, but sticking around until after Christmas to supply the town with their last-minute needs. “We offer so much you can’t get in town, it’s where we’re needed,” said Ann. However, with the rising cost of wages, stock and bills to be paid and not getting enough customers to keep the business flowing, they’ve made the decision to pack up the shop in the new year. Ken has felt the strain of the community not visiting local businesses, “it’s tough for businesses in town, everything’s going up. It’s just about people coming through the door.”Ann’s late father, Bill Swan, was a well-known businessman in Kiama, who built the row of shops that known today as Rosebank Place and operated the much-loved Swan’s Butchery and the Kiama Abattoir for many years.They hope their daughter, Cara, will carry on some of the services operated at House2Home, such as the balloon and party services.“We do, however hope to continue on in town in some way, shape or form, and hope to continue with balloons somehow,” Cara said. The family announced the shop’s closure in August, with a range of factors contributing to their decision. Cost of business has been a turning point for them, with increasing costs across all fronts combined with less sales and fewer people spending their coin locally. Cara describes the covid-19 pandemic as an okay period for the business, as people were spending more time in the town and shopping locally, followed by a worldwide helium shortage, ongoing construction and cost of business rising meant “surviving was exhausting,” she says. House2Home will continue to operate until the new year, they will be providing Kiama with Christmas essentials and thank all of the locals, who have supported them over the last two decades.“We couldn’t have lasted this long without each and every single one of them. Whether you bought a $1 card here and there, or whether you came in and spent hundreds in one transaction, every sale has kept us going,” Cara said. Local businesses are most at risk when costs increase. As people prioritise their spending, it’s the businesses that keep Kiama running that feel it the most. “Try the local business before going to the shopping centres out of our town. Try them before the big guys like Kmart. Try them before going online and purchasing from the likes of Temu and Amazon. Do a couple of laps of the street or walk a little bit further to get to them if you can’t find parking. Don’t assume that they’re too expensive, because they may not be. Support local business wherever and whenever you can,” Cara said.

Gerringong Music Club is scheduled to bring Duo Histoire to the Gerringong Town Hall at 2 pm on Sunday 15 September 2024.Remarked as one of Australia’s most unique and engaging chamber duos, Nick Russoniello (saxophone) and Murilo Tanouye (classical guitar) have used their diverse repertoire to engage and transport their listeners to tango halls in Argentina, the streets of Sāo Paulo, salons of Paris and the laneways of Sydney.  Featured at Sydney Festival and regularly aired on ABC Classic FM, their most recent album, Autumn/Winter will make its way to visit Gerringong remarked as a standout event in the region's musical calendar. Make sure you mark your calendars!​​Event details:What: Duo Histoire When:  Sunday 15 September 2024 2pm - 3.30pm. Doors open at 1.30pm.Where: Gerringong Town Hall, 106 Fern Street, Gerringong NSW How: Book tickets online or at the door (Members, children and students are free. Visitors $30)

Jamberoo’s Barbara Adams has been awarded the Regional Senior Volunteer of the Year. She will go to the state finals in December.The Bugle’s Belle Wood will interview Barbara tomorrow, so ‘watch this space’.

It’s been a long time coming but on Saturday, 30 August, Kiama RUFC made it to the grand final. They did it in spectacular fashion, beating Campbelltown 26-24, in a nail-biting thriller that’ll be sure to go down in local rugby history.It was the kind of game that’s hard to explain unless you were fortunate enough to experience it first hand. For starters, it was a beautiful, balmy spring day and a huge number of Kiama supporters had made it to the Vikings Rugby Club in Wollongong to watch the first grade battle it out against Campbelltown in a do-or-die semi-final.Campbelltown, as expected, came out hard and fast, taking an early lead.Then around ten minutes into the first half, Kiama’s Atu Taufa was tackled and his head got caught, after which he remained laying on the ground. He had had his shoulder injured the previous weekend.After being assessed, a neck brace was put on and an ambulance called to take him to the hospital. “Taufa was in good spirits throughout,” says Smith.He also sends a special thank you to the nurse from Campbelltown, who quickly came out on the field to help assess Taufa’s condition and who stayed with him and the team until the ambulance arrived.It definitely wasn’t the start that Kiama had hoped for. Yet, returning to the field, the team played like there was no tomorrow and began scoring try after try, creeping closer and closer on the scoreboard. But Campbelltown, a potential final spot in their sights, wasn’t ready to give in and with ten minutes to go, it looked to be a sealed deal.Unless, you asked the Kiama supporters, that is. “Go Ki! One more try!” echoed around the ground. The team heard the call and kept pushing. With around 1:30 minute left of regular time, Kiama scored a try and had a successful conversion. All of a sudden, it was 26-24 to the Cow’s favour. After holding on for the last nerve-wracking minutes of the game, Kiama won and the ground erupted in a sea of black and white – family, friends and fans – all there to celebrate a well-deserved, magnificent and simply put, epic win.“Yeah, good. Hard game. Tough game. But this is what you want, you want these tough games at this time of the year,” says a moved coach James Patrick.“I was just happy we didn’t make any mistakes. We’re right on our line and the boys, I’m just so proud of them. Happy over what they’ve done. We got one more game, and against the best team in the comp. I feel sorry for the Campbelltown guys because it could have gone either way. And again, I’m just proud of our guys that we were on that side of it. We’re not winning these types of games so it’s very satisfying. I love it.”The grand final is on Saturday, 7 September, 3 pm at Collegians sports stadium against Shoalhaven. We can’t wait to see you there.The Kiama second grade fell short against Shoalhaven in their semi-final with 48-26 but congratulations on a great 2024 season!

The Kiama Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) rallied their partners for a night of square-dancing to raise funds for the club.“Whether folks were seasoned square dancers or complete greenhorns, everyone had a fantastic time,” said club president Phil Perry. The SLSC are made up of volunteer lifeguards who patrol the busy Surf Beach between September and April every year. They provide a safe place to learn surfing, health and life skills powered by their volunteers. Held on Saturday, the inaugural square dance saw community members band together and don their ‘best cowboy hats and boots, kicking up their heels for an evening of boot-scootin’’. “It was a night of laughter, dancing, and community spirit, all while supporting Kiama’s beach heroes”, Perry said. Images: Kiama SLSC

The Kiama Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) launched a new patrol roster on August 29 in an attempt to make life easier for existing members and to try to inspire more people to volunteer.The new roster will make it easier for patrol volunteers to pick different hours and will make the overall process more flexible to accommodate for busy schedules. Kiama SLSC club captain Natasha Osmond-Dreyer has been captain for just over a year and she says one of the biggest issues she has found is navigating around people’s busy lives and she hopes this new roster will fix this issue.“Because our numbers are relatively small for how many hours we have to fill out throughout the season. It means that the impost on each person is quite high. In the past people would say to me, Natasha I'm only available on 5 weekends before christmas, 4 weekends after christmas and I can only do 4 hours on this day and 4 hours on a different day and I can’t do a full day of patrol,” says Osmond-Dreyer.“We have never been able to accommodate that. So we’re looking at giving greater flexibility for existing members of patrol and to try and bring in new members.” This flexible roster has been successful for both Bermagui and Killcare SLSC and Osmond-Dreyer utilised aspects of both of their systems to try and create the perfect solution for Kiama SLSC. “Members can now go onto a website and self-select their patrol teams, look at their shifts, choose to do a morning here and an afternoon here or a full day,” says Osmond-Dreyer.“It's really designed to increase participation, reduce the stress on each person. We want to really ensure that we maintain the highest quality of safety and service on the beach for the season. I’m hoping that it will increase overall engagement and be a more efficient distribution of time and resources on the beach.”To patrol the ocean for your local SLSC you need to have your bronze medallion, but Osmond-Dreyer says that they also need more volunteers on the sand and this only requires a first aid certificate.“Most people think that you have to have a bronze medallion to patrol. But you don't. The base qualification you need is a first aid certificate. Most other people on the beach will have a bronze medallion because we need people to be rescuing people in the water, but we also need people on the sands to deal with whatever comes in. There’s multiple ways to get involved with surf life saving,” says Osmond-Dreyer.In terms of why you should volunteer to be on the patrol teams, Osmond-Dreyer says it is a rewarding and fun experience. You are both giving back to the community and improving your own beach knowledge so that you can always feel confident in the many beaches Kiama has to offer.“For your own benefit you will get all the necessary training and skills to supervise yourself and your family on the beach. You would be more comfortable going in the water and knowing where to find a rip and what to do in an emergency. From a community point of view it's about meeting new people, making new friendships and giving back to the community,” says Osmond-Dreyer.“I genuinely believe that people feel safer, enjoying the water and the beach when they know that there's somebody to help them if they need help. You only have to look at the number of people who get into problems in rips at the beach to know that it is so well needed.”If you are interested in volunteering for the Kiama SLSC please contact Natasha at [email protected]. There are no minimum hours required, and Natasha is open to anyone who is interested.

As the community of the Illawarra prepares for the annual Volunteer of the Year Awards, we take a moment to recognise the extraordinary individuals, who quietly yet powerfully shape our lives. Among them is Jamberoo resident, Vivienne Marris, a name synonymous with dedication, generosity and the joy of giving back.Vivienne is no stranger to the volunteer scene. A successful businesswoman, Vivienne has long believed in the power of community support, channelling her resources to uplift local initiatives. From junior soccer teams to the performing arts, Vivienne’s contributions are as varied as they are impactful.“I’ve always felt that supporting young people is crucial,” Vivienne said. “Whether it's through sports or the arts, it's about fostering the next generation and ensuring we have a strong foundation for the future.”One of Vivienne’s most important initiatives is the Creative and Performing Arts Scholarship, a program she established to support young talents in the community. The scholarship, now in its fifth year, has already helped several young people pursue their dreams, from attending dance schools to joining esteemed programs like NIDA.“It’s not just about the financial support,” Vivienne explained. “It’s about acknowledging the commitment these young people put into their passions. That recognition can make all the difference.”Vivienne’s philosophy on volunteering is refreshingly simple yet profound. “Volunteering is like smiling,” she said. “It’s contagious. When others see the joy it brings, they want to be a part of it too.”

The battle for an appropriate taxi service continues with the announcement of a petition for the NSW Government to support and fund a taxi trial that could see the services return to Kiama. Barry, 84, said without a reliable taxi service in Gerringong, many residents at his aged care facility struggle to maintain their independence, “If I want to go up to Kiama to see my doctor, my daughter has to travel to come and take me,” he said.Member for Kiama, Gareth Ward, called upon the Minister for Transport to increase public transport in the region in May of this year.Ward continues to appeal for a stable taxi service to return to the Kiama region, with a recent announcement that he has joined forces with local council candidate Yasmin Tatrai with a petition calling upon the NSW government for the return of cabs to the community.“Yas and I want to see taxi services return to Kiama. I have been inundated by locals who need public transport and really rely on this service. As a person with a visual impairment, I understand this frustration very personally”, Mr Ward said.Barry believes the existing options are not good enough. Neighbouring residents with greater mobility issues aren’t able to use the existing public transport options within Gerringong, and must find their own alternatives through loved ones providing a helping hand. Not only are the options limited, with the available bus service requiring a volunteer driver when someone wishes to go outside of the aged care facility. The closure of Kiama Cabs in May of last year resulted in community outcry for the essential service being removed from the town. “Kiama taxis used to come, but now we don’t have a reasonable taxi service”, Barry said. Over 25 percent of Kiama’s population falls between the age range of 60 - 85 and above. A study showed that the transport needs for older people vary, Kiama is known as being a car-dependent area with limited use of public transport by local residents. Residents that are unable or no longer able to use a car for their personal transport, the range of mobility options are crucial to reducing social exclusion.Older people who are required to decrease or cease their driving can cause a ‘significant decline in mobility and increase in physical and mental health risks if appropriate transport alternatives are not available.’“From older people, people with disabilities or people who don’t drive, we need a taxi service and this petition will help pressure the NSW Labor Government to stop cutting services and start investing in our community”, Ms Tatrai said.