The Bugle has rounded up some of the breaking stories from the 9-10 September weekend that you may have missed.Hold up at Kiama Ampol Petrol StationFour people robbed the Kiama Ampol Petrol Station at the south exit of town on Friday night at around 11pm. Police tape surrounded the station’s counter on Saturday morning as police continued their investigations into the holdup.Facebook users also reported that a petrol station in Gerringong was targeted on the same night by four people, but reports say the station had closed, sparking speculation that it is the same group that targeted both locations. Reports from the public say cigarettes were the target. NSW Police Media have only issued a statement saying they are "aware' of the incident.Fire at FoxgroundPic from the Gerringong RFS Instagram pageGerringong RFS attended a structure fire at Foxground on Sunday afternoon. When they attended, they found a farmhouse engulfed by flames, and units from multiple agencies including five different RFS brigades attended.Shoalhaven Heads Rural Fire Service used a portable pump from a nearby swimming pool to supply water to the units. The blaze was extinguished and while the farmhouse remains standing, it was completely gutted internally.Aussie community spirit revives man in GerroaA local man was transported to Shellharbour Hospital after suddenly collapsing while out walking on Crooked River Road near the Gerroa Fishers Club on Monday 11 September, 2023 at about 10.45 am.Locals quickly stopped and applied CPR. Volunteers quickly grabbed the defibrillation units from the nearby Fishos club and the Gerroa Caravan Park. However, they weren’t needed as the CPR being applied was successful after five minutes, and the man’s heartbeat and breathing returned. Locals had him talking and in the recovery position when the ambulance arrived.The Bugle would like to commend the Aussie community spirit of the nearly 20 in number of volunteers who stopped and helped.

Around 100 common medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) can be dispensed as a 60-day prescription from 1 September 2023. This could lead to savings of $180 per medication per year for Medicare card holders and an additional $43.80 per medication per year for concession card holders.Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips said that more than 49,000 patients in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region will save money and time as a result.Fiona Phillips MP with Uncle Tom Moore “60-day prescriptions will halve the medicine costs for people living with an ongoing health condition, and free up our local GPs,” Ms Phillips said.“Cheaper medicines are good for the hip-pocket, but it’s also helping those who are most vulnerable and are more likely to skip medications because they cannot afford them.”Not everyone is happy though. Pharmacists staged a protest and walkout in the public gallery of the House of Representatives on 4 September, 2023 and others were ejected. National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia Trent Twomey stated that local community pharmacies are picking up the cost of the policy, receiving the same funding from the Government for twice the amount of work. He says the 6000 community pharmacies across Australia may have to cut staff, trading hours and even some services just to survive.No local Kiama pharmacists The Bugle contacted were prepared to state objections publicly, but they did state the change was a direct and huge cost to small business while costing the Federal Government nothing, and in fact probably saved them money and was very popular with voters. Several local pharmacies have had to make tough changes to their business practices to remain in business, even reducing some staff numbers and considering reduction in services.Pic from the federal government health department's PBS site.

This week, The Bugle sat down with Independent Member for Kiama Gareth Ward to discuss what he sees as the biggest issues for the electorate. While the Kiama electorate covers three distinct councils with their own priorities and challenges, Gareth said there is one issue that’s the same everywhere he goes: the cost of living crisis.It should be no surprise that Gareth wants the Labor Government to do a lot more to assist those in need, and that it's actually going backwards.“There’s no doubt that people are becoming more and more frustrated, particularly with some of the decisions of this government because in opposition, the then Opposition Leader, now Premier, said he would support a lot of the cost of living measures that he’s now sought to cut.”One of those cuts is the Senior Regional Travel Card. The card offered seniors $250 each year to spend on transport, but the Labor Government announced in August 2023 that it would no longer issue any new cards.“The government is just lying, saying ‘Oh we’ve paused it’. Well you paused it without giving a start date on when it will be recommenced again. I know a lot of people that [the card] really helped them with their costs throughout the year. The reality is a lot of people have to drive, so a lot of people used it for petrol, and others used it to top up their carer’s cars, so that’s hitting hard.”Gareth says his petition to save the Regional Senior Travel Card has received more than 7000 signatures so far. “They’re not just cutting cost of living programs, they’re cutting cost of living programs they've committed to keeping. If you make a promise, you’ve got to keep it. Particularly for the most vulnerable, I think the attitude of the Labor Party is that all these people that are experiencing difficulties, a lot of them will vote for us anyway. I don't think they should so arrogantly assume that. I think people want honesty and transparency, and if you go to an election and say you’re going to do something, you should do it.”The cost of living crisis obviously impacts more than regional travel though. The ever-increasing price of housing is a serious concern for Gareth, especially when it comes to the current generation of first-home buyers.There are a lot of young people that would like to live here but can’t,” Gareth says. “I think as a community, we need to have a conversation around where development can occur, how we want it to occur and how we can get the balance right between protecting what’s unique, but also ensuring that people can afford to live in our community. “Housing supply doesn’t just benefit homeownership, it also addresses renters and ensuring that people can afford to rent in communities on lower incomes is very important, particularly if you want nurses, teachers and police living in the areas they serve.This will be crucial in the next few years in our electorate, according to Gareth, as the hospitals in Nowra and Shellharbour are set to expand. Gareth says the Shoalhaven Hospital has a critical services plan that includes an additional 800 staff.“Where are they going to live? The government hasn’t talked about that at all. It’s not just these new shiny hospitals that ministers get to snap a ribbon with a set of novelty scissors for a Facebook photo, you actually have people who work there.”Gareth says he’s already floated the idea of turning the old Shellharbour Hospital into key worker housing once it’s decommissioned.Gareth says there’s also been a few wins when it comes to easing the cost of living, including working with Ryan Park, the Labor Minister for Health, Regional Health, and the Illawarra and South Coast, to provide free parking at Shoalhaven Hospital.Gareth says he’s actually had very few challenges working with the rest of the Ministers in the NSW Government from both Labour and the Coalition, despite the obvious challenges with Premier Chris Minns. The Premier decided to take any questions Gareth makes on the floor of parliament on notice, rather than answer them directly. “The reality is that the same process that elected me elected him. It’s appalling in a democracy where people have made a choice and he believes he’s higher and mightier than the rest of us, which is obviously not true,” says Gareth.“He does answer my questions, he answers them on notice. I suspect he does that more for any other reason that he actually has a challenge in answering some of these questions.”Looking ahead, Gareth says he will continue in his role of holding the Government accountable from his position as an Independent Member.“The one thing I hear more and more from people is that they just don’t see politicians delivering what they say they will. They put out leaflets and flyers and they don’t deliver,” says Gareth.“I think the people of our electorate made a very deliberate decision to elect me because what they’re looking for is someone who can have a say in the legislative process that can get policy outcomes on a range of issues, but is also experienced enough to be able to make sure we keep on delivering the things that matter. Often a lot of the things that matter to people are things like smaller grants, and for years I’ve helped people with those smaller grants and I’ll continue to do that.”

The Dino Bros, like the Inspired (Un)Employed, are the next big Internet Sensation to come out of Kiama!Well not quite yet as the Dino Bros are just starting out, and visited the streets of Kiama on Friday afternoon 8 September 2023. They visited the Kiama Farmers Market at Coronation Park on Wednesday.The Inspired Unemployed are still going strong with the show Impractical Jokers on Channel 10 and Paramount Plus.However the Dino Bros are making their own skits for their channel and are visiting the streets of Kiama to interact with locals and tourists, dance, growl, with a bit of falling down, Dino style, especially in high winds. Their names are Israel, Noah and Lucas and probably are brothers. Their Dino names are yet to be revealed. Keep an eye out for them on the streets of Kiama, especially at festival time!Check out their channels dinobros_official on Instagram and Youtube.

Embark on a journey to exotic destinations, embrace diversity by working with people from 50 different nationalities, and live a one-of-a-kind career by working on a cruise ship.Cassidy Lee Richardson grew up in Kiama and dreamed of being a dancer on cruise ships since the age of 11.At 20, she auditioned for dance roles to gain experience. After attending multiple cruise ship auditions, she finally received the contract she wanted at age 21.As a dancer, she flies to the studios in Miami before getting onboard to rehearse for the shows, "Royal Caribbean have stunning studios based in Miami that house all the rehearsals for every ship under their fleet, depending on what shows you're learning and how many you will be there for. It's a different amount of time anywhere between 5 weeks and 3 months," Cassidy says.When the dancers have finished learning their shows, they travel to the ship's home port to start the install (handover) process onboard, which includes understanding the technical aspects of the shows and blocking onstage, which means going through all their standing and performing positions. There may be extra training if it's a first contract or redoing any expired training for the rehires."Once the install process is complete, we all say goodbye to the install team and the previous cast and then our cast is on their own to finish the contract. We get our schedule for the cruise on the first day of each cruise and then continue along like that until the end," she says.Cassidy started dancing when she was eight years old, at her local dance studio (Dance Sensations), just doing after-school classes, until she moved to Melbourne at the age of 19 and studied at Transit Dance. Cassidy then studied full-time for her Diploma in Dance in 2017 and 2018. This gave her the knowledge and the tools needed for her future career on cruise ships.To be able to work onboard an ocean-going ship, all crew have to do basic safety training, known as STCW, which is refreshed every five years. They must also pass a full medical check every two years. There is also a lot of specialised training on emergency duties and learning how to use all the different types of safety features on each ship.Cassidy loves this career. "I get to perform every week, doing some incredible shows while also travelling and visiting some beautiful places around the world," she says."My favourite moments in this job are definitely the rewarding feelings when finishing a show and seeing a standing ovation. Nothing beats that feeling!" she enthuses.The Bugle asked Cassidy about the stories that she has collected on her journeys. "There are definitely some great stories – but probably not fit for a newspaper, though! LOL."But all in all, the people I get to meet and hang out with from all around the world are always so much fun! Crew members always know how to put on an all-crew party and have the best time!"Regarding the downside, she said, "That is definitely being away from home for as long as I am, usually 10-11 months at a time each contract. “It's hard sometimes to not be home for family events, holidays like Christmas/Easter, and birthdays." If you are keen on pursuing this type of career, Cassidy's advice is to "Keep on pushing, try not to get disheartened by others who may be progressing quicker in their careers. You never know what a future employer is looking for! Be consistent and continue to show up and keep working towards your goals. Manifest!" Another local woman (preferring to remain anonymous, so let's call her Joy) also gave The Bugle information about her interesting career on ships. Joy grew up in Kiama and then gained experience primarily in the entertainment and tourism industry before applying to work for P&O Australia at 23 years old.Since then, she has worked on and off for various cruise lines worldwide, mostly in USA waters. Joy is a Cruise Director with a leading cruise line company and works' four-month on, two-month off' rotations. Cruise lines usually offer contracts for four, five or six months. Crew members are flown in, accommodated, and provided with meals onboard during their contract and then flown back to their country of origin. The crew only pay for amenities like drinks, so it's a great opportunity to save money while working onboard. Tax is paid in the country of origin. It's not easy work by any stretch. The hours are 14-plus per day, and there are no days off for the entire duration onboard. Asked whether it's a good career, Joy says, "It's different every day and this keeps me interested and engaged. You do have to work hard, but I love that. You also have to love what you do and have great stamina, because there are no days off during your contract period – you work every single day."Joy loves this career. She loves cruising and even cruises in her time off! She says, "I enjoy meeting people, watching them, and the general romance of cruising. You could say that I am a 'cruise nut'."Starting as a Junior Assistant Cruise Director, Joy worked hard to progress through the ranks to achieve her current position. She started firstly as Assistant Cruise Director, then moved up to Senior Assistant Cruise Director, then Deputy Cruise Director and finally Cruise Director. A Cruise Director role involves team management, working alongside the Entertainment Director, overseeing the musicians, actors, dancers, stage managers and staff, lighting and sound crews. They may also be Master of Ceremonies for special parties and occasions. Typically, there are seven Assistant Cruise Directors to train and manage and at least 50 crew on the entertainment team.Moving up the career ladder involves putting in the time, (nautical) mileage, and hard work. After every cruise, the supervisors give a report on the crew in their team, and client feedback is also factored in. This ultimately determines whether a crew member is promoted or even if they are invited back for another contract! Like any job role, surely there must be difficult, hard-to-please clients? Joy admits, "Sometimes there are 'challenging' clients, but that motivates me to turn it around for them so that they become fans. "I genuinely care about people, and I know what I like and respond to, so I use that understanding to reach people and solve their issues." Like Cassidy, Joy acknowledges the downside of being away overseas and missing family occasions but says, "It's easier now with reliable internet, enabling people to keep in touch without the expense."Apart from the special safety training and certification that all crew working on ships must do, Joy said, "We are always doing courses – the training is ongoing – things like training in cyber security, crisis management, and various Human Resources type courses, so it keeps things interesting."  The wages aren't 'rockstar', so it's fair to say that people gravitate to working on cruise ships more for the lifestyle it offers and the opportunity to travel around the world and meet amazing people than for the money. Joy says, "You do it because you love it," adding that it's possible to negotiate a more attractive contract fee when you're more experienced. Joy advises young people wanting to follow a career on cruise ships, "It truly is a wonderful work environment, and you will derive great job satisfaction. Once you have built up suitable experience and credentials you can apply directly to cruise ship companies."

The Age Pension, Veteran Payment, Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment will all be increased from 20 September 2023 thanks to indexation.The maximum rate of the single Age Pension will rise from $1064 to $1096.70 (by $32.70 per fortnight) and for couples from $1604 to $1653.40 (by $49.40 per fortnight).Chief Advocate Ian Henschke said while people who rely on the Age Pension will welcome the increase, under the current system pensioners are still behind, especially when inflation is unusually high.Several other government payments will also be increased on 20 September in line with announcements made in the May Budget.A $56.10 increase for Single JobSeeker recipients raises the base payment to $749.20 per fortnight. It’s kinder for JobSeeker recipients aged 55-59 who are unemployed for more than 9 months, as the payment increase will be $96.10 per fortnight.A welcome change is the 15 per cent increase to Commonwealth Rent Assistance. The maximum rate for a single renter will rise by $27.60 to $184.80 per fortnight, for a couple by $26 to $174.“It’s a good start but more needs to be done to help renters,” Mr Henschke said. “We recently heard from a pensioner couple paying $920 a fortnight in rent. This leaves them with only $907.40 a fortnight [$453.70 a week] to pay for food, fuel, utilities, and other expenses.”Income limits for eligibility for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card are increasing by $5,400 to $95,400 per annum for singles and by $8,640 to $152,640 for couples combined. With deeming rates frozen for two years, more self-funded retirees could now be eligible for concessions.“More can be done to support older people doing it tough. As recent National Seniors research showed, a greater proportion of people with low incomes and those who are renting are suffering from cost-of-living pressures,” Mr Henschke said.“For example, 39 per cent of older renters told us they were experiencing severe cost-of-living impacts compared to only 11 per cent of older homeowners.“What we need is additional targeted support for people with limited means and to stop punishing those who need to work,” says Mr HenschkeIn the Employment White Paper Submission by National Seniors Australia, the government has been called on to simplify the tax and transfer system to boost workforce participation, income and savings."We want a change to income test rules for pensioners who want to work and work more. This could be achieved by reducing the taper rate from 50 cents to 32.5 cents in the dollar to align with the tax system. It's simple, fair, will help solve critical workforce shortage, and boost the budget bottom line,” says Mr Henschke, promising to continue to fight for a system that improves people's lives.

‘Friends of the Minnamurra River’ (FOMR Inc.) have written to both the Shellharbour CEO Mike Archer and the Kiama Council CEO Jane Stroud and to both Mayors, Chris Homer and Neil Reilly, to express their concerns about controlled release of drainage water into the Minnamurra River from the building site for the new Shellharbour hospital at Dunmore.In a surprise move these concerns have been supported by a new group of Shellharbour citizens, Jacqueline Forst, Greg Forst and Hazel Campbell. They have written to Shellharbour Council stating no Environmental Impact Statement nor Climate Resilience Report has been submitted for the move of Shellharbour Hospital to the Dunmore site. Some of the Shellharbour group have gone as far as to question whether Dunmore is the wrong site for a new hospital and should be stopped completely. Sources have recently said one of the three wings, the pediatric wing, has been abandoned which raises questions whether the whole project is starting to be considered unviable by the NSW Government  as the services decrease while cost and environmental concerns are on the rise.The current plan will see many hundreds of tonnes of loose soil be stored within 100 metres of the legally protected environment of the Minnamurra River, home to a number of threatened and endangered species.The Shellharbour group in their letter state, ‘The developer must notify the Commonwealth Government if the Development is within 10-km of a registered rainforest. There is no evidence of this notification in the documents submitted to the Council.” In all the reports the site description fails to mention the coastal wetlands and Minnamurra River, less than 800 metres downhill from the excavation site and 100 metres from the storage site.FOMR Inc. strongly recommends that a margin of safety greater than the old “industrystandard” should be added to contingency plans to provide for the far more frequent and more intense rainfall events locally, with climate change predicted to intensify in the next two summers as we enter an El Niño weather pattern. Their concerns are particularly focused on the claim that Kiama Council has not been informed of this controlled release, and that the building site has guaranteed no run-off water will enter the Boral sand mining pit next door.  FOMR Inc. are especially focused on the threats for climate change of increased flooding and the Shellharbour Council have not done a Climate Resilience report but have relied on ‘outdated’ NSW standards. The solution FOMR are seeking are regular and publicised water quality tests of the drainage water, especially before and after any controlled water release into Minnamurra River,  as specified in the Shellharbour Council assessment report. The Shellharbour Planning Assessment report states, “This water will be held in sediment basins and discharged in accordance with industry standards to existing culverts within the railway corridor on the eastern side of the highway and piped down into the Minnamurra River system.”The proposed plan is to have “two sediment basins designed to hold rainfall for the 85th percentile five year rain event, with the basins themselves designed to withstand a 10 year rain event”. This is compliant with the requirements of the industry standard guidelines for NSW.It does seem likely to be overwhelmed and then cause generalised sediment and possible pollutant release into the fragile Minnamurra ecology during a flood. Increased rainfall, and increased high levels of flooding, are predicted to increase significantly even over the next five years, the period in which the Shellharbour hospital is being built.The Shellharbour Council hospital earthworks modifications assessment report also states that “The proposed civil plans provide details confirming that prior to discharge of site stormwater,groundwater and seepage water into Council’s stormwater system, contractors mustundertake water quality tests in conjunction with a suitably qualified environment consultant.As early as 1988, a Shellharbour Council Environmental Impact Statement warned that“Previous studies indicate that these (Minnamurra River) wetlands are showing signs ofenvironmental stress generally thought to be a result of urban and agricultural run-off and theeffect of the garbage tips, sand mining activity and a night soil depot in the vicinity ofRocklow Creek.”The Hospital is being developed by the NSW Government Health Infrastructure department  however their website for the hospital has not been updated for 10-months. Shellharbour Hospital RedevelopmentThere has also been criticism of the hospital for not having a helipad or maternity ward, and emergency access to the Hospital from Kiama is restricted as the old Dunmore Road railway crossing is still not available to general traffic (only quarry traffic) adding up to a extra 20 minutes via the roundabout at Shellharbour Road, though there have been plans to open the much quicker Dunmore Road route possibly only for emergency. It has also been suggested the hospital was part of the Greater Cities Commision plan for Kiama to become a city but the Greater Cities Commission was axed by the incoming Minns Labor government in NSW.Col Douch overflight of the Dunmore hospital site on 17 August 2023.  Col Douch Hospital overflight

Loved and played by millions around the world, Sudoku is a game in which you can immerse yourself – for hours! Puzzle lovers are getting ready to celebrate because it is time for International Sudoku Day on Saturday, 9 September.No one can explain exactly why Sudoku has become so popular all around the world, but some people think it has to do with the human's innate desire to find order from chaos. In addition, when a person is able to finish a Sudoku puzzle, it offers a sense of accomplishment and productivity. It makes a person feel like a winner. It's quite addictive to play Sudoku but in a good way. The benefits of 'brain training' with any form of puzzle are well-known. It's also possible to play at different levels, from Easy to Moderate to Hard, depending on your experience. The game's original concept is understood to have originated in Asia in the late 1700s. Well down the track, an incarnation called Number Place, invented by Howard Garns from Indiana, was published in 1979, only gaining traction in 1984 when it made its way to Japan, where it became supremely popular. Sudoku is pronounced "Soo-doe-koo" and means something along the lines of "the numbers must remain single".The game became popular in the West after a New Zealander, Wayne Gould, discovered the game whilst on holiday in Japan and became a devotee. He took it further by developing a computer program that automatically created Sudoku puzzles. In 2004, the London Times printed a Sudoku puzzle in the newspaper after Gould's wife submitted his work, which grew in popularity. Sudoku games began appearing in puzzle books, and then whole books of Sudoku puzzles started lining store shelves. In 2013, International Sudoku Day was founded by the World Puzzle Federation to pay heed to this unique and challenging game. So, get ready to play and enjoy one – or many – of these puzzles in celebration and honour of International Sudoku Day!#SudokuDay#InternationalSudokuDay

A documentary on the story of Grant Wilson’s road to recovery following a life-changing injury has been named as a finalist in the Nova Employment Focus on Ability Short Film Awards.On 16 August 2021, Grant was riding his bike on a local mountain bike track, when he slipped and fell off a ramp, breaking his neck and instantly paralysing him from the shoulders down. He suffered a C4 spinal cord injury and wasn’t expected to ever walk again, or even be able to push his own wheelchair.Grant was determined to overcome his injury, and immediately got to work on his recovery. Today, Grant pushes himself in a manual wheelchair and can walk comfortably with crutches. He can even walk about 15 metres unassisted, and still enjoys swimming with his family.The documentary is called “I’M NOT FINISHED YET”, a reference to how his faith allowed Grant to push through physical and mental barriers on his road to recovery.“My faith and trust in God and his goodness has been foundational to my life and who I am,” Grant says in the documentary. “So as I lay in that hospital bed one night, with all the doubts running through my mind, I really felt God speak to me in a still small voice and tell me that ‘Grant, I’m not finished with you yet.”You can watch the full documentary on the ‘Focus on Ability Film Festival’ YouTube channel.Now in its 15th year, the Focus on Ability Film Festival is designed to encourage filmmakers to share stories from those with disabilities. The festival is run by an Australian organisation, and will feature 309 finalists from more than 17 countries.The winner receives a $5000 cash prize from Australia Post, which if he wins Grant says will help fund his continued recovery. A festival screening will be held at the Liverpool Catholic Club in Sydney from 10:30am to 1pm.

Independent Member for Kiama Gareth Ward has honoured veterans of the Vietnam War, paying tribute to one veteran in particular, Rick Bensley from Kiama.Rick was called up for national service on 30 June 1965 during the first intake and joined C Company of the 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment. He rose to the rank of Corporal, Section Commander, and was in charge of nine front-line soldiers.During the NSW Legislative Assembly on 2 August 2023, Ward acknowledged the Vietnam Veteran Remembrance Vigils that were held across the Illawarra last month, and paid tribute to Rick and his contributions during the conflict.In 2022, Rick was recognised for his role in the aftermath of the Battle of Long Tan and was awarded by the Vietnamese Community in Australia with the Republic of Vietnam’s Gallantry Cross Medal, given by South Vietnam to their troops to recognise valour and gallantry while serving in combat. Rick’s Gallantry Cross was originally awarded to a Vietnamese soldier, who requested that when he died, the medal be given to an Australian soldier who had fought alongside the South Vietnamese soldiers.Following his military service, Rick was the manager of NAB from 1983 to 1990 before retiring.Rick told The Bugle that he was incredibly humbled and thankful to Gareth Ward for honouring him during Parliamentary proceedings, which is now permanently recorded in Hansard.“I was intensely proud to receive such an honour and recognition for my service in Vietnam,” Rick said. “To be rewarded and remembered with such recognition puts me in an incredible state of pride.“It is wonderful to know that members of Parliament still remember and appreciate and recognise the involvement of the Australian Army during the Vietnam War.“I take this recognition not only for me, but also for all my fellow mates who I proudly served with during the conflict. We were together then and we are still together now.”

Community representatives, councillors and council staff met for the first time on 30 August 2023 with the new Kiama Council committee members.Mayor Neil Reilly welcomed the eight community representatives who will work on the Sustainable Communities Advisory Committee as well as the Infrastructure and Liveability Advisory Committee.The work done by Council’s committees is mostly unseen, but a fundamental part of Council says Mayor Neil Reilly. “Our committees tackle all sorts of issues using their combined experience and expertise in an amazing range of areas, drawing upon additional advice where necessary.”These two new committees will underpin Council’s work over the next decade as outlined in the Kiama Community Strategic Plan 2022 – 2032.”Introducing the four community representatives on the Sustainable Communities Advisory Committee:Liam Pettigrew is a data scientist and environmental engineer specialising in water and wastewater. He holds a PhD and a Master's in Life Science Engineering from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany, and a Bachelor’s in environmental engineering from the University of Wollongong. He has hands-on experience in Aboriginal community and urban development projects in the Northern Territory and NSW. As part of a young family who love living in Kiama, he wants to be more involved in the decisions being made in the area and ensure that new initiatives have their demographic in mind.Alan Smith is a Jamberoo farmer with a passion for sustainability and community. He relocated his family from Sydney to Jamberoo to lead a sustainable life in 2011 and has since been busy engaging with his community. He has spent his corporate life consulting to large corporates, managing their major IT infrastructure programs before running his own renewable energy and sustainability business. Socially, Alan enjoys playing and refereeing local soccer and is currently President of the Jamberoo Football Club. Michael Bowden has lived in Kiama for over 13 years and is actively engaged in our community. He was secretary of the founding committee of The Man Walk established here in Kiama and Dads Group Leader that helped establish The Fathering Project at Kiama Public School. He is also involved in Kiama Junior Football Club, currently coaching the under 13s, a volunteer for local organisation Habitus, which runs youth programs and camps, and is the founder of Rockstar Dads that hosts small speaking events for dads in our community.Narreda Grimley is a senior executive with over 30 years in corporate leadership and experience in insurance and claims litigation management. She is a local resident with a strong interest in supporting local regional businesses, promoting Kiama tourism and enjoying the magnificent South Coast beaches. Narreda is keen to provide her experience in assisting with the decisions being made in the local Kiama area to ensure the very best for all Kiama residents.These community representatives join Cllr. Imogen Draisma and Mayor Neil Reilly on the Sustainable Communities Advisory Committee, along with Director Planning, Environment and Communities Jessica Rippon.Introducing the four community representatives on the Infrastructure and Liveability Advisory Committee: Jennifer Wulff arrived in Kiama in 2005 and currently three generations of her family live in town which raised her awareness of aged care, housing, youth employment, education and infrastructure matters. Her professional experience includes a decade as an IT programmer/system analyst followed by years in the higher education sector. This included the University of Wollongong where she focused on organisational strategy, planning and performance monitoring as Chief Operating Officer for the Australian Institute for Innovative Materials. Jennifer is currently Director of Bombo Research & Consulting.Roy Rogers is a 40-year resident of Kiama who is excited to contribute his skills and knowledge to help shape and enhance the infrastructure and liveability of our region. As CEO he has positioned the Flagstaff Group as the region’s leading social enterprise providing skills and secure employment for people with disabilities. An engineer by trade, Roy has extensive construction, design and management experience and continues to practice as a Civil-Structural Engineer.Dr Fiona Mackie has spent 23 years as a kidney specialist at Sydney Children's Hospital Randwick, with extensive developing policy and participating in and chairing committees. As such she has considerable understanding of health and its infrastructure requirements and what makes a healthy liveable thriving community. Fiona is a passionate advocate for the needs of women and children as an essential aspect of liveability and connectedness. She is the Directory of Advocacy and on the Board of Zonta, Berry. Fiona also has a strong background in education as the conjoint Associate Professor at the University of NSW and has been involved in teaching programs nationally and internationally.Dr Tony Gilmour is an affordable housing researcher, historian and advocate. Originally working in banking, in 2009 his PhD from University of Sydney reviewed ways to build the community housing sector in Australia, the UK and the US. He established a specialist social housing consulting firm in 2012, was President of the Australasian Housing Institute and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Tony’s books include Sustaining heritage, giving the past a future (2007), A history of Compass Housing (2015), Shelter NSW, community activism and transforming NSW's housing system (2018), and An Aboriginal voice in housing (2023, forthcoming). These community representatives join Cllr. Mark Croxford and Cllr. Stuart Larkins on the Infrastructure and Liveability Advisory Committee, along with Director Infrastructure and Liveability Michael Malone. The two new committees round out Council’s new committee structure: • Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee (legislated) • Traffic Committee (legislated) • Performance Review Committee • Finance Advisory Committee • Tourism and Economic Advisory Committee (Destination Kiama) • Sustainable Communities Advisory Committee • Infrastructure and Liveability Advisory Committee • Blue Haven Advisory Committee This committee structure will be reviewed after 12 months to allow for any necessary changes to be made.

The Bugle spoke to Neville Fredericks, who served for seven years as Mayor of Kiama from 1974-77 and from 1987-91. He was also the Director of The Housing Trust from 2007-12. He is widely credited for bringing Council back from the brink of insolvency and contributing to staving off amalgamation with Shoalhaven Council back in the day.Former Kiama Mayor, Neville Fredericks.Mr Fredericks has 14 years of experience as a Councillor and received the prestigious Emeritus Mayor Award in 2002. He has made significant contributions to local government, and his impact reaches beyond local politics.These days Mr Fredericks is a property developer focusing on sustainable futures for towns. He is committed to understanding how the layout of our community impacts the health of its residents.Two townships in the Kiama Municipality could be described as “walkable, mixed-use, relatively dense, diverse, sustainable towns,” Mr Frederics has told us. “This model of traditional urbanism has a very low carbon footprint per capita.”This can reduce per capita greenhouse gas emissions by four tons a year, compared to living in an automobile-dependent suburb. The environmental advantages go well beyond greenhouse gases to address other pollutants, noise, water, land use, and more.He points out that Gerringong has a population of 4,100, and if including Werri Beach and Gerroa the 2001 Census says 5,000 people.“This is an optimum-sized community for a wide range of local commercial services,” he says.However, from a sustainability perspective, its disadvantage is that Werri Beach and Gerroa are far enough away from the centre of Gerringong that many residents of those areas are car dependent for every need.“Gerringong is close to the model size but lacks adequate housing diversity - especially near the town centre,” Mr Fredericks says.Census 2021 shows that 78.8 per cent of Gerringong’s dwellings are freestanding homes. This is high compared to the NSW percentage of free-standing dwellings, which is 65.6 per cent.“Not everyone wants, needs, or can afford a large freestanding home. Half the homes in NSW now have only 1 or 2 occupants, and Gerringong, like almost every regional town in NSW, has a shortfall of smaller homes to meet the needs of its changing population.“Enabling a mix of villas, townhouses and terraces to be built over time would begin to address this problem. Ideally, they would be located within walking distance of the town centre.”Fredericks also cites Jamberoo, with a 2021 population of 1910, “This is well below the critical population of 3,000 people needed for the support of a range of viable local retail and other services.”“The existing IGA manages to remain viable due to the skill of the operator,” citing Mike Cullen - Urban Economist. Over recent decades Jamberoo has lost its fuel station, bank, and general store/rural supplies. It does not have a pharmacy or many other retail and commercial services.”Census 2021 shows that the percentage of free-standing dwellings was 95.5 per cent. Again, Fredericks points out that “The town has a critical undersupply of smaller, more diverse housing options.”“This causes young people who grew up in the area to be unable to find smaller and more affordable homes. The same for service workers, singles, and renters,” he explains.In summary, Jamberoo needs another 1,000 people - around 450 dwellings - mostly smaller and more affordable for the town to be sustainable.Mr. Fredericks, a principal involved in the Golden Valley Road development in Jamberoo, is recognised by The Bugle. We featured an article about this development in the previous edition. Link to that story is below.

The winners of the 2023 IMB Bank Illawarra Business Awards will be announced at a gala at the WIN Entertainment Centre on Friday 13 October at 6:30pm.A huge congratulations to everyone who entered, and for those who have made it to the finals! This includes the following members of the Kiama District Business Chambers, who are finalists on the night: Outstanding Employee, Natalie Allan - MMJ Real EstateExcellence in Small Business: Burnetts on BarneyExcellence in Large Business: RMB Lawyers and Jamberoo Action ParkThe Bugle wishes these businesses the best of luck to win their category and we look forward to a positive result on the night.  

A Skye Terrier named Mac Jagger is becoming well-known in the Kiama area. He walks regularly with his owners, Joan and Ross Hughes, and with his -co-parents, neighbours Karen and Paul. He creates such interest amongst passers by just as his namesake Mick Jagger would if he was walking around Kiama. Named after the Scottish Isle of Skye, Skye Terriers are an endangered breed in the UK. Queen Victoria owned some and Mary Queen of Scots was purported to have had one under her skirt when she went to the gallows. Skye Terriers were bred for vermin control and although Mac has short legs, he is a fast runner which is useful for chasing vermin off the property. He loves vigorous play time with other dogs who run. Sadly, he rarely catches them. Mac’s owners bought him from a breeder in NSW and he has been a real magnet of interest wherever he goes. Joan said, “People ask about him all the time, what kind of breed he is, and where we got him from. He is a great conversation starter, for sure. Many people don’t know us, but they know our dog.”People are often confused when they see Mac out with Karen and Paul remarking, “Oh there is another dog in Kiama just like this one”. One day, a visitor to Kiama came up to Ross and said, ‘I’ve seen this dog in Rose Bay!’ Ross explained that it’s because they live part-time in Rose Bay. Mac’s human companions - all 4 of them - are regular walkers with the Heart Foundation daily walkers. Keen observers might have noticed him in the photo accompanying the recent Bugle article about the walking group. Watch out for Mac around Kiama and be sure to say ‘Hello’. He’s a friendly chap, just like his owners. 

Kiama Power AFL Club has had a number of players selected to be part of the Sydney Swans Academy, and another five have been selected in the Super 24 team for their age division.Kiama Power Junior AFL is a well-established club that provides AFL opportunities for children aged four through to 17 years. Competitions are available for U11, U13, U15 and U17 for both boys and girls. Development of skills occurs in the U9 and Auskick programs.Selection into the Super 24 team was based on skill level, game-based decision-making, athleticism and physicality, attendance, behaviour and training standards, and competitiveness.The following Kiama Power players were selected and will travel to Coffs Harbour in October to take on the GWS Giants academy teams: Roxy Wood U13 girls, Chloe Richards U14 girls, Oasis Huender U14 girls, Charlie Edwards U14 boys, and Alex Norris U15 boys. Congrats to all. Bec Wood is the Vice President for the Junior Club and works in conjunction with committee members, other local clubs and AFL South Coast to ensure the kids are well supported and advocated for both on and off the field. She says, “I am extremely proud of the dedication that each of these players have displayed to their chosen sport and wish them all the best in the Super 24.”Registrations open in November, with the season running from March until August.Established in 2010, the Sydney Swans Academy has nurtured and developed a number of elite AFL-level players but also made a significant contribution to the growth and strength of the code in NSW. The QBE Sydney Swans Academy exists to increase the number of players in NSW who have expert AFL knowledge and high-level skills. The Academy provides a professional, age-appropriate development program for males and females aged 11 to 19, and each year the Academy trains up to 700 players.Players are selected through various ways including open assessment trials, talent ID days and the Top End Benchmark program. The Youth Boy & Girl Academy program runs for approximately 22 weeks from February to the end of August.The program involves a mix of Monday and Wednesday training sessions at North Dalton Park and Marrickville. The training is a combination of fundamental skill sessions, specific squad training and Academy Cup match-play sessions at Tramway Oval near the Swans Headquarters. These sessions provide players of all ages a mix of skill development, fitness training and high-level competition to help develop their football acumen.

Members of the Kiama community and representatives from its various sports clubs gathered at The Pavillion on 6 September to discuss their visions and requests for the soon-to-be upgraded Kiama Sports Complex, AKA Quarry Sportsfield.Kiama Council held a community feedback session in conjunction with Sala4D, the landscape architecture firm contracted to develop a masterplan for the site, to gain a better understanding of exactly what sports clubs use the facilities for and what they would like to see. It’s important to note that the Kiama Leisure Centre is not included.Field upgradesBefore participants could list their dream projects, the first thing that needs to be addressed is the current state of the sports fields.One of the most important upgrades that the represented club requested is better viewing areas for audiences. At the moment, there is a single concrete grandstand relegated to one side of the quarry, giving only a minimal view of what is actually going on. Whether it’s a grandstand or simply better shaded areas, everyone was in agreement that the current viewing areas aren’t anywhere close to being up to snuff.Prior to the meeting, representatives from netball, Little Athletics, cricket and soccer all agreed that they’d like to work together to build a shared clubhouse between them. The proposed clubhouse would be situated in the middle of the complex with viewing areas on both sides, giving audiences a place to watch activity on every field. The proposed clubhouse would also have shared storage between the different clubs, preventing them from needing to lug their gear between their cars every time they use the facilities. Representatives from the Kiama Junior Football Club said they already had plans drawn up for the clubhouse, which would also include upgraded amenities for men and women.The other main issue is the current state of the grass fields and netball courts. According to participants, the grass fields are easily prone to flooding and the drains that are currently installed don’t work because they sit higher than the rest of the field. Netball players are often unable to use some of the courts because it’s too difficult to remove the mud that builds up whenever it rains.Whatever upgrades are actually approved, developers will always face the challenges associated with developing around a former quarry site, given that underneath the turf is a layer of bedrock so it is extremely difficult to construct proper drainage.One popular solution for the drainage issue is to replace the grass turf with synthetic tracks for athletics and synthetic fields for soccer and netball. A synthetic turf would cost significantly more than a regular grass pitch and still needs to be maintained, but these maintenance costs could be significantly less than the cost to maintain the often-flooded grass fields.ParkingOne of the major challenges for the facility that impacts the entire Kiama LGA is parking and traffic. The facility only has minimal parking, which is further constrained when a large event is held there or multiple sports codes train at the same time. There’s also just one exit and entrance to the facility which leads into a roundabout, causing traffic to build up for around 20 minutes when a large number of cars try to enter or exit. Parking will continue to remain a headache, as the restricted space means the options to expand parking are minimal.SkateparkWhat was once a favourite for Kiama’s young population, the Kiama skatepark has been somewhat of a thorn in the side of the rest of the clubs that use the quarry. Those in attendance agreed that the Kiama skatepark, whilst a good idea, was constructed poorly from the beginning, and a more inclusive park in a different location would be more appropriate. Most agreed the skatepark should be relocated, and one popular suggestion was to replace it with practice wickets for the cricket club. The club needs at least five practice wickets but only has three at the moment. If the skatepark was replaced with cricket nets, it would mean cricket players would be much closer to parking and wouldn’t need to lug all their gear to the corner of the quarry.Where to from here?Sala4D will take suggestions and feedback from participants and use them to develop a masterplan for the site, though all residents are encouraged to continue submitting their ideas on Kiama Council’s website. Once finalised, Kiama Council will vote whether to approve the masterplan and put it on exhibition for the public to review. Once approved, Kiama Council and any other stakeholders can use the masterplan to form the basis for their applications to receive State and Federal funding to actually deliver these projects. According to Sala4D, clubs could start applying for grants by mid-next year in the best case scenario where there are no holdups to the masterplan's approval.

Charmian Clift is a well-known writer from Kiama and would have turned 100 years old on 30 August, 2023.  Sue Eggins, President of the Kiama and District Historical Society, nominated Charmian Clift for a prestigious Blue Plaque from Heritage NSW commemorating people who have shaped the history of NSW. Only 43 have been issued so far. Charmian Clift based the landscape of her first solo novel ‘Walk in Paradise Gardens’ on the ‘cup’  of the coast between North Bombo headland and Pheasant Point at the south end of Bombo beach. Married to Australian writer George Johnston, Charmian is especially remembered for her more than 500 essays or columns published in the Sydney Morning Herald, which many regard as some of the earliest published pushes for feminism in Australia.Sue wrote in her application: “Charmian Clift is considered by many writers and readers to be our forgotten national literary treasure.”Charmian at eight wrote and illustrated a collection of her poems which is mentioned in the Kiama Independent as gifted to a number of family and friends but no copy of the poems has been preserved, except for one poem called “Kiama’s Blowhole.”If successful, the plaque would be installed on the outside wall of Kiama Library. Kiama already has Charmian Clift Place and Charmian Clift Reserve, near to her childhood home in Hothersal street. 

It's estimated that nearly 800 million adults worldwide lack basic literacy skills despite living in an age of information and technology.International Literacy Day aims to highlight the importance and value of literary education for individuals and groups, as well as provide benefits for the broader global culture.Research reveals that the ability for people to read and write directly connects to reduced poverty, improved socio-economic status, reduced population growth, minimised child and maternal mortality rates, and balancing out gender and equality.Many countries and governments all over the world believe that the increase in literacy rates in children will have a direct impact on their future welfare. A simple example would be the ability to read a street sign or a map, fill out forms, read the news and learn information that has relevance to people's ability to succeed and overcome life obstacles. In 1966, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed this day as International Literacy Day, sometimes called World Literacy Day. It is to remind people all over the world that the ability to read and write should not be taken for granted. It is especially relevant for underdeveloped, under-privileged or at-risk people – even in the developed world. Helping to raise literacy rates will ultimately change lives.You can celebrate International Literacy Day in these ways: collect books to donate, make a donation to a literacy charity, tutor a student in reading and writing, partner with a literacy organisation, volunteer for an event, or even just read a book or visit the local library!

There are plans for Endeavour Energy company to install a community solar battery in Gainsborough, but they are still awaiting formal approval from the regulator before officially announcing. A community battery is a locally shared battery within a community that enables storage of excess rooftop solar-generated electricity, which can be used later to provide a steady supply of electricity when there is high demand. Batteries such as this will enable the community to use the stored electricity instead of importing it from the grid, which will also reduce costs. The agreement with Endeavour was actually a staff-led initiative as part of Kiama Council’s Net Zero strategy and “Emissions Reduction Plan”: Strategies and plans Kiama Council (nsw.gov.au) A similar community battery was installed by Endeavour Energy in Bungarribee, Blacktown. Local residents were invited to participate in the community battery trial, which began in July 2023.Endeavour Energy Chief Executive Officer Guy Chalkley said that community batteries are one of the ways Endeavour Energy is investing to help shape green energy hubs. “The installation of community batteries supports our target of becoming climate positive by 2040 and is part of our transition to a modern, clean energy grid that meets the changing needs of our customers with customers able to generate, store and share their energy. “The Bungarribee Community Battery is a first for Western Sydney but the first of many more to come. It is an exciting innovation that will see our customers both be a part of, and benefit from the energy transition, whether they have rooftop solar or not, and whether they own their home or are renting,” said Mr Chalkley.Watch this space. The Bugle will give you updated information about the proposed local battery as soon as more information comes to hand.