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FREE WEEKLY COMMUNITY PAPER
1 May - 7 May 2026 Kiama Minnamurra Kiama Downs Jamberoo Gerringong Gerroa
Masterpiece on Manning Street Local artist’s message on the wall p4
TMI? How to ease budget fatigue Amy Molloy
T
he Kiama community is experiencing budget fatigue after weeks of uncertainty — and years of financial instability — leading up to Kiama Council’s proposed plan and budget being made public. On 24 April, the exhibition period opened for community feedback on key documents
— Kiama Municipal Council’s draft 2026–27 Budget, Delivery Program and Operational Plan (DPOP), Fees & Charges, and Statement of Revenue Policy. Together, these Integrated Planning & Reporting (IP&R) documents outline how Council proposes to deliver services, manage assets and work towards long-term financial sustainability. On the same day, the
exhibition period for Council’s draft Employment Lands Strategy (v2) was also released. Combined, the documents run to hundreds of pages. Residents have told The Bugle they are overwhelmed by the density of the information and unsure whether their feedback will make a difference. Even with 28 days to submit feedback or attend in-person
sessions — which begin on 6 May — many say it is difficult to process. When challenged about transparency, Council has repeatedly said all relevant information is publicly available. However, the responsibility remains with residents to seek it out — and digest it. “Business papers, by their nature, are big beasts,” CEO
of Kiama Council Jane Stroud told The Bugle. “When you've got a report and you've got to give all the attachments, it's a fine line … We always want to give more rather than less.” Stroud acknowledges it can feel overwhelming — especially when the outcome could shape Kiama’s financial future. “I know it can seem overwhelming, but it has
always been important to me to make sure that there is more information out there,” she says. Praising Kiama’s “well educated community”, Stroud has faith in residents to do their homework.
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