Made in Kiama: Felicity Gardner
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Cabinet forum divides community Maria Lewis
T
he NSW Labor Government rolled into town and hundreds showed up to have their voices heard in a rowdy Community Cabinet session on Tuesday at The Pavilion in Kiama. With metal detectors at the door, security patrolling the balcony and a heavy police presence, the beachside
venue was standing room only as Premier Chris Minns and over a dozen Ministers took to the podium, with everything from Council rate rises imposed on residents to concerns over forthcoming developments tabled. “We really appreciate the opportunity to hear from you directly,” Premier Minns said, before taking over an hour’s worth of questions from any local who raised their hand. “I’m not here to do a victory
lap. The job’s not done.” And directly they were heard, with Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier Julia Finn having to frequently remind locals in her role as emcee that “this is not an open mic situation” and to move along to their questions promptly. For Member For Kiama Katelin McInerney, that colour was part of the forum’s appeal. “As always, our community
is incredibly engaged and incredibly passionate and they don’t pull their questions, they ask the tough ones,” she told The Bugle following her Living Local interview on KCR with Gabriela Cabral on Wednesday morning. Minister For Small Business and Recovery Janelle Saffin agreed about the “very open, very democratic” process. “Town Hall meetings – you can’t beat them!,” she said. “I used to do them on the back
of a truck with a loudspeaker, going around town.” MP Saffin added that feedback she got from the community who attended was that “they were happy” the Premier was able to stand in front of them with “unedited, unscripted questions and answer them”. One of the big winners from Community Cabinet was local charity The Man Walk, with founder Mark Burns boldly asking Premier
Minns for funds given the organisation was down to its last $8000, which would only get them four further weeks. He was given a “yes” from the Premier, who added that was a “reasonable request for an important organisation” and awarded a $250,000 funding lifeline. However, not everyone felt as seen or valued. Continued on pg 4