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24 April - 30 April 2026 Kiama Minnamurra Kiama Downs Jamberoo Gerringong Gerroa
‘HOPEFUL’ OR ‘WOEFUL’?
Inside Kiama Council’s ‘saviour’ deal Amy Molloy
I
n the days before Kiama Council’s Ordinary Meeting on 21 April, it was announced that an “unsolicited proposal” would be discussed – but out of earshot of the media and public. The proposal, which required confidentiality because it related to “commercial information of a confidential nature”, was expected to have a significant impact on the budget cuts discussion. In the lead-up to the meeting, sources told The Bugle
the deal had been discussed as a “saviour” to Council’s financial problems. Now, The Bugle can reveal what was discussed during the closed section of the meeting – and the ripple effect on Kiama’s financial future. An offer has been received from Reflections Holidays, which manages holiday parks on Crown land across NSW. On Tuesday night, Council voted to approve a motion to “further consider the offer”. The purpose of the confidential discussion was to “start the process of considering due diligence in accordance w i t h C o u n c i l ’s
policy”. This would not be a sale of Kiama’s holiday parks, but a “strategic partnership” – a distinction that is vital. To meet the requirements of its Performance Improvement Order (PIO) – which requires it to become financially sustainable by 2026–27 – Council cannot rely solely on asset sales. However, the proposal has been pitched as a potential remedy to the drastic budget cuts looming since the Extraordinary Meeting on 7 April. Currently, Reflections manages 40 parks in coastal and inland areas across NSW – including Byron Bay Holiday
Park on the north coast, Lake Keepit Holiday Park in the north-west, and Eden Holiday Park on the south coast – reinvesting its profits back into the reserves it manages. According to the Crown Land website, Reflections reinvests all profits back into the parks and Crown reserves it manages and is the only holiday park group in Australia that is a certified social enterprise. In its annual Year in Review – released in November 2025 – Reflections claimed to have generated $135 million in “economic benefit” to NSW, up 7.1 per cent from the previous year’s reporting. Last year, it invested $22
million in capital works across its parks, including 30 new roofed accommodation units, and welcomed 2.1 million guests and visitors across its 40 holiday parks. Mayor Cameron McDonald said the proposal is “hopeful” and could provide access to “much-needed capital investment” in Council’s five holiday parks. “This is an exciting proposal that has emerged,” said Mayor McDonald, who claims the option was not on the table when the proposed budget cuts were first made public. “It happens to land at a time during the final stages of our budget preparation. “Because it has a material
impact that changes our trajectory, it needs to be properly worked through before any final deal or final resolution is reached. There are many approval processes and signoffs needed, and this is the start, not the end, of the process.” However, not everyone within Council is as enthusiastic about the opportunity. When The Bugle met with Councillor Mike Cains the morning after the Ordinary Meeting, he was careful not to disclose the confidential figure proposed in the deal but made his personal opinion clear. Continued on Page 2
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