Category: Behind the Byline

Why integrity matters in Kiama, and who pays when it doesn’t

 

In this guest blog post former Kiama councillor Karen Renkema Lang reflects on integrity, accountability and the cost borne by communities. ……

Every now and then, life offers a flicker of hope. My evening with the Centre for Public Integrity in Melbourne last week was one of those moments. Because it told the truth about what happens when integrity fails, and why that truth matters locally.

The speakers were impressive, Harriet McCallum from Mannifera, Dr John Daley from the Grattan Institute, and Dr Catherine Williams from the Centre. The calm, unvarnished way they spoke about integrity made clear who carries the cost when it fails. Sitting there, I kept thinking of Kiama, and of how familiar that sounded.

For several years now, this community has lived with the consequences of financial stress, closed-door decision-making and prolonged state oversight. These are often described as governance issues, but locally they are experienced as something else entirely. Exhaustion. Division. A loss of trust.

Over a short period, Kiama Council sold community assets worth well over $100 million. Some of those sales may have been necessary to stabilise the balance sheet. All of them were permanent.

At the same time, legal costs climbed into the millions. Executive pay rose by more than $75,000, increasing from around $350,000 in 2021–22 to an estimated $428,000 by 2024–25.  Yet the scope of Council’s operational responsibilities narrowed significantly following the exit from aged care and a substantial reduction in staffing.

For residents watching from the outside, these facts did not sit separately. They formed a picture.

That picture raises reasonable questions. About priorities. About accountability. About why the Council recorded a deficit of more than $7 million in the most recent financial year, even after asset sales and years of intervention.

The Centre for Public Integrity talks often about what happens when transparency weakens. Problems build quietly. Early warnings lose urgency. By the time action becomes unavoidable, the financial and social costs are far higher than they needed to be.

That pattern resonates here. People who raised concerns found themselves labelled difficult. Others learned quickly that silence carried less risk. Over time, scrutiny narrowed, decisions hardened, and trust eroded.

The Centre also speaks plainly about whistleblowers.

Integrity systems fail when speaking up relies on personal courage alone. Without real protections, problems remain visible but untouched, because acknowledging them carries a price.

Integrity is about restoring confidence that decisions are made openly, that power is exercised fairly, and that people acting in the public interest are supported rather than sidelined.

That is why integrity matters in Kiama. Because when it is strong, communities hold together. And when it is weak, the cost is always paid locally.

Suggested additional reading – Be Careful What You Wish For by Cat Holloway 

#IntegrityAndAccountability #TransparencyInGovernment #LocalGovernmentNSW #CouncilGovernance #PublicScrutiny #WhistleblowerProtection #CivicIntegrity #AustralianDemocracy

 

Karen Renkema Lang is a former Kiama councillor, public policy practitioner and community advocate. Motivated by the world future generations will inherit, she has worked across local and federal government, community organisations and integrity initiatives, with a consistent focus on transparency, accountability and speaking up in the public interest.

When Council reassurance isn’t the same as explanation

If you’ve ever read a Council document and thought, that doesn’t quite say what it’s pretending to say, you’re not imagining things.

This is what my experience working with my local council has taught me, first as a civics reporter and now as a citizen journalist. I have written this post to help people feel confident engaging, asking questions and standing up for their community.

Having been in the firing line myself, there are a few patterns you start to recognise.

First, process is not the same as truth. When councils say a matter has been reviewed or investigated, what that usually means is that procedures have been checked. It does not mean all relevant voices were heard, all facts were tested, or the full context was examined. A process can be followed perfectly and still leave the real questions untouched.

Second, reassurance is not the same as accountability. Communities are often told nothing is wrong, it’s only procedural, or there will be consultation later. Those statements may be technically accurate, but they don’t explain what decisions have already been made, what limits are already set, or how much influence the community will actually have. Reassurance can close a conversation without resolving it.

Third, councils work hard to control the narrative. Key decisions are wrapped in calming language, framed as minor steps, or buried in long reports and attachments. The important details sit in technical documents, footnotes, or papers released late, when attention has already moved on. By the time the implications are clear, momentum is well underway. Once you see this pattern, you start reading past the headlines and paying close attention to the words being used.

Why this matters to me

I didn’t learn how Council processes work by accident. I learned by living through one.

In my case, a court case was underway involving a development where the community stood to receive close to one million dollars in contributions under a Section 7.11 agreement that the developer had already entered into. While that case was still before the court, Council withdrew the 7.11 and shifted to a Section 7.12 contributions framework.

Because of that timing, the judge could only assess the development under the 7.12 system. The result was that the community lost around $970,000 in developer contributions.

When Council later reviewed the matter, what they examined was whether they were permitted to change from 7.11 to 7.12. What was not examined was when the change was made, how it intersected with an active court case, or the financial impact that timing had on the community.

That experience taught me a lasting lesson. Processes can be followed, reviews can be completed, and yet the outcome can still fall well short of what the community reasonably expected.

It’s why I pay close attention to how decisions are framed, when changes are made, and what questions are – and aren’t – being asked. I want other community groups to understand these dynamics early, so they can advocate with their eyes open and not mistake procedural compliance for genuine accountability.

Finally, this is why community advocacy matters. Formal processes happen behind closed doors. Advocacy keeps issues visible. It creates space for questions, brings in expertise, and helps people engage at the point when it still matters. When communities understand how these systems operate, they are far better equipped to stand up for themselves and for the places they care about.

Good governance depends on more than process. It relies on clarity, honesty and a community that feels confident enough to ask questions and expect real answers.

Once you’ve seen how the language works, you can’t unsee it. And that awareness makes all the difference.

#Kiama #LocalGovernment #CommunityVoice #PlanningTransparency #CivicEngagement #PublicInterest #GoodGovernance #CitizenJournalism #KiamaCommunity #Accountability

We get 2000mm of rain and still hold our breath every time it falls

What makes this time of year properly exhilarating, and exhausting, is that we are heading into a season where everything can flip overnight. We can go from 36 degrees one day to 20 the next, from cows seeking shade and water to cows standing in pouring rain wondering what just happened.

That swing matters.

In summer, rain is not about volume, it is about relief. Relief for pasture that is holding on. Relief for soils that dry fast on the hill. Relief for animals coping with heat stress one day and humidity the next. A cool change with rain can buy time. A hot northerly without follow up can undo weeks of careful management.

This is why summer rain is watched with such intensity. Not because we expect miracles, but because timing is everything. A storm after a 36 degree day can reset a system. A storm followed by another hot blast can vanish almost before it has soaked in.

So yes, we get excited when it rains, even averaging 2,000 mm on paper. Because summer reminds you very quickly that farming here is not about averages, it is about adaptability. One eye on the sky, one eye on the forecast, and a deep appreciation for every break in the heat that gives grass, cows, and people a chance to breathe.

#JamberooValley #DairyFarming #RainfallReality #AustralianAgriculture #SupportLocalFarmers #ClimateVariability #HighRainfallFarming #FarmingLife

Using AI is about working smarter not handing over your voice

I have been teaching people how to use AI productively for some time now, and the one thing I always emphasise is this,

AI is a tool, not a substitute for your judgement or your voice.

If you want to write a blog the way I write a blog, the good news is that the same approach works for anyone. After more than twelve years of blogging, I know what makes a post successful, but I also know how long proper research and proofreading can take. That is where AI can help without taking anything away from the integrity of the work.

It scares me that I am so successful at giving Barnaby Joyce so much oxygen but in this case he did “grope” a very good friend   and this blog was written well before anyone knew what AI would be capable of ( I might run it through AI now and see what it says 😄😄)

Right now, community members regularly send me information they would like explained, unpacked or placed in context. Sometimes that information sits outside my expertise. When that happens, I place everything I have been given into AI and say fact check this and give me references for every claim. This is vital because it helps me avoid amplifying errors that circulate online.

Once I have verified information, I write the blog myself. Every idea, every sentence, every framing choice is mine. When the draft is complete, I use AI again for the practical steps that usually take hours, spelling, clarity checks and suggestions that improve readability. We all know how long proofreading takes and this is one task AI can do in seconds.

I also ask it to format the piece so the structure guides the reader and the length stays within that sweet spot where people do not scroll past ( otherwise known as TL:DR). After that, I ask for SEO # tags and share tags so the post lands where it needs to land.

None of that replaces experience. None of it replaces judgement or voice.

The work is mine. AI simply perfects the polish. It allows me to spend my time where it matters, thinking clearly, listening to the community and writing in a way that is accessible, trusted and human.

AI doesn’t think for me. It sharpens the work I’m already doing.

BTW Kiama Tourism rates the power of AI so highly for local businesses  they ran an event on it 

AI was front and centre, with Liz Ward of Tourism Tribe leading the charge.

As another very important aside ( do hope you haven’t got to the TL:DR point)

AI does not replace experience, judgement or voice. It simply sharpens the work I am already doing. It also matters to recognise that AI is a new set of skills, and like any skill, it helps to learn from people who already know the terrain.

These days you need a licence to drive a car, and you only get that licence after someone qualified decides you have done the hard yards.

This is also why I have such a large network. I have always recognised that other people hold skills I do not, and it matters to have those people in my inner circle. It lifts the standard of my work and broadens the way I see the world.

Refusing to use AI is a bit like announcing you will ride your horse to Sydney because cars seem a bit modern. You can do it, of course, but everyone will know you made life harder than it needed to be.

And thank goodness calculators were invented. My mathematical skills alone would not have advanced civilisation.

BTW I am confident the entire Kiama Community will be grateful when Kiama Municipal Council start using it so their communication is less aggressive, less patronising and they remember it’s not all about them.
Perhaps they could sign up for my workshops!!!

#UsingAI #CommunityVoices #EthicalWriting #DigitalSkills #ResponsibleTech

When “It’s Only a Rezoning” Doesn’t Match the Evidence

Source 

“The Kiama community is being treated like bystanders to their own future.”

Over the past three weeks, a small group of Kiama residents ( Kiama Depot Action Group) has achieved something remarkable. With almost no warning, a vast amount of technical documentation, and a submission window that barely lasted twenty days, they mobilised themselves and their neighbours. They read the fine print. They supported elderly residents who couldn’t navigate online documents. They shared expertise, compared notes, and helped hundreds of people lodge informed submissions.

This is what community looks like when people care deeply about their town.

And they did it under conditions that would have defeated most communities in New South Wales.

But here’s what many people don’t realise:

Submissions are not the end.

Submissions are the beginning.

Submissions happen quietly, behind closed doors.

Advocacy happens in full public view and this is where community influence is strongest.

Over the past few days, I’ve spoken with people in my networks, and they’ve spoken with theirs. What’s become obvious is the extraordinary depth of expertise sitting within Kiama. Engineers. Council planners. Senior local government team members. Infrastructure specialists. Flood experts. Communications professionals. People who understand how to challenge flawed processes and how to defend a community’s interests in a system that often feels impenetrable.

Kiama is overflowing with expertise.

And that is why the work begins now.

The window has opened.

The assessment process continues well into 2026. This is the phase where councillors feel public pressure, where MPs take notice, where the Minister monitors community sentiment, and where expert advice from residents can fundamentally shape the outcome.

The idea that “the window has closed” is simply incorrect.
The window has opened.

Why “It’s Only a Rezoning” Doesn’t Add Up

Residents concerned about the Shoalhaven Street proposal keep hearing the same calming line: “Don’t worry, it’s only a rezoning.”

As if rezoning is harmless.
As if nothing meaningful begins until a DA lands on someone’s desk.
As if the community has been “premature” in paying attention.

But anyone who has lived through a Kiama planning process knows better.

It’s worth remembering how planning issues in our area have been handled before. A recent example was the attempt to reclassify the Gerringong Surf Lifesaving Club land from Community to Operational land. 

It shows how major planning changes can be introduced without clear community communication, and how strongly residents react when transparency is lacking.

Now, when the outcome is likely to be six-to eight-storey towers opposite the Bowling Club, rezoning is being recast as something procedural, something harmless, something to ignore.

Rezoning becomes “just rezoning” only when it suits the narrative.

What the Government’s Own Documents Reveal

The Explanation of Intended Effect (EIE) shows this proposal is not a neutral rezoning. It contains the elements of a fully formed redevelopment.

1. Detailed reference designs already exist

The EIE includes:
• an Urban Design Report
• a Flood Impact and Risk Assessment
• a Traffic and Transport Assessment
• an Economic Impact Assessment

No one commissions this level of study for a hypothetical.

2. A full 450-unit built form has been modelled

The reference scheme demonstrates exactly how the dwellings fit on the site.
The State describes this as the: “optimum built form”

When a government calls a design optimum, they are not playing theoretical games.

3. The rezoning sets the height – 22m and 30m

The proposal lifts the current 11-metre limit to:

  • 22 metres (six storeys)

  • 30 metres (eight storeys)

These heights appear directly in the draft LEP maps.
This is not speculative.

4. Floor Space Ratio increases from 0.9:1 to 2.1:1

This level of density aligns only with mid-rise buildings, not townhouses.

5. The DA stage will not negotiate scale

Once zoning, height and FSR are set, the DA stage fine-tunes the façade, not the form.

This is why calling this “only a rezoning” doesn’t pass the straight-face test.

What Council’s Own Papers Now Confirm

Council’s agenda for 16 December shows they are treating the rezoning as a given.

Council acknowledges eight storeys

From the CEO’s comments:

“While eight storeys is not currently found elsewhere in the LGA, it is generally consistent with the State’s Low- & Mid-Rise reforms.”

This is a significant admission.
If an ordinary resident built a fence 20cm too high, Council would not consider it “generally consistent”.

Council’s submission reinforces the scale

Council confirms the rezoning will:
• raise height from 11m to 22–30m
• raise FSR to 2.1:1
• enable approximately 450 dwellings

These are the controls that shape the outcome.
Not later.
Now.

A councillor’s Notice of Motion assumes rezoning approval

Cr Draisma has moved a motion about community involvement in the future DA.
The DA – not the rezoning.

The motion assumes R3 is already happening.
This is notable given her public support for the proposal and her employment in the offices of the Minister.

The CEO then states the motion is unnecessary, because the DA will be consulted on anyway.

This exchange only makes sense if both parties believe the rezoning is proceeding.

Residents deserve transparency, not minimisation

The Kiama community is full of informed, thoughtful people.
People who understand the planning system.
People who recognise when explanations don’t match the documentation.

The request being made of residents, to treat this as benign, does not reflect what the State has published or what Council has acknowledged.

And because this proposal sits in a flood-affected valley, overlooking a constrained road network, downstream of homes that have already flooded, these decisions carry real consequences.

Communities have power.
And this is where that power becomes visible.

ADDENDUM: Evidence Summary

Use the attachments below (also listed above) to explore the documents referenced in this post. These extracts show exactly how the proposal is framed and why the “only a rezoning” narrative cannot be sustained.

#Kiama #KiamaCommunity #ShoalhavenStreet #KiamaRezoning #PlanningTransparency #CommunityVoice #PublicInterest #NSWPlanning #LocalGovernmentAccountability #KiamaFuture #HaveYourSay #ProtectOurTown #UrbanPlanningNSW #CommunityMatters #AdvocacyInAction

Modern farming fails when councils do not understand the industry they regulate

Old planning rules and new farming realities do not match

During the last rewrite of Kiama Council’s Local Environmental Plan, I sat on the Economic Development Committee as the rural advisory representative. A local lawyer who regularly worked with farmers joined me. Our task was to examine how the LEP treated agriculture and to ensure the rules reflected the reality of farming in this region.

What we found was simple and concerning.
Most farming land had been zoned RU2 Rural Landscape, a zone intended for grazing and low intensity agriculture. Modern dairy farming across NSW sits in RU1 Primary Production, where planning frameworks recognise the infrastructure, inputs and animal welfare systems that contemporary operations require.

Modern agriculture cannot thrive under a planning system designed in 2011

On paper, existing dairy farmers in Kiama were protected by existing use rights. They could continue operating at their current scale. That protection ended the moment they wanted to expand, modernise or introduce infrastructure that improves environmental outcomes. Any new feed pad, shade structure or covered system was treated as a shift from extensive to intensive agriculture, triggering a development application process that can take years.

This is where planning rules collide with reality.

Kiama’s rural zoning was written for yesterday’s agriculture and we are living with the consequences

Ten years ago, setting up a modern dairy farm cost around ten thousand dollars per cow, and this figure did not include land purchase. I am aware of a local farmer who has since been offered twenty eight million dollars for their property, which shows how dramatically the landscape has changed and how high the stakes have become. No farmer can commit to this scale of investment while facing delays, conditions and uncertainty created by a council that does not understand modern agriculture. The risk is too great, the cost too high and the process too unreliable.

Recent discussions about local farming ventures show how easily these patterns repeat. My previous story highlighted one example, where a simple diversification effort took more than one hundred days to process and ultimately came back with conditions that made the project unviable. It was a textbook case of how agricultural misunderstanding inside councils translates into poor outcomes on the ground.

The real issue is not the zoning alone.
The issue is the people interpreting and applying the zoning, without real agricultural competence.

Modern agriculture depends on a planning system that understands the industry it regulates. Kiama has reached the point where the gap between intention and reality is harming farms, blocking innovation and pushing families away from the land. As the next LEP review approaches, this needs to be acknowledged and fixed. The region’s farming future depends on it.

There is a deeper problem sitting underneath all of this. We have non experts inside council making decisions that directly affect other people’s livelihoods. Modern agriculture is a technical field. It relies on science, engineering, animal welfare knowledge and environmental management. When the people applying the rules do not understand the industry they are regulating, the result is predictable. Projects stall, costs blow out and families are pushed into impossible positions. Planning should not be guesswork. It should not come down to personal preference or a fear of getting something wrong. Rural communities deserve decisions grounded in competence, not caution.

#KiamaCouncil #KiamaLEP #ModernAgriculture #NSWPlanning #RuralZoning #FarmInvestment #AgriculturalCompetence #RegionalPolicy #DairyFarming #CommunityImpact #PlanningReform #LocalGovernmentAccountability

When councils lack agricultural expertise, the whole region pays the price

Every so often a story lands on your desk that says something uncomfortable about the way we govern rural communities. This week it came from a local primary producer who, after months of delays, shifting expectations and an approval process that made no practical sense, decided to sell rather than continue the fight.

This is not a one-off. It is what happens when a council with no agricultural expertise is asked to regulate agricultural businesses.

What makes this even harder to accept is that the solution was both simple and available. Our region has a respected agricultural consultant, someone council could draw on whenever a farm development needs specialist assessment. Farmers have suggested this repeatedly. Council has chosen not to use that resource.

And so the pattern repeats.

A producer who tried to upgrade infrastructure to improve animal welfare, environmental outcomes and business viability became trapped in a process designed for suburban building projects. Without agricultural literacy, council defaulted to caution. Not informed caution, but uncertainty disguised as regulation.

He could take the matter to the Land and Environment Court.

He would probably win.

But why should he have to?

No primary producer should be forced into legal action because council lacks the capacity to understand the industry it is regulating.

The consequences reach further than one property. When agricultural investment becomes too risky or too slow, people stop investing. When conditions become unreasonable, people walk away. Over time, the region loses its producers, its knowledge base and its economic diversity.

#KiamaCouncil #Jamberoo #LocalFarming #PlanningFailure #RegionalLeadership #EnergyTransition #SmallBusinessReality #PaddockToPlate #CommunityImpact #CivicAccountability

 

Essential Media Tools for Community Groups

Media can give you the edge you need. This guide shows you how to use it well.

For community groups seeking impact, clarity and control, these principles are non negotiable.

These tools give you influence. They sharpen your message, protect your credibility and keep you in control of your story, even when power sits on the other side of the table.

This is the same thorough list you would be taught in an intensive media training course, adapted for community groups who are dealing with Council, navigating power imbalances or trying to communicate clearly under pressure. u.

The five principles every community group needs to understand

(Each point is explained fully in the sections below.)

1. Power imbalance and what it does to communities

When Council holds all the information and controls the process, communities can feel powerless, dismissed or silenced.
People sense the imbalance long before they can name it.
This is the foundation for every other challenge they face.
See below for full explanation.

2. The empowerment path – what you can control

When formal pathways fail, the only things people can rely on are their principles:
• how they act
• how they respond
• their character
• how they treat others
This shifts people out of the victim triangle and into agency.
See below for full explanation.

Source 

3. The danger of negative framing

If you slip into the trap of using negative framing this gives Council an escape route, weakens your credibility, and frightens supporters who prefer to stay unseen.
It is one of the fastest ways a community can lose control of its message.
See below for full explanation.

4. The 10-second and 30-second grabs

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

If you don’t prepare them, journalists will pull whatever you say and compress it for you.
This is how groups lose control of their story.
Short, calm, factual grabs are your protection.
See below for full explanation.

5. The risk of reinforcing someone else’s frame

Correcting a claim by repeating it – even with “not” – strengthens it.
If the media are listening, that negative phrase can become your 10-second grab.
This is why reframing is essential.
See below for full explanation.

Full article with explanations and example

Why this matters now

This statement shows, in real time, the dangers of negative framing (a frame is the automatic story people’s minds jump to when they hear specific words)  and the risk of repeating someone else’s message.

Hope is not soft, it is strategic, and positive framing is the doorway that lets people walk toward it.


So when Council responded with a lengthy statement accusing the article of containing “numerous false facts and misleading information,” the very first thing they did was repeat the headline and repeat the claims they wanted people to forget.

This is the first mistake in crisis communication.
And it’s the perfect example to help community groups understand the key principles that will protect them when dealing with a powerful organisation.

Positive framing:. “Everything I wrote in my original article on developer contributions involved six months of research. I stand by every word.”

Below is what the Council statement teaches us, and what communities can learn from it.

1. Power imbalance and what it does to communities

See key point above.

A power imbalance exists when one side controls:
• the information
• the process
• the timeline
• the definition of what “counts”

Council’s statement is a textbook illustration. It speaks inwards, to its team, its acronyms, its internal processes, not to the community. It positions the organisation as the sole interpreter of truth.

When people feel that dynamic, even if they can’t articulate it, they experience:
• frustration
• confusion
• fatigue
• self-doubt

Understanding the imbalance is the first step in shifting it.

2. The empowerment path – what you can control

See key point above.

Communities do not control Council’s behaviour.
But they do control:
• how they act
• how they respond
• their character
• how they treat others

The Council example shows why this matters. Their reaction was defensive, rigid and power-protective.
Make the pathway is different. Be grounded, factual and principled.
This is how communities shift themselves out of the victim triangle.
Agency comes from calm, deliberate choices, not from emotion or escalation.

3. The danger of negative framing

As George Lakoff explains with “Don’t think of an elephant,” the moment you answer inside someone else’s mental picture – their frame –  you strengthen it. Once the frame is activated, even denial reinforces it. That is exactly what happened here.

See key point above.

Council’s response is built almost entirely on negative framing:
“false facts”, “misleading”, “incorrect”, repeated over and over.
The result is predictable:
• they sound combative
• they appear threatened
• they close off community empathy

Negative framing repels the very people who might otherwise support them.
For community groups, the lesson is simple:
negative language might feel satisfying in the moment, but it weakens your long-term position.

The safer choice is principled framing:
• “We followed every step of the process and still have no explanation.”
• “We want clarity, fairness and transparency.”
This invites the public into the story rather than pushing them away.

4. The 10-second and 30-second grabs

See key point above.

If a journalist needed a quote from Council’s statement, the most likely 10-second grab would have been:

“The Bugle claims Council failed to renew its developer contribution plans on time.”

That one sentence would have become the public message.

This is why community groups must prepare their own:
• 10-second grab: the one clear sentence that sums up the issue
• 30-second grab: the calm, factual explanation that adds context

If you do not prepare them, the media will pull whatever stands out.
And often the loudest or most emotional line becomes the quote – even if it is not what you wanted to emphasise.

Practice, Practice Practice

5. The risk of reinforcing someone else’s frame

See key point above.

The most important lesson from Council’s statement is this:
they repeated the issue they wanted to erase.

By restating the concerns in the article, line by line, they cemented the association in the public mind:
Council + governance failures + developer contributions + missed renewal deadlines.

Repeating a criticism strengthens it.
Especially when you say “incorrect.”

Communities must avoid this trap at all costs.
Do not repeat the negative claim.
Step into your own frame (a frame is the mental picture people form the moment certain words are used):

• “Here is what happened, what should have happened, and what it means for the community.”
• “Our concern is transparency and process.”
• “We want clear answers and fair treatment.”

This protects you.
It prevents the negative claim becoming your quote.
And it keeps your voice grounded and credible

Rider on choosing the right spokesperson

I have had extensive media training and I can recognise strong communication as easily as I can spot poor media practice. That does not mean I should be the voice of any organisation. Every group needs to choose the person best suited to speak on its behalf, and that choice should be intentional.

A good spokesperson is someone who:
• stays calm under pressure, even when the questions are sharp
• can hold the key messages without drifting into emotion or frustration
• speaks clearly, briefly and without jargon
• understands the issue well enough to answer safely, but not so personally that they sound defensive
• sounds grounded, respectful and consistent across every interview
• remembers they are representing the group, not themselves

This person might be:
• someone with a calm, measured voice who doesn’t get rattled
• a committee member who is trusted internally and externally
• a community advocate who can explain complex issues in simple language
• a member who isn’t directly harmed by visibility, unlike others who may rely on Council approvals or services
• someone who naturally projects confidence without aggression

This spokesperson does not need to be the most senior person, the person with the most knowledge or the person who did the most work. They simply need to be the person who helps the group’s message land in a clear, credible and constructive way.

#Kiama #KiamaCouncil #CouncilAccountability #CommunityAdvocacy #MediaSkills #Framing #PublicCommunication #CommunityVoice #GovernanceMatters #Transparency #MessagingMatters #MediaTraining #OLG #CommunityRights #SpeakUpSafe

What to say when Council stops listening and OLG needs to step in

Over the past few days a lot of people have contacted me asking the same question:


What is the best way to raise a concern with the Office of Local Government when Council will not resolve an issue?

Read the original blog post  for the pathway below

When residents need a guidebook to deal with their own Council

Here’s a simple guide to help you write a clear, effective complaint that the OLG can act on.

The most important thing

OLG cannot intervene just because something feels unfair. They step in when there’s evidence that Council has not followed its own policies or the NSW Local Government Act.
Your letter needs to show this plainly.

What to include

• A short summary of the issue, including the timeline
• What you asked Council to do and when
• Council’s response or lack of response
• The specific policy, procedure or legislation you believe Council has not followed. If you don’t know try Google
• Any documents, emails or screenshots that support your claim
• The outcome you are seeking
• Your contact details

Keep it factual, calm and organised.
This helps OLG assess whether the matter sits within their responsibilities.

Contact details for OLG

Email: olg@olg.nsw.gov.au
Phone: 02 4428 4100
Postal: Office of Local Government, Locked Bag 3015, Nowra NSW 2541

My suggestion is you email them, send them a snail mail copy and also send an email copy to your MP – in the case of Kiama that is Katelin McInerney

Kiama Electorate Office
A Ms Katelin McInerney, MP
102 Terralong Street
KIAMA NSW 2533
P (02) 4232 1082
F (02) 4232 3577
E kiama@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Why this matters

When the community follows a clear process, it is harder for any organisation to dismiss concerns or pretend the issue is complicated.
A well-written complaint demonstrates that residents know their rights and expect the standards set out in the Act to be upheld.

#OLG #LocalGovernment #CommunityRights #CouncilAccountability #Transparency #GoodGovernance #NSWOLG #CivicEngagement #KnowYourRights #CommunityAdvocacy

Councils rely on silence until a community remembers its voice

The three arrows represent the choices communities face when they encounter a council that holds all the authority and none of the curiosity. The left and right paths symbolise the familiar reactions that come with frustration, blame or fatigue. The path labelled Forward shows something different. It marks the moment a community steps out of the noise and moves with clarity and principle. Forward is the empowerment choice. It is the reminder that while we cannot control council’s behaviour, we can control how we act, how we respond, our character and how we treat others. It is the road that stays true to who we are.

When council forgets who the power belongs to

Power imbalance appears when a council begins to behave as if authority is ownership.
Information becomes selective. Access becomes conditional. The community is treated as an audience rather than the owner.

People feel the shift long before they name it. Straightforward questions turn into complicated pathways. Residents are managed instead of respected. Accountability starts to look optional.

How people get pushed toward the victim triangle

When the field is uneven, communities can slide into powerless roles. They feel dismissed or stonewalled and begin reacting from frustration, fatigue, or blame.
This is a predictable response to a system that holds all the levers.


The moment a community shifts from powerless to unstoppable

The way back is the empowerment triangle

Communities regain their footing when they centre the only things they control:
• how they act
• how they respond
• their character
• how they treat others

This is where agency settles in.
People organise. They ask precise questions. They document facts. They refuse drama. They stand in clarity rather than reaction.
The power imbalance may still exist, but it no longer defines the community’s stance.

 The simple principles that turn frustration into power

The shift that matters

Once people anchor themselves in principle, the dynamic changes.
Council can still try to shape the story or slow the process, but they cannot control a community that knows its rights, its voice, and its values.

The forward road belongs to all of us  –  if we make courage a shared act 
And even though some people cannot speak openly because they depend on Council, the community can still walk that road together. Forward is not the loudest choice, it is the principled one. It is how we hold our ground, protect each other and keep insisting on the standards our local government was meant to uphold.

#Kiama #CommunityVoice #GoodGovernance #Transparency #Empowerment #CivicEngagement #Accountability #LocalGovernment #PowerImbalance

I also acknowledge advocating/truth-telling at this level is easier for me. Once their actions forced me to leave a job I loved, I don’t rely on Council for anything, and I know many people who want to speak up but worry they will be punished for it. We all know examples of that happening in our community.