I’ve been away for a few weeks, so I may have missed something. But looking through my Facebook feed, it seems a lot can change when a story makes it to WIN News.
On 22 October, Kiama Council issued a firm statement about Jamberoo Action Park, the kind of compliance language you’d expect when someone’s been caught doing the wrong thing. They’d refused a Development Application to store vehicles on-site and warned of enforcement action under the EP&A Act.
A few days later, WIN 4 Illawarra ran a segment they promoted on Facebook announcing the Jamberoo Action Park was “firing back at Council.” That Facebook post drew nearly 900 comments, most of them critical of Council’s stance.
Photo source Region Illawarra Then, one week later, Council issued something I can’t recall ever seeing before, a joint press release with the same business it had just publicly reprimanded. Suddenly, both parties were “working together constructively and transparently” and “seeking positive outcomes.”
As someone who used to cover council meetings and write civics stories for The Bugle, I find this fascinating. These days, like most people, I rely on my Facebook feed to see what’s going on. And what I’m seeing is that if you want a response from Council, you might be better off going through WIN News than the usual channels.
Only last week, locals were discussing the apparent lack of CCTV coverage in Kiama, something that affects community safety and private business interests. No public statement. No follow-up. No joint press release about “positive outcomes.”
So it’s hard not to ask:
Does Council act faster when there’s a TV camera involved?
Because if that’s what it takes to get a response, maybe we all need a media crew next time we raise a concern.
#KiamaCouncil #JamberooActionPark #LocalGovernment #CommunityVoice #Accountability #CCTV #WINNewsIllawarra #Kiama