Kate Dezarnaulds has built a reputation for turning ideas into action. From grassroots initiatives to high-profile advocacy, she has long worked at the intersection of creativity, community and strategy. Now, as the Independent candidate for the Kiama by-election, she is applying that same approach to one of the region’s most pressing issues: housing.
Kate believes housing policy should balance social need with individual investment. A roof over one’s head should be treated as part of the basic social safety net. She argues that solutions must be practical, grounded in the realities of community life, and bold enough to bridge generational perspectives
“We all want a roof over our heads, we want to make sure our kids can aspire to do the same, and we want to know that people are not being left homeless in our towns,” she says.
Kitchen table conversations
Kate’s approach to politics begins with listening. She hosts coffee mornings that feel more like kitchen table conversations, where people can sit down with her, share their experiences, and know they are being heard. The most important part, she says, is not to talk but to listen.
She uses what she calls powerful questions to guide those conversations.
“What change do you want to see for yourself, for other people, and for your place?”
By framing it this way, she helps shift people out of the complaints department and into constructive dialogue. It creates space for people to identify what matters most to them, whether that is housing security, opportunities for their children, or the character of their towns. For Kate, these conversations are the foundation of building trust and shaping policy that reflects real community priorities.
Building social licence
For Kate, one of the missing pieces in the housing debate is social licence. She describes this as community consensus, the willingness to accept change because people can see that short-term pain leads to long-term gain. Without social licence, every proposal is met with opposition.
She draws on her experience in bushfire recovery, where she learned the importance of hosting conversations in times of complexity. She believes the same skills are urgently needed for both housing and energy transition.
“Our political system has become very good at saying no. We need to get better at building licence to say yes, so we can move forward together,” she says.
Rethinking affordability
Kate is blunt about the limits of the way “affordable housing” is often used in policy. She sees it as a distraction from the real issue.
“What has been missing is the willingness to integrate social housing into our communities. If we build support and funding for social housing solutions, the rest of the housing system will not be under as much stress.”
She welcomed Kiama Council’s recent Housing Strategy, which acknowledged the transition ahead and the need to build community consensus.
“For the first time, I heard recognition that change must be accepted and managed. It was not developer led, it was led by demography and social inclusion, and that gave me hope.”
Generational fairness
Younger residents are desperate to get into the housing market. Older residents worry about security and affordability. Kate believes the way forward is to make the conversation real, not abstract.
“Start with where people are at. For some that means daily survival, for others it is about their children or their town. But everyone should be asked what change they want for themselves, for other people, and for their place. That is how you build a bigger picture and common ground.”
Fixing the system
Kate is clear that investor incentives like negative gearing and capital gains tax exemptions have distorted the market, but she argues the deeper problem is the massive backlog of social housing.
“We have a one million home shortfall in social housing nationally. People have been on waiting lists for ten years or more. Unless we are brave enough to build social licence for public housing, the rest of the debate is just smoke and mirrors.”
She adds that pouring Commonwealth rent assistance into the private market only worsens the problem. “That money should be building new public housing, not propping up unaffordable rents,” she says.
A new way forward
For Kate Dezarnaulds, housing is not just about supply or tax tweaks. It is about trust, inclusion, and the courage to lead the community through change.
“Proper planning leads to happy, resilient communities. We need to stop fighting over the scraps and start planning for the future together.”
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The 13 September Kiama by-election is a milestone in more ways than one. For the first time, every candidate is a woman: Kate Dezarnaulds (Independent), Tonia Gray (Greens), Katelin McInerney (Labor), and Serena Copley (Liberal). Between them, they bring decades of professional, community, and political experience, and, I hope, a willingness to run campaigns focused on what they will do for the community, rather than tearing each other down.
