Balancing Kiama's growth and legacy
Published on 22 September 2023
Have your say in balancing Kiama's growth and legacy
"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." - F. Scott Fitzgerald
In the heart of Kiama, we face that beautiful challenge described by Fitzgerald. As a community, we wish to move forward with developing our towns to meet the needs of a growing twenty-first century community. At the same time, we hold closely to the rich history and the stories embedded in our streets, buildings, and landmarks.
It's a dance between progress and preservation, and with your help, I believe that both can exist harmoniously…and we can still function!
To this end, we have lodged two carefully crafted planning proposals with the NSW Government. These plans reflect our dual objectives of growth and heritage conservation.
The Kiama Town Centre Planning Proposal focuses on invigorating our commercial and civic areas. Some key highlights include:
• Raising the maximum permissible building height at pivotal locations on Terralong and Akuna Streets
• Increasing the floor space ratios at designated sites, allowing for more expansive and adaptive use
• Designating areas where active street frontages are essential, ensuring lively and dynamic streetscapes
Meanwhile, The Kiama Heritage Review Planning Proposal is a testament to our commitment to preserving the essence of Kiama's history:
• The Smiths Farm Heritage Conservation Area aims to preserve the historical and architectural value between Shoalhaven Street and Collins/Belvedere Streets from Akuna Street through to Seaview Street
• The Kiama Town Centre Heritage Conservation Area encompasses significant sections of Manning, Terralong and Collins Streets.
• Specific landmarks like the Blowhole Tennis Courts and Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church will gain recognition as heritage items, protecting them for future generations.
I want to highlight that these proposals are not drawn up in isolation. Through extensive community consultation, your voices, insights, and concerns have helped shape them. Earlier this year, we showcased draft proposals for public viewing and feedback. Your participation was instrumental in refining these plans to their current form.
With the NSW Government's recent review and validation, both these proposals are now available on the planning portal for deeper insight and further commentary.
Your involvement is crucial. We are at a juncture where decisions we make today will influence Kiama's setting for years to come. While striving for a balanced approach between growth and conservation, it's the collective vision of our community that will guide us.
Housing supply and affordability are currently pain-points across not only our region, but Australia-wide. To ensure we can continue to provide the basic human right of housing in our area, we need to think carefully and creatively about what can change. It’s more than just building heights, it’s considering how and where we live, what block sizes are ideal, whether we need more multiple dwellings or ways to promote intergenerational ones.
These are important discussions so that we can continue to provide homes for our key workers, such as education professionals, tradies, health workers and indeed the next generation of our kids and grandkids in Kiama Municipality. I believe we can embrace the challenge of holding two ideas – growth and heritage – and make decisions that ensure our towns continue to function and flourish.
In finishing this week, I’d like to thank my fellow Councillors for re-electing me as Mayor for another term and congratulate Cr Imogen Draisma on being re-elected as Deputy Mayor.