Better together - 16 June 2023

Published on 16 June 2023

I believe that building strong relationships will open doors to strong partnerships.

Two weeks ago, I headed up to Macquarie Street and met with Ron Hoenig, MP. He is a very impressive man, and so he should be, he’s the Member for Heffron, Leader of the House and the Minister for Local Government. The previous day he said some pretty harsh words about our previous council’s financial choices.  I made a point of meeting with him and I was there to tell him we have gone a long way to fixing that. He knew, congratulated our council, and will help us on the way to recovery.

Collaboration with State Government heavy hitters is a great way to make shared progress on complex community issues that our council is experiencing, but cannot act alone to solve.

Last week I met with Ryan Park MP, Member for Keira, Minister for Health, Minister for Regional Health, and Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast. As Minister for Health, he understands Aged Care is a pretty precarious business for a council. As Minister for the Illawarra, he understands Kiama and will help us with our intention of moving away from aged care, leaving it to those better equipped to deal with that business.

Last Friday I made a point of meeting with Lisa Berwick, Senior Executive of the NSW State Audit Office. Lisa is a member of the Senior Executive Service with more than 25 years experience in accounting, assurance and risk management. When she speaks, I listen. I found that she understands our situation and is well aware of the steps we have taken to stabilise our finances, and again, is willing to help with the next steps of divestment.

As I write this, I am in Canberra, making Kiama visible on the Federal radar, while attending the 2023 National General Assembly of Local Government and the Regional Cooperation and Development Forum.

Yesterday I had a meeting with Councillor Linda Scott, President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA). Her guidance and connections are of strategic value to Kiama and I intend to make the most of this.

I am away from my home in the bush capital to show the Feds the intentional choices that we have made and will continue to make to drive change and transformation for a better future for our area and your council.

Linda has organised a day in Federal Parliament for the members of ALGA, the first in my history of local government.

When we are strategic, we play a long game, carefully building relationships and establishing building blocks that will shape council, serve communities and deliver lasting results.

Strategic relationships play a crucial role in the functioning and success of our council.

These relationships, especially with Federal and State governments, are of paramount importance as they enable Kiama Council to effectively address the needs and aspirations of our communities.

By forging strong partnerships, we can access vital resources, collaborate on policy development, and promote the interests of residents in our Local Government Area.

We stay informed about upcoming legislative changes, funding opportunities, and strategic planning initiatives.

I know that a lot of people depend on our council for the multitude of services we deliver.

I believe effective collaboration, communication and awareness at all levels will ensure we have partners in high places who will enhance our ability to address the diverse needs of our community.

We’re better together! 

Photo: Councilors Neil Reilly, Kathy Rice, Karen Renkema-Lang and Imogen Draisma at the ALGA conference