Kiama Council is celebrating Local Government Week (2 – 8 August) by highlighting the major role council plays in improving our beautiful part of the world as a place to live, work and visit.
Mayor Mark Honey said residents would know Kiama Council is responsible for local roads, rates and rubbish, but may be less aware of the many other services we provide.
“Kiama Council also operates a free local library, provides halls and meeting rooms for community groups, provide grants and maintains our playgrounds and sporting fields,” Clr. Honey said.
“We also advocate for the interests of our community in planning matters and other issues that affect local liveability, sustainability, safety and amenity.”
Clr. Honey said collaboration of Council and our community in developing the Kiama Local Strategic Planning Statement was a great example of this.
Mayor Honey also said Kiama Council, as the largest aged care provider of any Australian council, with Blue Haven Illawarra, was ensuring residents could continue to live in their community as they aged.
He said the 128 councils in NSW play a critical part in the day-to-day lives of eight million people who call the state home by:
- Managing more than $140 billion of community assets – parks, pools and playgrounds; libraries, local festivals and lighting, cemeteries and childcare centres, museums and art galleries
- Employing nearly 60,000 people across NSW
- Driving local economies by employing lawyers, labourers and librarians; cleaners, carpenters and carers; electricians, engineers and educators
- Managing 90 per cent (164,000km) of the state’s local and regional road network
- Investing more than $2 billion each year caring for the environment via recycling and waste management, stormwater management and preserving and protecting native flora and fauna
- Running 450 libraries that attract more than 34.8 million visits each year
- Managing an estimated 35 million tonnes of waste each year
Clr. Honey also emphasised the hard work of councils working with their communities in recent years handling the tremendous challenges of bushfires, floods and COVID.
“The people of our municipality know all too well the effect all this has had on our community, especially the mental health of our young people.
“The work of our council staff with local community groups in responding to this particular challenge is one of my proudest achievements as Mayor.
“I’m also extremely proud that Kiama Council is leading our community’s work to realise an environmentally sustainable future through our Net Zero strategy.”
Kiama Council recently released its Corporate Emissions Reduction Plan which sets a 10-year road map to become carbon neutral by 2031.
While Clr Honey acknowledged the impact of the pandemic, he said Local Government Week is a moment to celebrate the strength and resilience of our community and the council.
“The impact of COVID means we are not out of the woods yet, but thanks to the great work of staff throughout your Kiama Council, our vision of a healthy, sustainable and caring community remains intact.”
