Kiama Council has received a letter from the NSW Minister for Local Government, The Hon. Ron Hoenig, that recognizes the significant financial challenges the council is facing.
The letter acknowledges the substantial efforts made by the council to address the issues that led to the issuance of a Performance Improvement Order (PIO) in November 2022.
Despite these efforts, the PIO will be altered and its enforcement will continue.
The Minister’s letter and a report penned by Mr. John Rayner, who was appointed by the Minister to conduct a review of the council’s situation, will be tabled an an extraordinary meeting of the council on Thursday.
The report confirms previous decisions made by the Council regarding the sale of two assets, specifically the Akuna Street landholdings and Akuna Street South, as well as the proposed divestment of Blue Haven Bonaira.
Kiama Council CEO, Jane Stroud, said the Rayner report is a factual and fair appraisal of the council’s current financial predicament.
She has shared her ongoing concerns about the state of the council’s finances, emphasizing the urgent need for decisive and collective action to ensure the financial sustainability of the local government now and in the future.
Kiama Council has issued a statement about the PIO and the report here, and is encouraging the community to read the documents ahead of the meeting on Thursday.