!['A lot of angst': The story of how things went pear-shaped at Kiama council 'A lot of angst': The story of how things went pear-shaped at Kiama council](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/rdPnbxNSt95RbDXSGgzrdz/c9944c00-98e2-4850-9a0d-86b2e9aea72e.jpg/r0_313_6000_3688_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A year ago, Kiama councillors argued whether they were really going through the worst time in the council's history.
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Mayor Neil Reilly had put forward a motion thanking staff for their work during "the most trying and exhaustive period of our existence since our inception in 1859".
That period included the revelations of the council's dire financial straits, a performance improvement order and the tensions around off-loading part of the Blue Haven.
But some councillors suggested that, maybe, just maybe, there were tougher times in the past.
Twelve months on and it would seem difficult for anyone to mount that case.
Since that July 18 meeting last year, two councillors - Cr Mark Croxford and Cr Karen Renkema-Lang - have been censured over breaches of the code of conduct, while a third unnamed councillor is currently being investigated.
There was a Supreme Court case, where Cr Renkema-Lang took the council she was a part of to court over her censure, where it was ruled invalid due to it being based on a possibly biased report.
![The current group of Kiama councillors - with the exception of Cr Matt Brown - back at the start of their term in January 2022. If they knew what was coming, they might not have been smiling. Picture by Wesley Lonergan The current group of Kiama councillors - with the exception of Cr Matt Brown - back at the start of their term in January 2022. If they knew what was coming, they might not have been smiling. Picture by Wesley Lonergan](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/4FavSveeQdYEHssZq5umRQ/ff83f6b0-afae-4077-a0df-f649537e09ce.jpg/r0_0_4924_3031_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Next was the new Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig revising the previously issued Performance Improvement Order, after deciding the council wasn't working fast enough to dig itself out of its financial hole.
And just this week it was revealed that three councillors had been referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption over the handling of conflict of interest declarations.
All three related to Kiama Greens member Ken Sandy, who suggested in an email since released in court that the political group was helping him "impede" a development application until the next council elections.
Greens Cr Kathy Rice and Cr Jodi Keast were both referred to ICAC, and though they did make a declaration in the relevant meeting that they knew Mr Sandy, the revelation of the email raised concerns.
Both have maintained their innocence and a referral to ICAC is not an indication of any wrongdoing.
![It hasn't been the best period of time for Kiama Council - some may say it's actually the worst. Picture by Sylvia Liber It hasn't been the best period of time for Kiama Council - some may say it's actually the worst. Picture by Sylvia Liber](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/4FavSveeQdYEHssZq5umRQ/ed46cfcb-4575-4724-8847-e7723af8c424.jpg/r0_251_4917_3278_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Cr Renkema-Lang was also referred following an admission that Mr Sandy had donated money to her Supreme Court campaign.
She has also maintained her innocence.
Now, if all that doesn't make this time the worst in the council's history, it's hard to imagine what else has to happen to make it so.
And with three months to go until the local government election, there is the possibility that there may be more in store at the council.
All of this isn't supposed to happen in a quiet, little coastal town like Kiama. So what happened to turn everything pear-shaped?
![Kiama Mayor Neil Reilly believes the current cohort of councillors never had the chance to establish relationships before budget dramas led to tensions. Picture by Robert Peet Kiama Mayor Neil Reilly believes the current cohort of councillors never had the chance to establish relationships before budget dramas led to tensions. Picture by Robert Peet](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/4FavSveeQdYEHssZq5umRQ/d050b82e-ca7e-4e23-ac2a-e64939bb8d00.JPG/r0_0_5472_3368_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The spark is the inherited budget blow-out for the construction of the Bonaira facility and its related accounting quirks. These included keeping a single set of books, meaning it was difficult to tell what Blue Haven was - or wasn't - making.
That put the incoming councillors from the December 2021 elections on the back foot straight away.
From there, suggested outgoing Mayor Neil Reilly, a "beautifully diverse" council in terms of age, gender and political alliance began to feel the strain.
"The circumstances that the council has found itself in financially meant that we couldn't really take advantage of that diversity," Cr Reilly said.
"We really had to just get out of the financial hole that we were in and that caused a lot of angst and created a situation where everything seemed to be adversarial."
From the outside it has caused some to question the direction and performance of the council. Though it must be said the public criticism comes from both sides of the political spectrum, which perhaps suggests amidst all the clamour, they're doing something right.
Still, with a wave of councillors either censured and referred to ICAC (again, not a suggestion of guilt), it doesn't show the council in the best possible light.
But Cr Reilly said he had made a pact with the then new CEO Jane Stroud that little was to be gained from forever looking behind them.
"We chose rather than to reflect on the past, or even the present, we'll look towards the future and work towards a better outcome," he said.
"But the longer you contemplate the past, the less likely you are to recognise that there are advantages in moving forward to the future.
"So while we were going through that horrendous time, we still had our sights set on a on a prosperous future."