Where does the time go? This time last year, The Bugle’s View was discussing the sale of Blue Haven Bonaira, the March 2025 Australian federal election, comments from Gareth Ward regarding housing affordability and the initiatives from a new Kiama Council, led by Mayor Cameron McDonald.

How times have changed.

From our community’s perspective, it seems we have all but moved on from the sale of Blue Haven Bonaira, we were emphatic in the re-election of Fiona Phillips as the Member for Gilmore and the less that is said about the former Member for Kiama, the better.

Housing affordability and the continued ‘community-first, business led’ initiatives from Kiama Council remain, and it looks like it will be a bigger and better 2026 with multiple opportunities for Kiama Council to build upon the strong foundations and policies it finalised in 2025.

The cancellation of the New Year’s Eve fireworks was not quite the way the community is used to bringing in a new year, and the mood and vibrancy across the town reflected that.

More devastating were the multiple drownings along the NSW coast, including critical incidents that occurred at the Kiama Blowhole and Surf Beach.

So as we ring in the new year, we look to the past to see how far we, as a community have come and continue to be vigilant as to where we are going.

From an economic landscape perspective, Council is pulling out all the stops to revive our live music and festival scene. 

With multiple cancellations and the pausing of the 2026 Kiama Jazz and Blues Festival, Kiama Council is leading an expression of interest campaign for a ‘community-led’ live music weekend, to replace the lost festival. 

Thankfully, Cr McDonald is already on record that the Kiama New Year's Eve Sky Show will return for 2026, though that economic boost is still many months away.

From a development perspective, there will likely be dramatic shifts to our landscape. 

After much division and derision, the South Kiama development is progressing (albeit there appears to be no affordable housing included). 

The NSW Government is now endorsing eight storeys as the appropriate landing spot for the Akuna Street development. 

Eight is also the number of storeys that Council’s Shoalhaven Street precinct will reach. Coincidence? We think not…

While there is a lot of change in store for 2026, The Bugle’s View is that 2025 has shown us that new regimes and change can bring about some positive outcomes.

So, whether you had a good, bad, or indifferent 2025, we wish the community a safe and prosperous 2026, and cautiously look forward to the (positive) changes to come.