Councillors hope the issue can be resolved without intervention. Photo: Kiama Municipal Council.
Concerns about the impact Kiama’s iconic seaside markets are having on local businesses are not set to be resolved in council chambers, with councillors voting down a motion to further investigate the issue.
The monthly Sunday market has been criticised for driving customers away from Kiama’s main stretch, with some businesses offering similar goods and services reporting significant losses on market days.
“Kiama markets have drifted beyond the mandates set by council; instead of complementing our main street traders, the market is now competing with them,” Kiama Tourism and Economic Committee member Ryan Rieveley told councillors during a public access meeting.
“It is clear that the market is featuring food, apparel and general goods that are also sold by our local shops, often sold by market stall operators who are not from our LGA and who sell largely imported products.”
He said businesses were calling on council to step in and take action to protect them.
“We’re asking council to direct the KBN [Kiama Business Network] to comply with the licence by prohibiting stalls that directly compete with existing mainstream businesses.
“Apply a local-first standard, prioirtise Kiama LGA makers and clearly Australian-made, locally produced goods.”
KBN President Cathryn Lyall said the network had received positive feedback about the markets from a lot of local businesses, but was willing to work through issues with any struggling.
“While a small number of businesses have reported to us quieter trade on market days, council’s own spending data shows the increase of 25 per cent and on some days significantly more,” she said.
“A small cohort has come together who has maybe had some challenges, and it’s become a very big issue quickly without the benefit of sitting down and sharing some data which we’ve said all along that we would like to do.”
She said the market already only operated half the number of days it was permitted to, with 93 per cent of stallholders from Kiama, the Illawarra or Shoalhaven.
“We provide free space for organisations like Rotary, Men’s Shed, Lifeline and local sporting clubs,” Ms Lyall said. “These groups use the markets to raise funds, connect with residents and promote important causes, adding genuine social and cultural value.”
Cr Yasmin Tatrai raised the issue in a notice of motion which called for council’s CEO to write to KBN and seek further answers on the financial impact, actions taken to mitigate negative effects and whether there would be consideration to relocate the markets.
Alongside the motion, a petition was tabled with signatures from businesses and community members showing the extent of the dissatisfaction.
“For people to come to council and fill in a petition with 100 names on it says that there’s something wrong so we need to address it,” Cr Tatrai said.
“And I’m not saying we don’t have markets, I’m not saying we stop them, none of that, all I’m saying is that these questions need to be answered and when the questions are answered then people can talk.
“If we don’t listen to the community then who’s going to?”
She said even though the issue had gained momentum in recent days and weeks, the concerns had been recurring for a lot longer.
“To be clear, this is not an issue that has just come up in the last month,” Cr Tatrai said. “This has been going on for years. I can tell you that for a fact; I used to manage these markets.”
While many councillors noted the merit of the motion, it was raised that it was potentially not an issue for council at all and could be resolved through communication between KBN and its members.
“I would like to see KBN and the producer of the petition to sit down and try to nut it out before we take any action,” Cr Erica Warren said.
Councillors voted against the motion, with already scheduled conversations between some of the concerned businesses and KBN hoped to solve the issue.
