Kiama goes to the polls on Saturday. Photo: NSW Electoral Commission.
Thirteen candidates are vying for votes in the upcoming Kiama byelection hoping to take the seat made vacant by former member and convicted rapist Gareth Ward after he resigned from parliament last month.
Region Illawarra invited all candidates to submit their top three priorities for the region which are outlined in the following profiles. Libertarian candidate Joshua Beer did not respond, so information was sourced from his website.
Here are the candidates in the order they appear on the ballot paper.
Tonia Gray
Party: Greens NSW
Top three priorities:
- Education (including preschool/early childhood education)
- Health (nurses, hospitals and birthing facilities at the new Shellharbour Hospital)
- Environment and infrastructure: (1) Electrify the south coast train from Bomaderry to Kiama; (2) Roads, bridges; (3) Protecting our precious natural environment.
For more information visit the Tonia Gray 4 Kiama Facebook page or Kiama Greens website
Serena Copley
Party: Liberal
Top three priorities:
- Improved health services for our region with a delivery of a helipad at the new Shellharbour Hospital, making sure David Berry Hospital remains a public health facility, and standing up against Labor’s cuts to local health services and hospital funding to ensure that we get the services we need locally
- Delivering investment in our community, from funds to repair local roads to the $26 million for the Kiama Sports Precinct and upgrades at Michael Cronin Oval in Gerringong
- Restoring cost-of-living support for local residents such as Active Kids to boost participation in sports for our kids, and delivering new programs like Active Seniors, to make it easier for anyone with a NSW Seniors Card to enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle.
For more information visit Serena’s website or the Serena 4 Kiama Facebook or Instagram pages.
Andrew Thaler
Party: Independent
Top three priorities:
- Getting elected. The NSW Labor Party are one seat away from controlling the NSW Parliament, and with the Labor Party looking to tax bedrooms, tax the family home, tax theoretical profits, Kiama is the opportunity to stand up, be heard and save the people of NSW from the dreadful Labor Party agenda; however I need to get elected first
- Reminding the people they do have a voice and will be heard. The electorate can be the gatekeeper of sanity in NSW; Kiama can push back against Orwellian Labor Party plans, stop the insanity of the uni-party in NSW because there currently is no effective opposition to the Labor agenda of higher taxes, more uncontrolled immigration and council rate rises
- Placing the interests of the people of the Kiama electorate front and centre in the parliament. If Kiama is going to be a place of settlement for large populations, it needs the level of services to match, whether this be public transport, playing fields, water, waste, roads, etc. However, more importantly, we need to maintain and repair the stuff we already have built before we rush to build more shiny new things.
For more information visit Andrew’s website or the Kiama 2025 website.
Roger Woodward
Party: Independent
Top three priorities:
- Fix the roads
- Ensure the contract is signed for the new Calderwood Primary School. No more promises
- More jobs. Cut NSW government taxes for payroll tax and land tax. Scrap the tourism levy.
Don Fuggle
Party: Legalise Cannabis Party
Top three priorities:
- End discrimination against medical cannabis patients in driving and the workplace
- Let adults grow their own cannabis at home to help with the cost of living
- Develop cannabis and hemp as sustainable, high-value crops for Kiama’s fertile farmland.
For more information visit the Legalise Cannabis Party website.
Ken Davis
Party: Sustainable Australia Party
Top three priorities:
- De-corrupt politics to create a fair and sustainable Australia: Sustainable Australia Party will ban all political donations and financial contributions from the property industry to political parties and candidates. We will also require more timely and transparent reporting of all political lobbying by vested interests that undermine our democracy and ultimately our community
- Protect our environment: We must recognise that Kiama’s natural environment underpins our health and wellbeing, as well as our economy through the resources it provides. I want everyone including my children and grandchildren to live in a healthy and safe environment
- End the housing crisis: Housing is a fundamental need and human right. While urgently providing more public and other social housing for our most needy, we need to primarily focus on the root cause of Australia’s housing affordability crisis, being government-engineered hyper-demand (capital gains tax and negative gearing tax concessions for property speculation, foreign ownership, rapid population growth, lax bank lending regulations, etc), rather than chase our tails with ever-increasing and environmentally destructive hyper-supply. We need affordable housing for all, the sustainable way.
For more information visit the Sustainable Party Australia website.
Lisa Cotton
Party: Independent
Top three priorities:
- Community engagement and support: I am committed to advocating for victims of crime including domestic violence survivors, addressing mental health issues, and implementing community wellness initiatives. I aim to launch campaigns that tackle addiction, abuse, and family breakdowns, ensuring all voices in the community are heard and respected
- Infrastructure and housing development: recognising the urgent need for improved local infrastructure, I will work closely with residents, stakeholders, and all levels of government to advocate for crisis and public housing initiatives. I believe in fostering partnerships to ensure that any development respects the heritage and natural beauty of our region
- Utilising expertise for effective solutions: with extensive experience across government, corporate, private, and nonprofit sectors, I will aim to leverage my skills to engage with the Kiama electorate effectively. My focus is on improving local infrastructure headaches including mitigate housing crisis and flooding, as well as develop policies and practices to address current and future challenges in the region collaboratively.
For more information visit Lisa’s website or the Lisa Cotton National Community Advocate Facebook page.
Cyrille Jeufo Keuheu
Party: Independent
Top three priorities:
- Accountability in government – fighting corruption and ensuring transparency so every dollar serves the community, not party donors
- Infrastructure that works – delivering safe roads, reliable rail, and essential services that regional communities deserve
- A fair go for residents – standing up for everyday Australians on housing, cost of living, and access to services, ensuring regional voices are heard.
For more information visit Cyrille’s website.
Felix Nelson
Party: Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party
Top three priorities:
- Fix the relationship between the state representative and the councils that the electorate overlaps. I’m here to get stuff done, not play games based on who wears what colour tie
- Urgently get the wheels turning on long overdue critical infrastructure projects like the Hampden Bridge in Kangaroo Valley. Far too much time is still being wasted in planning and assessing “temporary short term solutions”
- Get resolutions and clarity on the timeline and locations for proposed housing expansions to ensure appropriate infrastructure created before rather then after the houses go in.
For more information visit the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party website.
Joshua Beer
Party: Libertarian Party
Top three priorities:
- Save our coasts! No offshore wind farms
- Empower parents, not woke bureaucrats
- Slash taxes and government fees.
For more information visit the LPNSW website.
Ellie Robertson
Party: Animal Justice Party
Top three priorities:
- I intend to launch a comprehensive biodiversity and animal protection audit across the Kiama region. This audit will map threatened habitats, assess how current and future developments might affect native species, and identify key opportunities to restore and reconnect vital ecosystems
- I will introduce a Local Wildlife Protection Plan that includes wildlife-safe road designs — like overpasses, underpasses, and better signage in known crossing zones and also establish stronger protections for marine life, especially in areas under pressure from fishing or tourism. We’ll also support the incredible work of local wildlife carers and sanctuaries — many of whom are operating with limited resources and little recognition
- Work towards improving animal welfare standards by ending factory farming, greyhound racing and other activities that exploit and harm animals. Shut down puppy farms and work collaboratively with animal shelters to eliminate the killing of healthy animals.
For more information visit the NSW Animal Justice Party website.
Kate Dezarnaulds
Party: Community Independent (endorsed by the Community Independents Project)
Top three priorities:
- Fix local infrastructure and transport: tackle sewage overflows, flood-prone roads, and corridor bottlenecks and back upgrades to South Coast Rail so our infrastructure keeps up with our growing population
- Back small business and local jobs: restore practical support for local business — destination tourism marketing, simpler approvals, reinstate Business Connect and support vibrancy reforms to support steady year-round trade for our hospitality businesses
- Homes that fit our community: fast-track well located, accessible social and key worker housing where infrastructure is ready – protecting local character while making it possible for essential workers and young families to live here.
For more information visit the Kate 4 Kiama website or Facebook page.
Katelin McInerney
Party: NSW Labor
Top three priorities:
- Better local hospitals and more health workers by delivering the Shoalhaven Hospital Redevelopment by late 2026 and the new Shellharbour Hospital, with a helipad, due for completion in 2027. I will make sure we have the health workers to fully staff our hospitals, building on our record of recruiting an additional 82 nurses to our local hospitals, and 28 paramedics for the region since 2023
- Better schools and more teachers, including the $41 million upgrade Bomaderry High School, a new public preschool at Bomaderry Public School opening in 2027, and building the new Calderwood Public School and preschool, which will open day one, term 1, 2028
- Better local roads, including $40 million to deliver the Tripoli Way extension after years of broken promises from the Liberals and $34 million this financial year for local road maintenance and repairs, to ensure our roads are safe and well maintained.
For more information visit the NSW Labor website or Katelin McInerney – Labor for Kiama Facebook Page.
