The historic police residence in Kiama has fallen into such a state of disrepair that local councillors are calling for urgent government intervention to save the deteriorating property.
Council Takes Action on Deteriorating Property
Kiama councillor Matt Brown tabled a motion during Tuesday night's council meeting requesting that the council write to new Kiama MP Katelin McInerney seeking government support for funding to repair and restore the dilapidated police residence on Terralong Street.
The property, which sits adjacent to the police station, is now under the ownership of the Illawarra Local Aboriginal Land Council following a successful land claim. However, Cr Brown revealed the land council faces significant obstacles in addressing the building's condition.
Legal Limbo Prevents Necessary Repairs
"I've been speaking with the CEO of the land council, and they are stuck between a rock and a hard spot," Cr Brown told the meeting. "They've put in a successful claim to the land. They are effectively the owner, but they have not yet been given the keys."
The councillor explained that the land council cannot legally access the property to conduct any work, leaving the building to continue deteriorating while the land claim process, which could take several years to fully conclude, remains unresolved.
Cr Brown expressed concern about the accelerating decay, noting that "the gutters are falling down, trees are growing inside the property, there's ferns growing on top of the property. The grass is long, you'd be risking snakes in there."
Unanimous Support for Restoration Efforts
The motion received strong backing from fellow councillors, including Cr Mike Cains, who described the situation as an "inter-governmental stalemate."
"I think it's absolutely appropriate that as councillors we advocate for government to assist us in making sure that we don't continue to have further dilapidation of these buildings which occupy prime real estate in our magnificent town," Cr Cains stated.
Councillors unanimously passed Cr Brown's motion, demonstrating cross-party concern for the future of the historic building. The council now hopes that involving the local MP will help navigate the complex legal situation and find a pathway toward restoring the significant local property before its condition worsens further.
