3 minute read

Calls for more volunteers

Community clubs and associations are all experiencing the same difficulty in finding volunteers to fulfill critical roles and their answers are all the same; if no one steps up, their group will cease to exist.

“It’s an ongoing challenge to maintain the appropriate numbers to keep the Gerroa Community Association effectively running,” says President Roy Schmidt (pictured), who isn’t alone with three other associations all on the hunt for more members.

The GCA, Gerringong Music Club and Illawarra Folk Club have critical roles that aren’t being filled, even the Gerringong Christmas Parade is in jeopardy of not going ahead this year with no new organisers.

While semi-retired locals are more prone to joining community groups, young people with full-time jobs are also encouraged to put their hand up as the work only involves a couple of hours a week.

“You as an individual will feel positive and good because you’re helping other members of the community,” says Roy. “Then as a result, you become a part of the community.

“You get to know other people on the committee and outside at social events, which is a huge benefit. Most of my best friends are people I have met through the committee.”

The GCA has been searching for a new hall manager, after they moved to fill the position of secretary, and a general committee member.

“You can’t run the Association efficiently with four to six active committee members. You need at least seven or eight to spread the work around and help carry the load,” Roy says, who will be down to six members shortly.

For Gerringong Music Club, they are referring to themselves as ‘lucky’ for finding a new, young musical director after months of searching, however, they still need a publicity officer and, in the near future, a new treasurer.

She hopes the new musical director will pull in more younger people, as the majority of their members are over 80 years old.

“The Club can’t function without people,” says former musical director Bobbie Miller, noting it isn’t uncommon for lots of organisations to have trouble finding people.

“We would have had to close if we hadn’t managed to fill positions on the committee.”

Bobbie believes COVID has made people reluctant to get out and be involved in the community, especially the older age group.

On social media, the Illawarra Folk Club admitted it has been harder to find willing people to fill their office bearing jobs over the past few years.

“Sadly, we are now at a time where we will not have an honorary treasurer,” the post read.

The long held tradition of the Gerringong Christmas Parade is, at this stage, not going ahead due to no one stepping up and taking the reins.

The Parade has been organised by a group of four local women for the past four years, after the baton was passed on by Gerringong Rotary who ran the event for many years.

Organiser Julia O’Keefe says they are still on the hunt and hope someone comes forward soon as the Parade involves preparation in the upcoming months.

Gerroa Community Association – contact President Roy Schmidt for more information on 0418 449 678

Gerringong Music Club – contact former Musical Director Bobbie Miller for more information on 0413 967 385.

Illawarra Folk Club – contact Secretary Graeme Morrison for more information on 0412 358 333

Gerringong Christmas Parade – email gerringongchristmasparade@ gmail.com for more information

by Cassandra Zaucer

This month marks 10 years since Kiama had the privilege to open the first Service NSW Centre in the State.

The Service Centre on Shoalhaven Street was opened by then NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell and Member for Kiama Gareth Ward, now an Independent.

Service NSW replaced the previous Roads & Maritime Services centres, bringing services from NSW Government agencies like Fair Trading NSW and Births, Deaths and Marriages together with vehicle and licence registration under one roof. Some of these services required residents to travel to Sydney just to submit paperwork.

Since then, the Kiama Service NSW branch has completed more than 316,000 customer transactions and achieved a 97 per cent customer satisfaction rate.

The most common services over the past five years were driver’s licence renewals, transferring and renewing vehicle registration, new licence applications and tests, and processing Working with Children Checks.

NSW Minister for the Illawarra and South Coast, Ryan Park, says, “Having proudly grown up in the Illawarra region and now raising my family here, I am thrilled to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Service NSW which started right here in Kiama.

“Instead of travelling to different agencies in multiple locations, customers can complete connected transactions like changing their name and updating their licence in one convenient location.

“Service NSW has evolved over time and continues to innovate for our customers today and into the future.”

Mr Ward has celebrated the milestone, revealing that he requested former Premier Barry O’Farrell to have the first Service NSW established in the Kiama LGA.

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