Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Glen Humphries

Kiama councillor Karen Renkema-Lang censured for 'improper or unethical' behaviour

Kiama councillor Karen Renkema-Lang was formally censured by fellow councillors in a confidential session of Tuesday night's Kiama council meeting. Picture by Wesley Lonergan

Kiama Cr Karen Renkema-Lang has been formally censured by fellow councillors over a radio interview on June 21.

She also avoided a second censure motion related to a newsletter released that same month.

It makes her the second Kiama councillor to be formally censured this year for breaches of the code of conduct.

The censure motion was held in a confidential session of Tuesday night's council meeting so details of the exact nature of the breaches were not provided.

Following the confidential session Kiama CEO Jane Stroud read out the decision made by the councillors.

"[Council] officially and formally censure Cr Karen Renkema-Lang for breaching section 440g [of the Local Government Act] by breaching the following clauses of the code of conduct following on from a radio interview on 21 June 2023 where the ... breaches were found to be substantiated by the independent investigator," Ms Stroud said.

"Clause 3.1a conducting herself in a manner likely to bring other council officials into disrepute [and] Clause 3.1c conducting herself in a manner that was improper or unethical."

She was also censured for a breach of the code of conduct.

Councillors also voted to take no further action "in relation to comments published in a June 2023 newsletter published by or on behalf of Cr Renkema-Lang as the councillor removed the newsletter and therefore the complaint in respect to that matter was withdrawn".

Councillors also voted to upgrade the council's social media policy to include all forms of media and continue the development of a draft media policy that identifies who can speak on behalf of the council.

In July this year Kiama Cr Mark Croxford was censured for a code of conduct breach over "conduct that amounts to engaging in intimidation".

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.