Kiama Community Radio's Podcast

Bernie Hems talks to Rev, Kath Merrifield and Madeleine Scarfe about the Community Care Cupboard which opened at the Uniting Church Kiama just before Christmas.  The CCC was the brain child of 10 year old (at the time) Indi Whittaker and was brought into being by a collaboration between Indi's grandmother Annie O'Sullivan, Rev. Kath Merrifield of the Uniting Church, architect Madeleine S...

Gabriela speaks with Martin Culleton from Culleton Lawyers about the most common legal issues affecting Kiama residents, from everyday disputes to the latest local trends. Recorded 10.12.2025 as part of Gabriela's regular weekly program on KCR The Shop Around the Corner at 9am Tuesdays.  KCR: live streaming at kcr.org.au or via the Kiama Community Radio App. Contact us: admin@kcr.org.au

Bernie Hems chats with Gülçin Töpel, owner of Saltwater  Cafe, Kiama and the national winner in the Café category of the Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards. Gülçin moved to Kiama from Sydney in 2020 with her husband Tolga, buying Saltwater the following year. Raised in Turkey by her grandparents, she brings a deep sense of kindness, generosity and community to everything she does. R...

Joe Carter and Jane Parbury talk to Gardening Australia's Tammy Huynh;  presenter, horticulturist and hugely knowledgeable garden writer. Tammy will be chatting about The Plant Book, her new, practical and beautiful guide to growing indoor plants. Whether you’re a seasoned indoor plant parent or just starting out, this is a morning of green inspiration—on air and in the garden. This interview...

Dr. Scott Wilson is Honourary Research Scientist at Macquarie University  and Senior Research Fellow at RMIT and has 25 years' experience as an ecotoxicologist and environmental scientist. Kiama Library welcomed Scott to tell us about microplastics and  AUSMAP , the Australian Microplastics Assessment Project, of which he is the research director.  AUSMAP is a Citizen Science project which co...

The Kiama School of Performing Arts presents The Santa Interviews , written and directed by Shannon McAlary, edited by Seamus McAlary; Groups A & B.  Happy Christmas from KCR and we look forward to seeing you again in 2026.  KCR: live streaming at kcr.org.au or via the Kiama Community Radio App. Contact us: admin@kcr.org.au

Dr Jonell Uptin from Uptin's Educational Consultancy talks to Gabriela Cabral about her work with young refugees and her longstanding association with orphanages in Thailand. This interview was recorded as  part of Gabi’s weekly program on KCR supporting local businesses: Living Local , Tuesday mornings at 9.30am.  Recorded 3.12.25 KCR: live streaming at kcr.org.au or via the Kiama Community...

Dianne Tierney, President of the Kiama CWA Evening Branch talks to Gabriela Cabral as part of Gabi’s weekly program on KCR supporting local businesses: Living Local , Tuesday mornings at 9.30am.    KCR: live streaming at kcr.org.au or via the Kiama Community Radio App. Contact us: admin@kcr.org.au

Bernie Hems chats to Howard H Jones, President of the Gerroa Environment Protection Society This is part of Bernie’s weekly program Chat Tuesday , on KCR, Tuesday mornings at 10am.  KCR: live streaming at kcr.org.au or via the Kiama Community Radio App. Contact us: admin@kcr.org.au

Jason Beasley-Hahn talks to Mike Leonard, Branch Secretary of the Ulysses South Coast Branch,  about the 35th Annual South Coast Toy Run—a fantastic community tradition bringing local motorcycle riders together to support families in need this Christmas, which happened on Sunday 7 December Riders are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy for a child aged 3–17, with a special call for gifts for young...

The Kiama Historical Society has turned 50, and secretary Dr Tony Gilmour has written a book to commemorate the occasion:  Celebrating History, Defending Heritage; Fifty Years of Kiama Historical Society .   The book was launched at the November meeting of the Kiama Historical Society, with speeches by Dr Tony Gilmour and President of the Kiama Historical Society Sue Eggins, who joined the Society...

Joe Carter and Fiona Mackie talk to Narelle Happ, a horticulturalist, landscape- and permaculture-designer, and educator who specialises in native gardens, edible native/bush-food gardening, and permaculture design. Narelle runs A Garden for Life , delivering beautiful garden designs, workshops, and community/education projects across the Illawarra, Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, and Shoalhaven r...

Michelle Springett from Expressive Art Experience talks to Gabriela Cabral as part of Gabi’s weekly program on KCR supporting local businesses: The Shop Around the Corner , Tuesday mornings at 9am.  Recorded 24.9.25 KCR: live streaming at kcr.org.au or via the Kiama Community Radio App. Contact us: admin@kcr.org.au

Gabriela Cabral chats to recently elected Katelin McInerney MP, member for Kiama, about Arts funding.  This is part of Gabi's weekly program Living Local , on KCR, Tuesday mornings at 9am.  Recorded 26.11.25 KCR: live streaming at kcr.org.au or via the Kiama Community Radio App. Contact us: admin@kcr.org.au

Gabriela Cabral talks to Dr Kathleen Lawson from Life Rhythm Integrated Healthcare about music therapy, its uses, and its healing benefits, as part of Gabi’s weekly program on KCR supporting local businesses: Living Local , Tuesday mornings at 9.30am.  Recorded 26.11.25 KCR: live streaming at kcr.org.au or via the Kiama Community Radio App. Contact us: admin@kcr.org.au

Felicity Leitch talks to Jacqui Webster, author of the acclaimed travel memoir Two Bugs on Bikes: Our middle-aged gap year cycling across Europe and Africa. Jacqui’s story is about an unexpected adventure that became a life-changing expedition across two continents.  This is an inspiring and uplifting conversation for anyone who loves travel, storytelling, or simply hearing from someone brave enou...

Nashla Chikhani from the Latin American food truck Ola Chola talks to Gabriela Cabral as part of Gabi’s weekly program on KCR supporting local businesses: The Shop Around the Corner , Tuesday mornings at 9am.  Recorded 19th November 2025 KCR: live streaming at kcr.org.au or via the Kiama Community Radio App. Contact us: admin@kcr.org.au

Neil McCann from the Illawarra Folk Club talks to Gabriela Cabral about the decision to stop running the Folk Festival  Folk By the Sea in Kiama. This is part of Gabi’s weekly program on KCR Living Local , Tuesday mornings at 9am.  Recorded 19.11.25 KCR: live streaming at kcr.org.au or via the Kiama Community Radio App. Contact us: admin@kcr.org.au

Public submissions to Kiama Council on the latest Finding Fillmore’s development application have now closed, but the conversation certainly hasn’t. This week on Chat Tuesday, host Bernie Hems speaks with Fillmore’s owner Morgan Lewis about the proposal and the broader issues it has sparked — from planning and compliance to noise, neighbourhood amenity, community vibrancy and the impact on local b...

Hosts Jane Parbury and Joe Carter talk to Tye Purnell of the Backyard Habitat Project.  Tye is a qualified horticulturalist and long-time native plant enthusiast with a deep passion for Australian biodiversity. His goal is to create native gardens for people to share with wildlife. He believes every garden, no matter how small, can become a thriving refuge for native wildlife. recorded 14.11.25 KC...

Taite Arney from mortgage broking company Loan Market Kiama talks to Gabriela Cabral as part of Gabi’s weekly program on KCR supporting local businesses: The Shop Around the Corner , Tuesday mornings at 9am.   Recorded 12.11.25 KCR: live streaming at kcr.org.au or via the Kiama Community Radio App. Contact us: admin@kcr.org.au

Teresa Nguyan & Joe McElroy from Specsavers talk to Gabriela Cabral as part of Gabi’s weekly program on KCR supporting local businesses: Living Local , Tuesday mornings at 9.30am.  Recorded 12.11.25 KCR: live streaming at kcr.org.au or via the Kiama Community Radio App. Contact us: admin@kcr.org.au

Bernie Hems talks to Paul Field; the voice of The Cockroaches, the former Managing Director of The Wiggles, and now a solo artist, producer and storyteller. Paul is coming to Wollongong with a new show, Celebrating the Music of  Countdown – a celebration of the music, mayhem and magic of the era that shaped a generation, Saturday December 6th. This is part of Bernie’s weekly program Chat Tuesday ,...

Gabriela Cabral talks to Melanie Pearce from eMerge Business Support , which  offers  tailor-made administrative services to local businesses, to help them empty their overflowing too-hard basket.  This interview is part of Gabi’s weekly program on KCR supporting local businesses: The Shop Around the Corner , Tuesday mornings at 9am.  Recorded 5.11.25 KCR: live streaming at kcr.org.au or via the K...

Headspace opened in Kiama to much fanfare in October 2024. Headspace is run by Australia’s National Youth Mental Health Foundation, providing early intervention mental health services to 12-25 year olds.  In this episode of Living Local Gabriela Cabral talks to Mat King, Community Engagement Officer and  Emily Neild, mental health clinician about the services that Headspace offers and what they do...