Kate Dezarnaulds (pronounced de-zar-know) is a dedicated community leader and successful entrepreneur who has strengthened Illawarra and South Coast communities through innovation and practical action.
She recently stood as a Community Independent candidate for Gilmore, achieving 7.8% of the primary vote—a strong result for a first-time candidate. As President of the Berry Chamber of Commerce, she doubled membership post-COVID, led the village to win Top Tourism Town three consecutive years, and most recently secured the $200,000 Uptown grant to boost vibrancy for local hospitality businesses and the arts.
Her own business, WorkLife, was named Shoalhaven Small Business of the Year (2024) and also nominated for Excellence in Small Business at the inaugural Kiama Business Awards (2025). At the same ceremony, Kate was awarded Kiama’s Outstanding Business Leader, recognising her impact across the region.
Her deep connection to Kiama as a local parent married to a builder gives her firsthand understanding of the pressures facing local families. Through her roles with the National Trust of Australia and the Shoalhaven Tourism Board, Kate has consistently championed regional development and community resilience. She also designed and delivered the transformative $4.7 million 'Investing in Rural Community Futures' program, which supported more than 120 grassroots organisations through bushfire recovery across Batemans Bay, Nowra, Bay & Basin, Ulladulla, and Kangaroo Valley.
Why I'm Running
I’m running because I cannot stand by and watch our broken political system continue to fail our community through division and denial. Over the last term of parliament, I have been a brave voice for political integrity—speaking out against vested interests and standing with victims of sexual violence, even when it came at great personal and professional cost.
Kiama deserves leadership that listens, acts with integrity, and seizes the opportunities of innovation and progress to build a better future—not leadership driven by party agendas.
We need practical solutions for housing affordability, healthcare access, and climate resilience—delivered by someone who understands our community’s needs firsthand and has a proven record of bringing people together to make things happen.