The move follows a review of how the council spends it tourism funds, sparked last year by concerns over how the tourism board was operating.

Kiama council contributes just over $300,000 to the Kiama Tourism organisation through a tourism levy of $217,000, holiday parks allocation of $30,000 and a rental subsidy of $59,500.

Under the new structure Kiama council would still allocate around $160,000 to Kiama Tourism, but $157,000 will be redirected to council’s new tourism manager and marketing, with the council factoring in an additional $30,000 to $40,000 in administration and office costs.

During an at times tense debate on Tuesday night, Kiama Mayor Brian Petschler said councillors wanted to work with Kiama Tourism.

‘‘We need to focus both parties on what they are particularly good at,’’ Cr Petschler said. 

‘‘We want to get an experienced qualified tourism manager to focus on the strategic arm, not being involved in legging it around town selling the tourism centre.’’

Cr Andrew Sloan said a lot had changed in tourism since the existing structure was established and Kiama’s latest economic development strategy was largely about tourism.

‘‘There is no reason we can’t work together very successfully,’’ Cr Sloan said.

Councillors voted 8-1 in favour of the recommendation with Cr Gavin McClure, who resigned as a director of the tourism board prior to Tuesday night’s meeting so he could have his say at the meeting, expressing concern.

‘‘Are we achieving something better ... Kiama Tourism will continue but be hamstrung in regards to funding,’’ Cr McClure said.

‘‘Come tourism season in December we can’t fit any more tourists in town.

‘‘A lot of money, $100,000, is being spent on a tourism manager and effectively no further money is being spent on tourism in Kiama.’’

Cr Dennis Seage said ‘‘collaboration’’ was the elephant in the room.

Kiama Tourism chairman Brian Longbottom expressed ‘‘collective disappointment’’ with the vote on behalf of the board.

‘‘We are finding it very difficult to understand why council would spend time and money to change the structure of one of the best performing tourism organisations on the South Coast, by any operational or marketing metrics,’’ Mr Longbottom said.

‘‘We cannot understand how council can view their decision as investing more in externally marketing the Kiama LGA, when in actual fact they are now diverting more than half of the funding to staff resourcing within a local government setting.’’

Mr Longbottom said the board maintained that moves to take tourism activities, including its strategic management and marketing activities, into the council would fracture tourism to the detriment of the Kiama economy and the tourists who visited the region. 

‘‘Despite our disappointment at the outcome of the meeting, the Kiama Tourism Board is still looking for goodwill from future discussions with council,’’ Mr Longbottom said.

‘‘Kiama Tourism is fortunate to have highly experienced and competent board members and staff and we look forward to these discussions to take tourism forward in a positive and productive fashion.’’