Subscribe for updates
Follow Me on Social Media
Latest news
Hawkesbury Council’s 39% Rate Hike
At its November 2025 meeting Hawkesbury Council decided in an 7:4 vote to hike everyone's rates by 39.4% over four years. I voted against it. Here's what you need to know.
The Australian Local Government Assembly 2025 (and why our funding model is broken!)
I've spent time this week at the Australian Local Government Association National Government Assembly down in Canberra.
It's a great opportunity to hear speakers and trade ideas about what works in Local Government. I was grateful for some release from my teaching work to go down and take place.
The highlight for me was being able to confront the Federal Minister for Local Government, Kristy McBain about the growing shortfall of funding Local Governments are facing and how this has deteriorated over the years.
The Refurbishments to Windsor Mall
I recently took the opportunity to walk through the whole of the refurbished Windsor Mall. Now the work is substantially done, I have to say it's looking amazing. New sandstone flagstones greatly exceeds the original sandstone; the sponsored pavers are now proudly on display. The garden beds are now being planted with a range of attractive species.
Does Dressage have a future at Hawkesbury Showground?
This week I was a signatory to call rare extraordinary meeting of Council to address a dispute between the Hawkesbury District Agricultural Association, Dressage NSW and Equestrian NSW. The subject was a dispute over the future of dressage facilities at the Hawkesbury Showground.
Vivid 2025 – Sydney’s Amazing Festival of Lights
What a wonderful city we live in! Vivid Sydney has been just amazing this year, covering multiple sites and showing off our city’s architecture old and new. This is my tribute to VIVID, which we did in perfect weather! #vividsydney
Dual Occupancy – Approved in principle! (Labor opposes)
Council approved my Notice of Motion to permit Detached Dual Occupancies after seven years of delay and disappointment with our moribund LEP process. There's some way to go yet.
The 2025 Australian Federal Election – the view from Macquarie
For those of you who asked me what my opinion is of yesterday's Federal Election, I humbly offer you this. I try to provide a Global, National and Local (to the seat of Macquarie) explanation of What Just Happened.
Mics are dropped.
I want to know what you think.
The Effects on Insurance Premiums from Hawkesbury Flooding and Council\’s Planning Policies
The skyrocketing costs of home insurance is a massive issue for people in the Hawkesbury.
Damage from flooding could cost us billions, but the risks of living in on a floodplain have driven up Insurance costs even when the sun is shining.
The Incredible Shrinking Hawkesbury Bridge Program
In 2019 and 2021, to secure votes in what was at the time the most marginal Federal seat in the nation, the Liberals pledged $200M, and then $500M to build a high, flood-resilient bridge across the Hawkesbury River that would loop around North Richmond and relieve congestion at the intersection of Grose Vale Road, Bells Line and the Terrace. Now we're told by Labor that that money isn't enough.
Two Years in One Minute – A series of Hawkesbury Time Lapse Videos
Live Traffic NSW have automated cameras all over the state, and over eight in the Hawkesbury. I programmed a script to scrape an image from each at around noon for two years (August 2022 – Dec 2024) and compiled the ~700+ images into some time lapses.
Hawkesbury Youth Summit – Opening Address
I was honoured to be asked by the Mayor to give the opening address of the "Hawkesbury Youth 'Festival of New Ideas'" at the Western Sydney University Hawkesbury Campus
Deputy Mayor Nathan Zamprogno
(opens in a new tab)The page of the Independent Deputy Mayor of Hawkesbury City Council, Nathan Zamprogno.
𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘄𝗸𝗲𝘀𝗯𝘂𝗿𝘆
Services are being held around the district to mark Remembrance Day – marking the end of WW1.
At Freemans Reach today I laid a wreath with my colleagues Councillor Mike Creed, Councillor Les Sheather and Robyn Preston MP. The well attended service was honoured by the participation of the 320 Unit of the Australian Air Force Cadets, Freemans Reach Rural Fire Brigade, 1st Oakville Scout Group, 1st Glossodia Scouts, and Freemans Reach Public School.
It was very satisfying to see several of my students present and active in the service.
𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗚𝗔𝗘 𝗞𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗬 — 𝗔 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗢𝗥
This morning we woke to the sad news of the sudden passing of Gae Kelly, a passionate advocate for Windsor and someone whose contribution to the Hawkesbury community extended over more than five decades.
Many people will remember Gae for her tireless efforts to preserve and revitalise Windsor’s historic town centre. But her record of community service goes back much further.
In the 1980's, Gae took on the coordination of Stimulus, an early intervention organisation supporting children with disabilities and their families. She worked with the Rotary Club of Windsor to secure dedicated facilities for its growing number of families.
Together with Mike Kelly, she operated Trentino’s on George, and she was involved in bringing people into our town through events such as the Sydney Blues and Roots Festival and the Windsor gas lamp Festival.
More recently, Gae was one of the driving forces behind the Windsor Experience Action Group, which she established in 2023 alongside former Mayor Wendy Sledge and Darren Pead.
I was always struck by her endless, positive energy and enthusiasm for the Hawkesbury, and we will miss her very much. My thoughts are with her devoted husband Mike and the family.
The Windsor Experience
I Love Windsor, NSW, Australia
Windsor, NSW - Gas Lamp Capital of Australia
𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗦𝗔𝗙𝗘𝗧𝗬 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗙𝗢𝗖𝗨𝗦
Last night an important community meeting sponsored by the Hawkesbury Business Group was held at Windsor RSL to bring the issue of flood safety back onto the agenda.
My view is that shelving the proposal to raise Warragamba Dam was a backward step. The proposal we heard about last night recognises that in the absence of political will to raise the dam, we must examine other alternatives. The new proposal the Business Group have introduced involves tunnels to shortcut the chokepoints of the river around Sackville and lessen the "bathtub effect". I do not know whether this will work, or whether it is cost-effective compared to other solutions. It is worth investigating.
The Labor government of Chris Minns promised to build levees within two years of their election in 2023, and haven't.
Then they completed a Disaster Adaptation Report that would provide crucial guidance, and have refused to release it for over a year. This is not good enough.
Here are my remarks, preceded by a message I read out from Mary Lyons-Buckett - Mayor of Hawkesbury.
I was joined by my colleagues Robyn Preston MP, Councillor Les Sheather, Councillor Mike Creed, Councillor Peter Ryan, Councillor Jill Reardon, Councillor Shane Djuric and Councillor Eddie Dogramaci. It was broadcast live by Kathryn Gene from Pulse 89.9FM Radio
Can’t attend tonight’s community meeting on flooding at Windsor RSL? I’ll try to webcast it here. It’s also being broadcast live on Pulse 89.9FM Radio
Just awful. I’m heartbroken.
This content isn't available at the moment
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it, or it's been deleted.
This Wednesday evening an important community meeting will take place. Convened by the Hawkesbury Business Group the purpose is to put the issue of flood mitigation back on the radar of government for the people who live and trade on the Hawkesbury Nepean catchment.
Venue: Windsor RSL
Date: This Wednesday 4th November
Time: 7pm
Here are some facts:
💧 When the NSW Labor government was elected in March 2023 they promised to ditch a key safety initiative – the long-overdue raising of Warragamba dam. They replaced it with a nebulously defined program that involved levees to safeguard places like Pitt Town and McGraths Hill. They promised to complete that task within two years of election.
It is now nearly four years later, and no levees have been built.
💧 The NSW Government completed a Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley Disaster Adaptation Plan over a year ago which may provide crucial guidance on the kinds of capital works which will make our community safer but they have refused to release it or to answer media questions about it.
💧 The NSW Reconstruction Authority has upgraded its estimate of the number of people who would need to be evacuated in the case of a bad flood to 234,000 people.
I am told that the sponsors of the meeting will be advancing their own idea about a capital program to tunnel through the chokepoints of the river at Sackville in an effort to increase flood-time flows.
I do not know whether this idea is the solution we are looking for, but I do agree that it is worth further exploration because we cannot do nothing when our community faces such an existential risk.
In this video I discuss the upcoming meeting and those risks with local planner, Troy Myers.
NSW Reconstruction Authority
Chris Minns
Janelle Saffin - Member for Lismore
Tonight the NSW RFS - Glossodia Brigade celebrated its 85th anniversary.
These events bring joy to me as they underline the volunteer spirit that makes our community strong.
Congratulations to the brigade members and their families, Captain Peter Morrison, President Paul Crick and newly inducted life members.
I was joined by Susan Templeman MP, Robyn Preston MP, fellow Councillors Les Sheather and Jill Reardon, Superintendent Jonathon Hill and Inspector Ethan Parker from the RFS
Tonight I joined the Mayor, Mary Lyons-Buckett, Councillor Peter Ryan, Councillor Les Sheather, and many friends at the Annual General Meeting of the Hawkesbury Sports Council.
Our governance model delegates the management of our playing fields, 2-and-5 year plans for improvements, and sporting club liaison with this dedicated group of volunteers, who have delivered value and grass roots support for sports clubs across the Hawkesbury for 34 years (although early moves stretched back 39).
We're very grateful for their stewardship.
Here's me with a very old and dear friend, Matthew Austin of Duck Man Sports Media.
That's me at Windsor High School in Year 12 (lower left in photo). I would be embarassed to admit to the year.
Industrial Arts classroom. Engineering Science. Mr Blok (no, really).
And now, 36 years later, I'm dispatching my own students there to sit their HSC exams, starting this week. These symmetries in life please me.
If there's a young person in your life sitting HSC exams in the next few weeks, give them a hug. Tell them you know they will do their best. Remind them that this will not define them for long.
