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Happy 215th Birthday to the Hawkesbury!
Happy birthday, Hawkesbury! Recently we celebrated the 215th anniversary of Governor Lachlan Macquarie proclaiming the names and locations of what we now know as the "Five Macquarie Towns".
Interview on Hawkesbury Radio – December 2025
Shaun Williams, presenter at the "Common Point" program at Hawkesbury Radio told me we were overdue for a chat. I thought this was a good opportunity to recap the year on Council. We covered a lot of territory! I'll be breaking this up in to more digestable fragments over the Christmas / January break.
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.
Councillor Nathan Zamprogno
The page of Independent Hawkesbury City Councillor Nathan Zamprogno
When a developer lodges a proposal for consideration by Council, it's a bedrock principle that the information is placed on public exhibition for comment and criticism. "Scoping Proposals" have become a way for developers to advance their proposals to a significant degree, occupying Council resources to process, without this public scrutiny. The pretext offered is that such submissions are 'pre-lodgement'. I think people deserve to know about them.
This is the next segment from my interview with Shaun Williams from Hawkesbury Radio.
I am interested in your views, so please let me know what you think. Should 'Scoping Proposals' be used by developers to bypass public scrutiny?
If this interests you, the whole interview is available on my YouTube (please subscribe for updates).
A story in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald says that, if we tally the Sydney residential property sales in each Council area, only 568 Hawkesbury buyers availed themselves of the First Home Buyers Stamp Duty Exemption.
This is only 34% of the 1646 residential sales in total.
Of our neighbours:
Blacktown: 5024 (54% from 9284 sales)
Central Coast: 3370 (37% from 9099 sales)
Penrith: 2688 (55% from 4886 sales)
Hills Shire: 1086 (18% from 6130 sales)
Hornsby: 961 (32% from 2984 sales)
Blue Mountains: 776 (41% from 1887 sales)
This means that , in the Hawkesbury at least, only a third of residential property sales are to people getting into the property market for the first time. Two thirds of people are either upsizing, downsizing, or investing.
Alternatively, the low uptake could be caused by unaffordability, as the grant can only be used to purchase properties under $800K
Data source: SMH/ABS (FHB grant), Valuer General (Property sales. I used 2025 data, but the SMH story did not specify the year of FHB data)
www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/revealed-the-sydney-suburbs-where-first-home-buyers-are-headed-202601...
A Hawkesbury year in 20 seconds!
Here is my annual synopsis of the traffic cameras scattered around the district. ~370 frames taken at noon each day and stitched together into a time-lapse.
This one is Wisemans Ferry looking North.
I have been posting these over the holiday break.
Follow me if you like Hawkesbury local updates like these!
Thanks to Live Traffic NSW and Transport for NSW for the images.
#hawkesbury #Hawkesburyriverlife #hawkesburynsw #hawkesburyriver
I updated my first aid training today at work. When did you last do a refresher course? The life you save may be precious to you.
I want to promote other local pages that residents of the Hawkesbury would benefit from.
Today, I notice that Councillor Peter Ryan has made a foray into social media. He's a good man and a deliberative representative for the whole Hawkesbury, and especially the Pitt Town area where he lives.
As a fomer policeman, and past-president of the Pitt Town Progress Association he brings a good deal of wisdom to our chamber. If you follow me to get a perspective about the Hawkesbury and about Council, then please follow him too!
No Councillor should determine their position on an issue merely by the tone of debate they see on Social media, which tends towards cynicism.
I went into local politics because I wanted people to feel that their Council listens to them and that they have real agency in the decisions our Council takes.
Voters are entitled to judge whether their elected Councillors are doing a good job and representing their values, without attacking Council as an organisation, which is largely staffed by Hawkesbury locals, like us.
This is the next segment from my interview with Shaun Williams from Hawkesbury Radio.
I am interested in your views, so please let me know what you think. Are the all the Hawkesbury Councillors working well together for the good of our community?
If this interests you, the whole interview is available on my YouTube (please subscribe for updates).
Happy Australia Day!
This morning we had the privilege of celebrating the creation of 29 new Australians from 19 different countries at our Citizenship Ceremony.
We also had the privilege of recognising and thanking a cross-section of our local community through our Australia Day Awards.
CONGRATULATIONS TO:
2026 Citizen of the Year: BRUCE EARLE.
Bruce has been the Captain of Freemans Reach Rural Fire Brigade for 20 years, and follows a multi-generational commitment to it and the RFS movement through his parents and grandfather, who founded the Brigade in 1951 .
Also a Cricket tragic, Bruce has served the Hawkesbury Cricket Club and the North Richmond Cricket Club for many years.
2026 Young Citizen of the Year: BAILEY CARLE, a keen young Basketballer.
2026 Local Hero: Jointly awarded to HELEN KNOBBS, who has volunteered at the Hawkesbury Community Kitchen for a remarkable 35 years, cooking and serving meals to those in need.
Also awarded to ANNE MARKS for her services to the conservation and safety of Macropods (Kangaroos, Wallabies etc) through initiatives like Drive Kangaroo Aware.
2026 Environmental Award: Jointly awarded to STEPHEN BROWN and KEVIN O'CONNOR of the Pitt Town Progress Association for their tireless work mowing and beautifying Pitt Town and serving others.
2026 Sportspeople of the Year: Jointly awarded to MACKENZIE PATTERSON HOLLIBONE, a champion Showjumper and volunteer at Sydney Showjumping Club.
Also awarded to LEANNE LEACH, who has chalked up an amazing 53 years of service to the Hawkesbury City Netball Association and Riverstone netball club.
2026 Community Organisation of the Year: BIANCA SANTUCCI from Barking with Bianca.
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At our Citizenship ceremony, I was impressed by the remarks of Wing Commander Andrew Burke of Royal Australian Air Force Richmond, who spoke of what it is that we pledge to uphold when we are or become citizens. He said, in part:
"I invite you to consider how you will defend Australia's values. Because it is our values above all that we fight to defend.
In Australia, we value freedom, respect, fairness, and equality of opportunity.
When we practice freedom and democracy; we defend against tyranny.
When we uphold equality under the law, we defend against injustice.
When we respect each other's beliefs, we defend against prejudice.
Defence of the nation begins at home.
As we look at our communities, both abroad and here at home, we are reminded that the price of peace is constant vigilance.
We must recognise the signs of discontent, division and hatred.
To ward off social decay we must be generous in our assessment of others' intentions, we must be slow to judge, and demonstrate empathy and compassion."
Wise words.
A Hawkesbury year in 20 seconds!
Here is my annual synopsis of the traffic cameras scattered around the district. ~370 frames taken at noon each day and stitched together into a time-lapse.
This one is Wisemans Ferry Road at Cattai Creek.
I have been posting these over the holiday break.
Follow me if you like Hawkesbury local updates like these!
Thanks to Live Traffic NSW and Transport for NSW for the images.
Council received around $20 million to upgrade town centres, including George St in Windsor and Windsor Mall ($18.75M from the 'Western Parkland City Liveability Program' and $1.24 from the 'NSW Greening Our Cities' grant for trees).
Any complex project makes mistakes, and some changes made to alfresco dining in Windsor Mall and Thompson Square have reduced amenity for these businesses. I supported a motion before Council to correct a mistake with garden bed placement in the Mall, and I hope we re-address the issue in Thompson Square. I was disappointed that some Labor and Liberal Councillors opposed this, especially when they craft their public persona around 'supporting small business'. People have noticed.
This is the next segment from my interview with Shaun Williams from Hawkesbury Radio.
I am interested in your views, so please let me know what you think. What do you think of the improvements to our town centres and to Windsor Mall in particular?
If this interests you, the whole interview is available on my YouTube (please subscribe for updates). Simon's Cafe I Love Windsor, NSW, Australia Pinq Fashion Windsor
