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Oakville Public School pedestrian and traffic safety improvements a step closer
The business paper just published for next week’s Council meeting contains a significant update for those in the Oakville community. I have been fighting for upgrades to the footpaths, parking, traffic and pedestrian safety around Oakville Public School for many years. I am pleased to report is that detailed costings and engineering plans have finally been completed in an effort to make the project “shovel ready”, but the program is only partially funded.
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.
Councillor Nathan Zamprogno
The page of Independent Hawkesbury City Councillor Nathan Zamprogno
Richmond pool is at the end of its life, and few would argue that an upgrade is not needed. A recent visit taught Councillors that the main pool is leaking 15,000L of water a day.
But Council has a duty to manage its finances wisely. Any proposed improvement can't be rubber-stamped "at any price".
Back in September 2021, the last State government pledged $5billion to infrastructure projects in 15 local government areas in western Sydney in a scheme called "WestInvest".
Eligible Councils were caught on the hop, asked to suggest big ticket infrastructure projects with a limited timeframe. Hawkesbury Council nominated a list that included Woodbury Reserve, Turnbull Oval, North Richmond Community Centre, Fernadell Park, Tamplin Field, Richmond Pool and others and ultimately received nearly $98M of funding across twelve projects. Councillors were not consulted first.
Unfortunately, there was a huge problem. Almost all of the costings estimated for the builds were wrong. So the then-Mayor, State MP and General Manager staged photo-ops and posed smiling alongside glossy architectural posters of the projects – visions in curved glass and steel. Nothing was mentioned about extra debt or whether we could sustain the ongoing running costs these projects would incur.
The Richmond Pool project has now become the most acute example. We were told that the whole thing could be built for $30M. Then it became $60M. Now it's $73.1M. My gut tells me it will go higher still. Residents deserve an upgraded pool, but at what point is the price too high, given Council's financial position and attempts to impose a 39% SRV?
I had been vocally supportive of the project when it was being built with State government money. I was disappointed and cautious when I was told that the project needed extra money. At the April meeting I withdrew my support when a majority of my colleagues, responding to some of the strongest warnings of staff I've encountered that the price had skyrocketed, actually voted to expand the scope of the project by expanding it from a 6-lane indoor pool complex to 8 lanes, adding more millions to the cost.
Council already has an 8 lane pool complex at the Oasis at South Windsor. Now is not the time to gold-plate a project that was already at the upper limit of what represents the frugal management of public funds.
I hate to say it, but what happens when what I warn about in the SMH story happens? When the price gets to $80M, or more? How much is too much for what will undoubtedly be a first class piece of community infrastructure when it opens?
That's the question that concerned me when I voted against the gold-plating of the project. I hope I'm wrong.
The de-paywalled version of today's SMH story:
archive.is/20260502040935/https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/just-like-north-sydney-the-public-p...
The video of the announcement of the pool redevelopment project. It hasn't aged well:
www.facebook.com/share/v/1ZPzotd9wL/
The Regent Theatre - Richmond is back, and how!
Tonight I joined a sold-out crowd and went a little bit country to kick off this precious local landmark's formal re-opening weekend.
Credit is due to owner Michael Dimech and his team who have brought the old girl back to exceed her former glory.
Lovely to hear from local act Ellerie Rose and headliners Sara Berki and William Alexander.
Very proud to see a venue for live entertainment of this quality and size right here in the Hawkesbury.
𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐁𝐄 𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐋 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄?
Last year, I tried to bring a motion that forced Council to publicly disclose the details of certain kinds of plans that developers bring to Council.
I failed. The vote was 6-all and was defeated with the Mayor’s casting vote.
These things are called "Scoping Proposals". At the moment, they're secret, and they shouldn't be.
It's a bedrock principle of accountability that when a developer lodges a proposal via a DA (doesn't require a rezoning) or a Planning Proposal (PP - which does), then it is made publicly available through Council's website (the 'DA tracker' or the 'Planning Portal').
But 'Scoping Proposal' are different. It's a category introduced by State planning authorities a few years ago.
They were designed as the informal 'conversation before the conversation' to see what roadblocks to a proposal need to be ironed out before lodgement. There's nothing wrong with that, except these have grown to be applications in all but name, involving agency input, and Council staff reports.
They aren't published.
Councillors only hear about them by name, and have to ask for the details.
Applications prepared in this way use Council resources to advance them to a significant degree before a 'formal' application finally makes them public.
And this, in an environment where the State wants to halve the amount of time the public can submit comment to developments marked "State Significant". It's an erosion of democracy and accountability.
Proposals I want to talk about (but aren't public) involve carving up historic properties. Resurrecting old applications rejected by the Land and Environment Court. Proposing thousands of houses in new subdivisions.
One expert in the field says they are a sign of uncertainty – because of Council's interminably delayed LEP – another unfortunate consequence of our inability to keep our house in order.
I don't object to measures that improve the efficiency of proposals, but I do object to their secrecy.
What do you think?
It’s encouraging to know that so many people in the Hawkesbury care enough to follow my output as one of your Councillors. Reaching 5,000 followers is a significant milestone.
The Hawkesbury is a truly special place to live and work. There’s so much potential for improvement, but democracy thrives when people are engaged. Thank you!
Please consider moving me from "following" to "favourites" and inviting your friends
The Hawkesbury Show is amazing, and I’ve loved it all my life. Today we had perfect weather. Saw a billion people I know. Saw kids from my school doing us proud. Our community is thriving. Just lovely.
I am saddened to hear of the passing of veteran ABC Journalist James Valentine. I was interviewed by him in 2022 on the subject of raising Warragamba Dam. He was an indispensible part of my childhood and I fondly remember watching him on the TV as a kid on the ABC's "Afternoon Show". He was always gentle, urbane and measured. Vale, James Valentine.
"Hobartville" is another hidden gem of the Hawkesbury, and one of the most historic properties in Australia.
I had a chance to tour it on the weekend organised by the National Trust NSW - Hawkesbury Branch.
Tucked in behind William Cox Drive and Grand Flaneur Avenue in Richmond down a long Elm and Oak lined driveway, the house was built in 1828 on land originally granted to Edward Luttrell in 1804, and then subsequently owned by Lt. William Cox Jr. (not to be confused with his father, the early Hawkesbury Magistrate), Andrew Town, and more recent owners. The property used to encompass much of the suburb of the same name and terminated at Inalls Lane.
The house is a handsome two story neo-Georgian mansion built of locally made sandstock brick, possibly designed by Francis Greenway. Established as a hereford stud and later as a horse stud famous for several Melbourne Cup winners (1867, 1880), the estate covers 9.4 hectares and enjoys lovely views across the flats between Richmond and North Richmond.
Guided by our local historian and living national treasure, Jan Barkley-Jack, we learned about the rich history of the property and the changes in colonial society it marked. I also observed that the house and its curtilage are inseparable, with a series of outbuildings, cottages, stables and yards that are crucial to its value to our heritage after two centuries of habitation.
The property was added to the State Heritage Register in 1999.
With this in mind, I was appalled by a proposal that was lodged to subdivide what is left of the site into 118 houseblocks back in 2020. Thankfully that was knocked back. However, I am sad to report that the threat of subdivision has not gone away and a fight may be needed to save this site once again. I'll speak more of that when I am able.
On the weekend I was honoured to host the inaugural TEDxHawkesbury event at the Richmond School Of Arts.
In my roles as a Councillor and as a local high school teacher I have learned that innovation, connection, and meeting to share and debate good ideas are at the heart of fixing the problems we have in our community and the broader world.
I reflected on the School of Arts as our choice of venue. The SoA is celebrating its 160th anniversary, being opened in 1866 by Sir Henry Parkes. Schools of Arts and Mechanics Institutes were founded around Australia in the 19th century on charters that included providing venues for public education, civic debate, and disseminating what they called ‘useful knowledge’. The fact that the TED organisation’s slogan is 'Ideas worth spreading’ makes me feel like TEDx events are a modern instantiation of this principle.
This event has presented to a Hawkesbury audience wisdom about things as diverse as Artificial Intelligence, mental health, community service, trauma, ecology, disaster resilience, critical thinking and leadership. Having our speakers present from the same stage that once hosted debates about Australian Federation is a big thrill. I was specially proud to introduce two of my own students who gave well-received talks. Susan Templeman MP also joined us, along with representatives from Hawkesbury Radio and The Hawkesbury Gazette.
Thanks are due to the organiser, David Simpson, Stacey Kempton from Prismatic Group, our volunteers, and our nine wonderful speakers which included Scott Hinks - Hawkesbury of the local Lions club, and Dr Michelle Ryan of the Hawkesbury Nepean Platypus Project.
I certainly hope this sold-out event indicates we’ve started something that will continue.
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