The Hawkesbury-Nepean River Floods - March 2022

Comment on Facebook When this happens, ...

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Loved the last one! It’s a night we’ll spent!

e-Scooters are convenient, environmentally friendly, and fun. I think that the Hawkesbury would benefit from having them in our city. They're just like any scooter, but with a rechargeable battery and an electric motor.

I've recently visited a number of cities that have them, including Canberra, Hobart and Launceston (which is roughly the same size as the Hawkesbury). I was impressed by how the technology has matured.

Most states legalised them years ago. Sadly, NSW have dragged their heels. In our state e-Scooters (both private and rental) are bizarrely still completely illegal. But this is changing.

In April 2022, the Transport Minister Rob Stokes announced a trial program. Any NSW Council can express interest in joining the trial, and I'm moving a motion to next Tuesday's Council meeting for us to do just that.

Their operation is clean, green and silent. They represent an opportunity for us to be at the vanguard of an emerging transport mode that will potentially take cars off the road, free up car- parking spaces in congested town centres, promote tourism, recreational use, improve accessibility, and stimulate the economy.

Council does not need to run or even establish the commercial viability of a rental market – commercial providers make their own decisions about that, but Council should create a regulatory environment where this innovative technology can flourish. There are addressable issues about safety and where they are left but other cities have managed to do this successfully.

My notice of motion is at the link below. I'd like to think this initiative will have broad support.

councillorzamprogno.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Notice-of-Motion-e-Scooter-trial-8thAugust202... ... See MoreSee Less

6 days ago

Comment on Facebook e-Scooters are ...

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If Hawkesbury Council joined the trial, would this mean privately owned scooters could be used legally within the LGA as per the guidelines?

More Greenies propaganda. "Climate Crisis " is a scare campaign! FFS, now they want petrol "Whipper Snippers" and "Petrol Lawn Mowers" banned. Tell me how you can mow or weed wack 5 acres with a battery machine? What's next?, your diesel tractor, your generator? Pileburns....they want them banned! Woodheaters...want them banned! Get real!

Definitely supported, thank you. Would also be ideal to include use of privately owned scooters being legalised in NSW.

Many cities around QLD also have fantastic cycleways that improve connectivity and liveability. People conveniently cycle/scooter to work, including people in full suits and briefcases. We don’t have sufficient walking paths, let alone cycle ways in the Hawkesbury. It is something I have been suggesting for a while on the have your say surveys. I think these improved cycleways and walkways need to be implemented first.

I don’t think the Hawkesbury is a suitable place to trial this. We don’t have enough suitable pathways and our population is spread out considerably. It would be better suited to suburban cities with a more dense/concentrated population.

What’s wrong with people? Are they afraid to walk where they want to go? These scooters are ok but not on the footpaths in the shopping centres.

Build more bike lanes first around the Hawkesbury and then they can use the scooters there.

I like the idea in theory but the main reason I leave the house is to shop or teach and both require me to carry a lot of stuff. If I lived in the city and wanted to get a loaf of bread or a coffee or go see a movie, then it would make sense.

I'm all for as long as I can ride an unregistered 250 dirt bike on the foot paths and roads legally

Having spent some time on one around Austin TX, I agree they are incredibly convenient and an efficient way to get around a city. BUT... Most of the sidewalks had already been configured with concrete ramps at intersections. And Austin is a fairly young 'hip' town. There were no helmet laws for scooter riders when I was there (2019). And you could ride on both the sidewalk and the street as you saw fit. Hawkesbury has an older average demographic. You should be asking 70 year olds how they feel about sharing the footpath with young folk whistling up beside them at speed on razor-sharp deathcycles (I'm not kidding -when you have paper-thin skin and bleed from a scrape that you wouldn't have even noticed in your 50s, e-scooters look like something out of Mad Max) If they make them legal, will there be helmet laws? Will they be confined to the street only? Will there be minimum age? Will they need to be registered?

Yes I think they are a convenient mobility scooter for older people that easily fits in a vehicle and easy to lift.

Hell no, the drivers on the roads in the hawkesbury are shocking, we don't need them on the footpaths too

Absolutely not, they will just get dumped were ever someone feels like leaving them, just like the electric bikes

And when an elderly or vulnerable person is injured by one are they compensated.? Not everyone is considering others. What is the injury data? Accident data ? More research required.

Not on the footpaths. Separate riding track for them.

All these places have more footpaths than the Hawkesbury. You can get from Moonah to Hobart and have a footpaths all the way. Same with getting from northbourne Ave in canberra to parliament house.

If I purchase an electric scooter, its illegal to ride anywhere except private property. But some company can rent them out and you can ride them publicly almost anywhere. How does thst work?

Love the idea .

Didn't Bondi have a lot of problems with pedestrians being hit?

No There Dangerous To Perdestrians

Bree Putland perhaps a new mode of transport to drive into the potholes?

A friend of mine in the inner west rides an e scooter all over the place. I did not realise they were not legal.

Great idea Nathan. Scooters are only dangerous in the hands of an idiot like most other things. Anything the promotes more people out of cars is a good thing. Too many people jump in their car for trips less than 1km, lazy, unless you’re old or debilitated.

You have obviously never been run down by a idiot riding one on the footpath- so dangerous especially with the elderly and small children around- there us no fixing stupid and sadly they are many

As someone who rode a manual scooter for years. For the scared, here is a tip to not get hit , by anyone, don't freak out when someone is approaching. Just be normal because 9 out of 10 times you are being erratic and jumping in the way, just let them move around you. That stupid person riding an electric scooter could instead be on a manual scooter, bike or driving a car. Please pursue this Nathan.

Our river communities have had an awful time over the last two years. Flood after flood have left them bowed, but unbroken.

I went to a very well attended meeting tonight, hosted by the Paradise Cafe at Lower Portland to listen to locals talk about their experiences and to discuss what can be done.

These people live and trade at ground zero.
Where we met and sat — the water only a month ago would have been over our heads and up to the windowsills in the pictures below.

It’s their homes and livelihoods at stake. The message I heard was clear: change the legislation to allow Warragamba Dam to be drawn down in seasons of high rainfall. Cut red tape for landowners needing to remediate their riverbanks and properties either riddled with sinkholes or buried in sand. Fix the damaged roads and bridges. And most of all: commit to raising Warragamba Dam as a matter of bipartisan urgency.

I was heartened to be joined by Robyn Preston MP - Member for Hawkesbury, my fellow Hawkesbury Councillors Les Sheather and Eddie Dogramaci, Dr Peter Gangemi - Mayor of The Hills Shire Council and The Hills Shire Council colleagues Councillor Mitchell Blue and Virginia Ellis.

Butterfly Farm & Ski Gardens and Indy 800 Kart Track
Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler
Lower Portland Community
Lower Portland RFB
Lower Portland On The Hawkesbury
Juniors on Hawkesbury
Newall's Caravan Park
Hawkesbury Riverside Gardens
Hawkesbury Riverside Retreat
Dargle Water Ski Park
Torrens Water Ski Gardens and Caravan Park
Ulinbawn Ski Park Sackville
Residents of Sackville Ski Gardens
Sackville Ski Gardens
Tizzana Winery
Bielany Camp Colo River
Colo River Holiday Park (CRHP)
Colo River Hideaway
Colo River Holiday Park ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago

Comment on Facebook Our river ...

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There where approximately another 40 residents that sent their apologies as they could not safely return from the meeting late in the evening on the flood detour. They are still, after a year and a half, asking for support access in response to flood recovery from the riverbank damage.

I don't think anyone can wait for your Damn Dam wall to be raised to be honest. Can you please put some pressure on getting the water slowly released from the dam starting immediately. That's what everyone is begging for.its not rocket science and it may save people in the next predicted flood coming very soon.

To raise Warragamba Dam wall does nothing due to flood waters coming out of Erskine Creek and Grose River - the latter was significant in contributing to Hawkesbury floods of March 2021. Legislation ought be altered immediately to allow for drawdown - or the new 100% level ought be the current 70% level, say.

I’d be interested to know what was said about the dam raising as it is portrayed here as the highlight of the meeting.

Any comment regarding this article Councillor Nathan Zamprogno "The NSW Government has ruled out drawing down Warragamba Dam ahead of the next major flood event leaving residents and business at the mercy of the weather. The news comes as the Premier today announced that he has axed Resilience NSW, in a stunning admission that the government’s emergency services and disaster management has failed. The announcement comes ahead of what is expected to be a damning report into the NSW government's flood response and as the state faces another major weather event with dams at full capacity, soils soaked, rivers full and riverbank land collapsed. But rather than bring in measures to help protect flood ravaged communities from the next flood, the government has moved to shift the blame for the for its own abject failures to respond to any recent disasters by sacking national hero and head of Resilience NSW, Shane Fitzsimmons. Following four major floods, no measures have been taken to protect the valley from the next flood which will cause unprecedented damage to farms, property, residences and businesses. In response to questions from Hawkesbury Matters this week, the NSW government confirmed it has no plans to draw down Warragamba Dam (at all) ahead of the next flood event leaving the Hawkesbury community to its watery fate...again. Hawkesbury Matters asked the Premier’s office four questions about flood preparedness before the next rain event. Just one was answered confirming no action would be taken to mitigate Warragamba Dam to protect the community. Pointing to a 2021 government document, the Premier’s office cites water security as the primary reason for taking no action to protect the valley ahead of the next flood. Document can be read here: nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/... The document also claims Warragamba Dam isn’t large enough to provide meaningful benefits in a flood should it be mitigated. This is inconsistent with their own analysis which established that the Windsor peak would have been reduced by two metres in March 2021 had the dam been drawn down 12m. Since 2020 the NSW government has dithered on the subject of rainfall independent water supply by looking at alternatives including desalination and grey water. This is seen to be critical to protect the state from both droughts and the impacts of flooding. Flooding in NSW is estimated to have cost the economy $5.1 billion. Riverbanks are continuing to fall into the river on a daily basis, thousands of acres of land have been rendered unusable and businesses have closed. The government’s response to the crisis has left the community in despair. Not only has the government failed to bring in new measures to protect residents and property, but residents are still required to go through the long and expensive process of obtaining development approvals to protect their land from the next flood which may be just weeks away. Here are HM’s four questions to the Premier and his one answer: 1. Last week the Hawkesbury Mayor, Patrick Connolly said that the NSW government would not allow Warragamba Dam to be drawn down 12m to help mitigate against flooding. Could you please let me know whether this is correct and provide me with the Government's official view on using the current dam as a flood mitigation dam and drawing it down by 12m? Response - "Thank you for your inquiry. A useful resource regarding the operation of Warragamba Dam is available on the Infrastructure NSW website as part of the Resilient Valley, Resilient Communities communications and is available here warragamba-dam-and-flooding_faqs.pdf (nsw.gov.au). This has been put together by the relevant NSW Government agencies. Further information is available here: Infrastructure NSW : Publications and Resources Kind regards, Office of the NSW Premier" 2. The State government has taken responsibility for the damaged levy bank at Cornwallis. Could you please outline what is being done to repair the damaged levy bank and land at Cornwallis before the next expected flood event this spring? No response 3. Will the state government be arranging for drainage in the Richmond Lowlands and Cornwallis to be cleared ahead of the next flood event? If so, could you please outline what steps are being taken for this to happen? No response 4. Will changes be made to flood grants eligibility for Primary Producers who are not classified as primary producers under the flood grants? For example, the equine industry and other industries are classified as Primary Producers for ATO purposes but are excluded from the flood grants because they are not classified as Primary Producers for the purposes of the grants. No response"

Julie Sullivan

Were all Clrs invited to this meeting ?

Was our mayor There

Charmaine Clark

I was pleased to represent Patrick Conolly - Mayor of Hawkesbury at a public lecture given tonight by one of Australia’s national living treasures, the Reverend Tim Costello, hosted by the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta.
As a teacher of ethics, I was drawn to the subject of the lecture, which was “The Role of Ethical Leadership in Delivering a Fairer and More Ethical Society”.
I found plenty that I both agreed and disagreed with, which is as it should be! ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago

Comment on Facebook I was pleased to ...

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👍 Good that you attended. I would be interested to know what you agreed and disagreed with.

Very true Nathan 👍🏻

Viva la debate!

What a fantastic subject!

“Ethical leadership” is impossible in a society like ours where everyone has their own set of ethical values. Whose “ethics” shall the so-called leader promote?

Play

The debacle that is the Grose River Bridge project

When the Redbank developers promised they'd build a bridge across the Grose River back in 2012, they said the bridge would be completed by the time the development had sold 641 lots.

It's now ten years later, the Redbank estate has sold over 700 lots, and not a single sod has been turned. Most of the blame lays with Council, who inked a weak planning agreement with the developers, and who then changed their mind about where they wanted the bridge and approach roads to be built when the first location was recognised as a poor choice.

I've had a lot to say about this before (see link below, to my earlier explainer video), and last week Council faced the latest twist. Finally, a revised route and agreement has been placed on exhibition, but some, like the Wilcox family reported widely in the media, are facing a heavy cost.

I am not satisfied that we have explored every option to both get the project back on track, and to spare homes from unecessary demolition. Public submissions on the new VPA are invited now.

My earlier explainer from last August: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuF-kUkjoSY

Link to make a submission during the VPA exhibition period: www.yourhawkesbury-yoursay.com.au/grose-river-bridge-yarramundi ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

Comment on Facebook 457900853010058

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Let’s hope Mr Zamprogno that you are as open and transparent after you have have your behind the scenes meeting with the council staff reviewing why the Starr Property was to be avoided. Listening to the General Manager trying to deceive councillors and the public by suggesting it was to impact less properties is reprehensible given the proposed route impacts more land owners and she is well aware of this. That the Hawkesbury Mayor simply says they can’t find crucial documents explaining why the Wilcox’s farm should be acquired is not acceptable to the community and should not be acceptable to our elected councillors who supposedly representing us.

Then I think there are three major issues that need to be resolved. 1. The council and/or employees of the council be held accountable over the handling of this project and the immense pain that this has put on the Wilcox Family in particular and 2. That the original or alternate route that uses vacant land or at least minimises the impact to owners land be sort after and agreed to. And then finally 3. The bridge be built.

Before I could support this bridge I would like three answers. 1) Traffic impact at Springwood Rd and Castlereagh Rd intersection at peak hour 2) Traffic study on vehicles passing Grose View School during pick up and drop off times 3) Expected travel times during floods from North Richmond to Penrith because there will be a lot of vehicles trying to access this route and some people suspect a traffic jam from Glossodia to Springwood.

Council has a lot to answer for, build the bridge! Unfortunately not 100% of people are going to be happy where ever it is less talk more action required.

Nathan. The General Manager states that up to 5 or 6 properties may need to be partially acquired to amend the route, this is incorrect! If they partially acquired 6 properties on Grose River Rd that would be over 1 kilometre of property acquisitions including my property. The reality would be 1 additional partial acquisition. The other important question is what speed are they designing this bridge too because this will impact the design. If the bridge is being designed to the downgraded speed of Grose River Rd at 60km/h they may not even need to acquire 1 additional property. I suspect they are designing the bridge route speed to 80 or 100km to over exaggerate the land required to compulsory acquire. No more smoke and mirrors please!

How about a bridge that starts at where the new round about is being built on the cross between Grose view and Grose River Road that goes straight over Navua Reserve with minimal impact and all the way to Castlereagh Road so when the next floods hit there is an exit route. Saves time with people heading to Penrith for work and lowers the traffic heading towards the North Richmond Bridge..... just saying it would make so much sense 🤷‍♀️

Get the bridge built NOW no more bloody delays.

So if the Grose river bridge is funded by Redbank communities and was part of the development deal what and where is the crossing approved and announced by the federal government last year please?

If it was a Redbank development condition: GET THE BRIDGE BUILT..

Redbank has been playing the game for years trying to get out of it grubs

Wow some truths well done

Wow, you would have thought this deal was signed and sealed before any development began?

James Kirkwood

Play

A Current Affair story - Raise Warragamba Dam Wall! (25th July 2022)

Channel Nine's A Current Affair program broadcast a strong story on Monday night about the plight of landowners who are sick of waiting for the State Government to act on the flood risk to the Hawkesbury Nepean River.

Brad Trethowan from Pitt Town is sick of his property flooding for the third time in two years.
Paul Saad from Southern Cross Turf and Graham and Troy from Dad & Dave’s Turf rue the delay to the dam raising project that could have spared their farms from inundation.

Lowering the full storage level will make a small difference, but it isn't enough. Stuart Ayres MP, let’s get this done. ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

Comment on Facebook 457123073087836

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The environmental damage to the hawkesbury river from these three major flood events has been devastating the animals have been wiped out many well established trees gone river banks destroyed but that professor doesn’t discuss that even one month on there is rubbish and plastic everywhere like the friendship bridge at Pitt town Bottoms shown in that story

This guy needs to come and help clean up somebody’s flooded house

This is also our 2nd flood this year with water in our house but not our first flood. The thing is we can talk about this till we are blue in the face nothing will be done. Everyone has been talking about this 10 years ago and 10 years later we are still talking about it. The Greenies will never let it happen and the Govt don’t have the balls to do it. Unfortunately us of the Hawkesbury have to continue to live with this while the rule makers fight with each other. I have had enough also. Something has to be done and done now. We are well aware that another significant rain event is happening this year in Sept/Oct why can’t we start releasing water now bit by bit instead of waiting till we are in full flight of the floods. Raise the wall, release water earlier and stop building little communities in the area where their stormwater affects the flood plains running into the creeks. Hawkesbury is acreage not houses with no backyard and 10 families in one house. Sorry but it is frustrating and annoying to see this happening. This is not progress this is councils money raising and being selfish. Rant over

ok, I'm not against raising wall but has anyone investigated whether it is safe to do this? Need a very detailed engineering report on whether current wall/foundations can support higher wall & more water pressure.

Make the Dam bigger ! Dig out more channels. Regarding the wall, its getting old and may need maintenance in the near future. We need more Dams built while we are in a glut of rain atm build it to catch it all. Because the droughts will come back and last a few years again as history keeps showing us. They could also look into building another dam further up from warragamba with another wall, that can pump the water through. I feel for all those people effected, very sad

I'm very much affected by this flooding also 3 times is the last 18 months and to say I'm over it is an understatement. But let's look at this logically the dam was built to hold water not release it below the spillway correct. Yes the dam has a spillway once it reaches 95% but I can't see any reason why they would have built it so we can just dump water below the spillway just seems silly. In my opinion raising the wall is the best option but I'm sure that will take 4 to 5 years to complete and by then all this rain will be over.

Yes release the water now sos Flood due in Sept And yes to dam wall but that will take another 10 years !!! Investigate - pump the water pipe the water make energy from the moving water !!! Stop the flooding !!!

The rules for the dam to be used purely for water storage were drafted in 1962, 60 years ago!! That is 4 or 5 million people ago. The Greater Sydney Met has grown phenomenally since then. The amount of storm water runoff, and change to the landscape, must force change to dam management in the short term - NOW!!

Has the Sild ever been cleaned out of the 50 years it's been there is that why they want let it out b4 the weather event because of the capacity of sluge higher than the water level Sydney might run out out of water sorry to all that was effected but it's only going to get worse we r screwed in September to October another flood has been listed to happen 5 meters higher that means even Parramatta wil flood and the only way out is up the Blue Mountains oh but hang on the rivers are b4 mountains so how do we evacuate

Wait until the new airport is finished South Creek inlet to the hawesbury wil b double the amount of water so the wall isn't going to help

Rubbish re raising the dam wall - it is scaremongering. They won’t be in power when the wall is raised anyway.

Change the legislation- no to raising the dam wall. Listen to the people.

More water/Higher wall is not the answer, built a dual purpose tunnel through the mountains

Or ban births

Build another dam near it all the access water can go to Sydney's back up dam

Megaera Fagan Caroline Collen Julian Dirou Steve Fegen

Paige Hooper Ryan Hooper Geoff Werner

Luke Curran

This Hawkesbury river height at Windsor on the Monday of the flood period. The flat line is the river from Thursday till after Midnight Sunday. The steep line is when the Dam spilled. The dam was around 97% leading up to the weekend meaning if you spit in it they would have to spill. What the minister is more concerned about in regards to spilling is not the loss of drinking water it is the revenue lost from dumping water into the river as water Nsw sells water to Sydney water, ker-ching over lives . To hold 97% water in the dam when a predicted rain event is coming is criminally negligent and quite possibly could lead to involuntary manslaughter. Councillor Nathan Zamprogno what is the official word on the rumours doing the rounds now of another flood in sept/ oct? Numbers around 19 mtrs have been mentioned by 2 people I’ve spoken to. If long term forecasters are predicting something like that we all need to know.

James Burn

Tbh I don’t really care what happened at the north Richmond bridge but the flood in my backyard WAS directly related to the dam. If the dam had been 80% not 97% the 2.2 mtrs of water I had I most likely wouldn’t have had. The last one had the idiots spilling between 300-350 gig, on the big day they spilled at 400 gig and I went 1.95 under. The report from the early 90’s flood even said poor dam management and a king high tide was responsible then and called for better waterway management

So this guy thinks it’s better to flood thousands of houses because there’s caves with rock art in them what a load of shit

Water officials have said (on public forums) that Waragamba will never be used as flood mitigation damn, even if raised.

Suzette Lee Turner