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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
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
A huge swathe of what is left of open space east of Boundary Road is set to be carved up into a further 1260 houses in an estate imaginitively labelled "West Gables".
For reference, the bottom left corner of the map below is the roundabout of Old Pitt Town Road and Boundary Road.
This area is in Hills Shire Council, and the plans are on exhibition until Monday, 23 February 2026.
However, there is nothing stopping residents of the Hawkesbury from making a submission (link below), which I encourage you to do.
My opinion: The standard of development we have seen east of Boundary Road has consistently been of a terrible quality. Terry Road is still a patchwork quilt. Traffic lights at the intersection of Fontana Drive arrived years after serious accidents started happening. Houses are too crowded, and are of an architecturally low standard. Almost all trees have been removed with little effort to site a new community in harmony within its landscape.
The delay in creating new schooling has put a huge burden on Oakville and Maraylya Public Schools with no additional funding provided to manage parking, paving or traffic.
The existing development has increased traffic and damaged the amenity of rural Oakville, Maraylya and beyond. Adding another 1260 houses will make it worse.
The designated area could easily be rezoned to permit 1 or 2 acre lots but it won't for one reason: money.
What has been done, and what is proposed represents everything we are right to lament as a race to the bottom in urban design and Hills Council should be ashamed of it.
Despite this, only one Councillor (thank you Reena Jethi) saw fit to vote against it when it came to Hills Council for a vote in July 2024.
www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/News-and-Publications/Have-Your-Say-on-the-West-Gables-Planning-Proposal
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO, 37th Governor of New South Wales and patron of many community organisations. She was 95.
On the many occasions we met, and on her frequent visits to the Hawkesbury she always struck me as a kind and genuinely interested person. She was the second longest serving Governor in the State’s history. I always appreciated she came from a background in the Sciences.
Vale, Dame Marie.
Hawkesbury Council has a huge dilemma. We were given millions of dollars in funding from the "WestInvest" scheme to build a variety of capital improvements across the Hawkesbury.
MPs and Mayors came out for splashy photo-ops. Then we discovered that most of these projects would cost millions more to build than we had been given money for. "Cut price" options that only spend the money we've been given are off the table, we are told.
So the choice before us will shortly be: Hand the money back and get nothing, or go into significantly more debt to build what the community are now expecting.
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 we go into debt to build what would undoubtedly be positive assets for the Hawkesbury, or should we live within our means?
If this interests you, the whole interview is available on my YouTube (please subscribe for updates).
People have asked me how these changes to the way Hawkesbury Council will run meetings starting 2026 fit with the motion I brought to Council to introduce ‘Community Forums’ before Council meetings back in June.
Like the Gazette article explains, what’s going to be implemented has been foisted on us by the State Government. It sucks.
My motion suggested we have a community forum before Council meetings where any resident could speak to us on any local-government related issue. It preserved the right for residents to speak to items on the business paper as they came up in the agenda.
The new Labor imposed rules concatenate the right for speakers into that community forum at the beginning. No one is going to be able to address Councillors on items in the Agenda at the point it’s about to be debated. I am unsure if Councillors can even ask questions of speakers like they can now.
I disagree with this model. It gives, but it takes away.
Labor’s Amanda Kotlash and the Liberals Sarah McMahon and Mike Creed voted against my motion in June and can speak for themselves about why they opposed measures that improve communication and our accountability.
Here's me explaining the motion I brought to the Chamber in conversation with Shaun from Hawkesbury Radio:
www.facebook.com/share/v/1K5r4dCaT7/
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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.
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 Sackville Ferry from the South side.
I'll post the others over the holiday break.
Thanks to Live Traffic NSW and Transport for NSW for the images.
Our Council and all others bear millions of dollars of costs shifted onto local government by other tiers of government. It's not fair. It costs every household over $477 each year.
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 the Federal Government reinstate 1% of Federal txation revenue, like it used to as late as the 1990s?
If this interests you, the whole interview is available on my YouTube (please subscribe for updates).
