Working hard for the Hawkesbury community

If there was any doubt that the election silly-season is upon us, this week's Council meeting should leave you in no doubt.
Two things in particular stand out – variations on the same theme, one might say.
I regard two motions that came to Council for us to abandon relationships with two regional bodies WSROC and HRCC (which we have been a member of for 73 years), to be lazy, reckless vandalism. 

Overwhelmingly, the biggest problem Council has with developing masterplans for our parks is there is no money allocated to execute the plans once they're made. In this term I have lamented that community consultation and masterplanning processes raise community expectations, only to dash them with no follow-through...

Jenolan Caves is a much loved tourist destination, not far from the Hawkesbury. When I visited in January, I found it in a shocking state. Here's what I did.

Recently, at the Australian Local Government Conference in Canberra, I was briefed about some surprising COVID statistics. Here's what I learned.

In 2004, the Hawkesbury River was choked with weeds. Hard work and co-operation between three tiers of government cleared the river up. Now, short-sighted policy is putting all that at risk. I'm fighting for a better deal.

Support for Local Government as a fraction of Federal taxation revenue has halved since 1996. Worse, Councils have no recognition in the Constitution. I went to Canberra to put the case for better representation.

Councillors get laptops, phones, printers, iPads and modems to undertake their work for Council.
However, I felt that the policy that governs what Councillors get is wasteful and inefficient. I put a motion before Council to reform this policy and save Council some money.

Most residents are unaware of a proposal to build a large Motel on the site of the Millers Nursery Site at McGraths Hill. That's because the 'Planning Panels' that adjudicate these applications are not elected or accountable to voters. I'm unhappy about that.

Being a good local government representative means understanding the landscape that Councils inhabit, and the way we interact with other tiers of government. So, it's well to pay attention when the State Government announces potential shifts in policy.

Oakville Oval is one of 23 different playing fields, and one of the 215 parks and reserves around the Hawkesbury.
I've been a user of the oval all my life. Given the amount of use by the community, I feel this Oval is looking a little tired and needs some care and investment.

February 2021 brought new devastation to the Hawkesbury in the worst flooding in 30 years. Out of the distress and destruction of property has arisen the real spirit of our local community, which has rallied magnificently. Here's my full coverage, including videos which have reached tens of thousands.

Seven years after announcing a market-based approach to the installation of Smart Meters to your home, most of our larger electricity retailers have dropped the ball badly. Here's how to get a free smart meter. I did it.