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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.
Two Years in One Minute – A series of Hawkesbury Time Lapse Videos
Live Traffic NSW have automated cameras all over the state, and over eight in the Hawkesbury. I programmed a script to scrape an image from each at around noon for two years (August 2022 – Dec 2024) and compiled the ~700+ images into some time lapses.
Hawkesbury Youth Summit – Opening Address
I was honoured to be asked by the Mayor to give the opening address of the "Hawkesbury Youth 'Festival of New Ideas'" at the Western Sydney University Hawkesbury Campus
Throwback Thursday – the 1998 Resolve Chemicals fire at Wilberforce
CHEMICAL FIRE AT WILBERFORCE: At 2216hrs on Sunday 12th July, 1998, Hawkesbury Fire Control received advice from 000 of a structure alight in the Woodlands Industrial Estate, WIiberforce. The township of Wilberforce has over 100 homes and light industry and is located In the City of Hawkesbury approximately 60km north west of Sydney.
Pre-election Interview with Shaun Willams of Hawkesbury Radio
I leave it all on the field with this one.
The invitation to sit down with Shaun Willams from Hawkesbury Radio this close to the election was the perfect opportunity to take the gloves off and talk about what's really at stake this time.
Lost opportunities and broken promises – The case for change
Between them, Liberal and Labor have held the Mayoralty on Hawkesbury Council for seventeen of the last twenty years, with effective control of the chamber. Some would say, it shows.
Thank you to Superintendent Karen Hodges AFSM for your service
Superintendent Karen Hodges has been with NSW RFS - Hawkesbury District since the late 1980s. Now, after over 35 years of service, she is moving on. Council brought a motion of thanks and farewell, which I was happy to support.
Councillor Nathan Zamprogno
The page of Independent Hawkesbury City Councillor Nathan Zamprogno
Do you know how much debt Council is in? No? Would you even know where to look?
With so much discussion around Council's financial management, I've managed to score a win for some transparency in the way we report this.
As I point out in this speech, figures that I suspect most ratepayers would like a clear presentation of includes how much debt Council is in, how it's changed, and how we measure up to our neighbours and demographic peers.
I expected a fight; to need to move a motion to get something simple: a better summary of debt in our Annual Report. Instead, Council staff commendably took up my suggestion and have recently responded to me with this:
“𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥, 𝐝𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬.
𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭.”
I thank our staff for their proactive stance in response to my suggestion.
Oh, and to answer my earlier question:
Council's current debt stands at $54,809,000.
In 2009, Council had zero debt.
The Richmond Pool project cost-blowout alone may add an additional $43,000,000 of debt to Council, which is why I regretfully had to withdraw my support for it.
Look forward to a big announcement from me soon about a project aimed at improving transparency and access to Council data.
What do you think?
My family's roots are in both the Hawkesbury and Hills District. My great-great grandfather James Holland was a founder of the Anglican fellowship in Glenhaven which is now the Emmanuel Church.
I was delighted to attend the church's 140th anniversary celebrations recently along with Julian Leeser MP, Dr Michelle Byrne - Mayor of the Hills Shire Council, Councillor Frank De Masi and Councillor Mitchell Blue - The Hills Shire Council.
I took my mother and our cousin who were able to share their own memories of Glenhaven in an era when it was much more rural.
We have so much history in our communities, and I'm glad that we can celebrate it.
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Thanks to John Ruddick MLC - Libertarian and to Troy from Urban City Group for their advocacy about Detached Dual Occupancy.
People are asking me regularly about our own Council’s initiative in this area which I moved at the Council last year. We’ve been given a deadline of August to get it finished. I’ve asked for an update from staff about our progress towards this goal and am awaiting a response.
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Today I was saddened to hear of the passing of Brett Wild, Chairman of the Taskforce Veteran organisation and a tireless advocate for the restoration of the Scheyville Military Precinct at Scheyville National Park.
Brett was instrumental in securing Federal funding to arrest the decline of the buildings and find adaptive reuse for the site as a Veterans hub and military museum.
The site is special to me and I've taken an interest its history. I was saving this footage for a longer project I am working on documenting the history of the site, which also includes the Dreadnought scheme, the Scheyville Migrant Camp and the Officer Training Unit of the Australian Army.
However it seems more appropriate to share Brett's words here, recorded in February 2025 as a tribute to his vision for Veterans and to preserve this unique site in our local history.
Vale, Brett Wild.
www.facebook.com/share/p/1EHB8ytydr/
The King’s Birthday Awards have just been announced.
I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to NSW SES Hawkesbury Unit Commander Kevin Jones, who has been awarded the Emergency Services Medal.
The citation accompanying the award says the following:
"Mr Kevin Jones has been at the forefront of operations at the NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES) for more than 52 years. Having joined the Hawkesbury Unit at just 14 years old, he has gone on to serve in many leadership roles including local commander and unit commander.
Mr Jones has personally attended thousands of rescue operations, including road crashes, industrial and domestic rescues, large animal rescues, vertical rescues, and flood emergencies. A defining example of his courage occurred during the historic Colo River flood in March 1978, where, at just 18 years old, he saved the life of a pregnant woman in treacherous floodwaters, an act that underscores his exceptional skill and bravery under extreme hazard.
Over the last ten years alone, Mr Jones has responded to more than 600 individual rescue incidents in addition to leading major flood and storm operations on the Hawkesbury River, one of Australia’s highest flood-risk areas. His operational leadership ensures rapid, effective responses during critical emergencies. Recognising the need for local capability, Mr Jones was instrumental in establishing the Hawkesbury SES Rescue Unit in 1985, which has grown into one of the state’s most advanced volunteer rescue units. He has driven innovation in vehicle and vessel design, equipment trials, and best-practice rescue techniques. Under his guidance, the Hawkesbury Unit has supported training and capability development for NSW SES teams, from the North Coast to the Far West, ensuring statewide improvements in safety and operational standards.
Mr Jones’s leadership has not only strengthened the Hawkesbury Unit but has also influenced generations of emergency service professionals. His mentorship has helped recruit and train hundreds of volunteers. His contributions have left a lasting legacy of resilience, capability, and excellence within the NSW SES."
NSW SES
Western Sydney NSW SES
honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/search?searchText=Kevin%20Jones&awardYear=2026
The Windsor gas lamp Festival last night was a great success. Many dressed up for the occasion to add to the spirit. The Governor Macquarie Memorial Pipe Band provided the tunes. Just wonderful! So proud of my community.
I Love Windsor, NSW, Australia
Simon's Cafe
Daddy's Burgers 'n Wings
Tonight I was honoured to serve as MC for the “Canapés Under the Stars” event in Windsor mall to kick of the Windsor gas lamp Festival over the long weekend.
This is just what we need – businesses combining to bring people to our town centres.
Perfect, crisp weather. Great food and a marvellous community feel.
Many thanks are due to Mike N Gae Kelly of the The Windsor Experience Action Group, Darren Pead of Delicious Desserts - Windsor, Harry Singh of Simon's Cafe, and other contributing businesses like 89 thai restaurant, I Sapori, Daddy's Burgers 'n Wings, Crust Pizza, Australia's Outback Bakehouse, and Windsor Chinese Restaurant.
My colleague Councillor Shane Djuric and Robyn Preston MP were also present and supportive!
Please come to Windsor Mall on Saturday afternoon/evening for a parade, entertainment and good food!
As expected, IPART has approved Council’s full 39.4% rate rise.
I voted against this rise.
I thank those who contacted me to tell me they had made their own submission to IPART.
Council has turned off the ability to comment on their own post, but I haven’t!
What do you think?
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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.
We were sorting through old things at my parents tonight and I found these photos I took of a function at the Oakville Rural Fire Brigade in the early 1990s.
I think it was the formal opening of the new annex to the main shed. Pictured are Fire Control Officer Bill Rodger, Mayor Rex Stubbs, Deputy FCO Karen Hodges, Captain Peter Speet, and Brigade President Ian Nicholson.
I was an active member back in those days and I miss those in the photo who are no longer with us.
NSW RFS Heritage
NSW RFS Hawkesbury Catering Brigade
Hawkesbury Headquarters Rural Fire Brigade
Hawkesbury RFS Members
NSW RFS - Hawkesbury District
