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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.
The Cure for Toxic Politics is just an Election Away
Have you noticed how nasty politics has become? I’m tired of it, and I suspect you are too. Thankfully, all such problems can be solved with an election. Read my new editorial appearing in the latest edition of the 'Hawkesbury Post'.
The 2024 Federal Redistribution for Macquarie – for people in a hurry!
On June 14th the Australian Electoral Commission released their proposed new seat boundaries in NSW for the upcoming Federal election.
You may have seen headlines about the seat of North Sydney being abolished, and NSW losing a seat overall in the Parliament, but what does the redistribution mean for people living in the Hawkesbury and the Blue Mountains, in the seat of Macquarie?
Interview on local radio Hawkesbury Radio with “Sparky Sean” Carroll
Hawkesbury Radio Interview with "Sparky Sean" Carroll –June 9th 2024
Councillor Nathan Zamprogno
The page of Independent Hawkesbury City Councillor Nathan Zamprogno
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This week marked a significant historical anniversary. The Vinegar Hill rebellion occurred from the 4th to the 6th of March 1804, 222 years ago. A mob of rebels, who were not all Irish, not all Catholic, and indeed not all Convicts, marched on Castle Hill, seizing arms and grog, and then made for the Hawkesbury seeking reinforcements. They got as far as about Castlebrook cemetary on Windsor Road.
Their leader, Philip Cunningham was captured, and his body hung and gibbeted (that is, put on public display) from the landing of the top floor of the three-story government store, a building now lost but once located close to the old police station in Court St in Windsor.
Last weekend I was honoured to act as Town Crier to remind the citizens of Windsor and invite people to what ended up being a fantastic talk by Jan Barkley-Jack and Helen Mackay at the Hawkesbury Regional Museum.
Many thanks are also due to Pat Schwartz and Dr Cheryl Ballantyne from the Defenders of Thompson Square.
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. Congestion has been worsened by the influx of people and vehicles since the school became a transport interchange for students from other schools. The school has swelled with students coming Hills Shire suburbs like the Gables from east of Boundary Road. This will remain the case until a new Primary school is built there, easily still over a year away.
Thanks are also due to the advocacy of the school under successive Principals, the Oakville PS P&C, and Jane Soper its President.
The new development 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”. They have been endorsed by our local traffic committee, and parts are already funded.
The bad news is that the most needed parts of this plan remain unfunded unless I can persuade my colleagues to prioritise it for the 2027-2028 budget.
An upgrade to intersection of Oakville, Ogden and Hanckel Road will be funded under the Federal blackspot program. This will include new median strips with pedestrian refuge islands.
Extending kerb and guttering on the school sides of both Ogden Road and Oakville Road has been provisionally costed at $155,000 and is unfunded.
Creating new kerb and guttering on the opposite sides of both Ogden and Oakville Roads have been provisionally costed at $250,000 and is unfunded.
1.5m footpath works to fill in the gaps between the existing footpaths and extend down the school side of Oakville Road have been provisionally costed at $80,000 and is unfunded.
I attended this school, as did my sister, my son and (now) both my Nephews. Our association goes back to 1978. I will continue to advocate for these works. I am told that these plans make it easier for Council to make the case for grant funding.
A more detailed version of this post with additional maps, diagrams and links to the Council reports is at my website:
councillorzamprogno.info/2026/03/07/oakville-public-school-pedestrian-and-traffic-safety-improvem...
It was exceedingly unwise for the Liberal Party to seek to bury the report it commissioned into its loss at the last Federal election. I and others made submissions to it, recalling that the Party promised to make it public.
So here it is. I've put the link below. It's just a shame that for those who want the Liberal Party to do better or who simply wanted to read it, the document had to be tabled by the Prime Minister during question time, which must add to the humiliation.
In case you're interested, Macquarie is not mentioned once. The reason is that Macquarie is no longer 'the most marginal seat in the nation', and is now a notionally safe ALP seat. I explained the reasons for this in my own analysis which I offered after the election (see the youtube link below).
My own take on this report is framed by what the report largely leaves out.
The review makes exactly one reference only to Climate Change. Here's the quote: "Young people can be alarmed by false claims, as many have been on climate change..." Wow. Talk about a tin-ear.
The report glosses the co-opting of campaigning by the presence of volunteers from Exclusive Brethren cult at polling places by stating "The Plymouth Brethren are also not the only support group who has been accused of poor behaviour on polling booths; union officials, for example, are frequently criticised for their harassment of voters."
For critical thinking nerds like me, this is a textbook "tu quoque" fallacy and it fails to grasp the serious issue of a cult damaging the brand of the Liberal Party.
The NSW division's internecine factional brawling – something that led to the entire State Council being sacked (and remain sacked to this day) is absent from the report.
What is mentioned is the hobbling of candidates to run effective local campaigns through overly centralised control and a difficulty in getting a response or commitments from head office on funding and issues, which the party definitely suffered from in Macquarie.
The report is fascinating reading. Trying to ban it has caused a massive 'Streisand effect'.
www.smh.com.au/interactive/hub/media/tearout-excerpt/55158/Liberal-Party-election-review-December...
youtu.be/0qCTyrC3lXE?si=MV94blmWiP1KCz3L
Looking forward to the inaugural TEDxHawkesbury event at Richmond School of Arts on Saturday April 18th.
Have you bought your tickets yet?
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Belmont House is a hidden gem of the Hawkesbury set in the grounds of St John of God Richmond Hospital on Grose Vale Road at North Richmond. It is a magnificent mansion in a high Victorian Italianate style built using locally quarried sandstone. It was built for Philip Charley (a founding member of BHP), his wife, eight children and over a dozen staff. The foundation stone was set 134 years ago today!
Today, it is part of a complex devoted to mental health, but the site has a fascinating history that includes the original grant to Archibald Bell (Snr and Jnr, as in Bells line of Road), the Rum rebellion, the future King Edward VII and Breaker Morant!
We had a lovely tour of the house by the Friends of Belmont House led by Brother Julian, Neil Renaud, Joy and Judy. The house would rival any grand estate anywhere in Sydney or even Australia, gilded and crafted in Jarrah and Cedar. No expense was spared, and the grounds are beautiful. The house has been lovingly restored but the work (and expense) are ongoing.
I especially valued the reminiscences of Brother Julian, who has devoted a lifetime in vocation to the site and the work there. He carries a living history of his Order and of the evolution of approaches to mental health.
Another tour will be conducted in June, and will reward any lover of history. Express your interest through their Facebook page.
It’s always exciting to see a new business open in Windsor. Congratulations to Hannah on the grand opening of Hanmade’s Bakehouse in Thompson Square. We stopped by for a meal. I had the Spanish Bread, the Banh Mi and a cuppa. Delicious! @hanmadesbakehouse
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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.I am so pleased that Scott will be speaking at the upcoming TEDxHawkesbury event on April 18th. Tickets are available now.
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