Hawkesbury Post April 2024

Our

See page 37

www.hawkesburypost.com.au

Riverbank Nightmare Continues 3 Years On

More than three years after the bank of the Hawkesbury River collapsed at Cornwallis Rd in the Richmond Lowlands, creating an unprecedented environmental disaster, Hawkesbury City Council says it is “too early at this stage to provide a timeline on the completion of the restoration works at Cornwallis.”

In the meantime landowners in the Lowlands are at risk of flooding, land destruction and silt dumping as the collapsed bank - known by locals as Conolly’s Canyon after former mayor Patrick Conolly on whose watch the disaster occurred - has dramatically changed the river’s hydrology.

Thousands of tonnes of landfill brought in to begin fixing the problem by landowners, frustrated with council and government inaction, also risks washing away in a flood and causing environmental damage to the Hawkesbury as the river bank remains unsecured.

The collapsed river bank was caused by a clogged and long-neglected HCC drain in March 2021 and exacerbated by four subsequent floods over the next two years. The bungled attempt to fix the initial problem by Hawkesbury City Council’s Infrastructure Director Will Barton, has seen the work on the project handed to the NSW State Government but the involvement of three government authorities: the NSW Reconstruction Authority, Public Works NSW and Transport for NSW has left the project without a clear owner.

Charlie Saliba, a turf farmer whose property is close to the Canyon told the Hawkesbury Post, he had already lost millions of dollars due to silt from floods and dumped on his 35 acre property. “The floods completely destroyed everything with dirt and silt. We had to start over. There’s still about 20 acres to clean up in the next year, ” Saliba told the Post.

He is furious with HCC. “I have been to that many meetings and nothing happened, they will tell you they are starting next week - for years now - and it’s all a lie. If the river rises again above 4.5/5 metres it will be flooded with water rushing in at 100 kmph and serious waves, the water does not go to Windsor any more. That’s all because of the disaster at Cornwallis.

He added that HCC staff would not even entertain a discussion about compensation and promised to use the full force of its ratepayer funded legal resources to battle him, if he decided to sue. “It’s not their money so they would just keep going, “ he said.

The ongoing Cornwallis Rd failure comes less than 18 months after the HCC was forced to take out a $32.5 million loan to its mismanagement of a two year saga to fix a broken sewer pipe known as Rising Main C.

Continued on page 6

See page 38

Maraharajah to lead India at Windsor Polo Club

At just 25 years old, Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh, affectionately known as ‘Pacho’, is making waves in the world of polo. Hailing from the pink city of Jaipur in the northwestern Indian state of Rajistan, Singh is not only a royal figure but also a passionate polo player. Indeed, he was the son of the previous maharajah’s sister and later adopted so he could have a male heir.

On April 7, the Hawkesbury will witness a clash of titans as Padmanabh Singh leads his Indian team in the Ord Minnett Polo International. The stage is set for an exhilarating match, as India goes head-to-head against a well-credentialled Australian team, promising a spectacular day at Windsor Polo Club.

Though his royal title may not hold legal recognition in India’s democratic republic, Padmanabh Singh’s

lineage commands respect in a nation where tradition and heritage still hold much sway. Following the death of his grandfather, Sawai Man Singhji Bahadur, in 2011, Padmanabh Singh assumed the role of maharaja, continuing a legacy that stretches back through centuries of Jaipur’s rich history. Polo also runs in his blood. His grandfather Man Singh II, the last maharajah to be officially recognised, was in the Indian team that won the 10 goal polo World Cup in 1931 with a love for the sport.

Polo isn’t merely a pastime for Singh its his stated profession and ingrained in his upbringing. His journey to Australia is not just about competition, it’s a celebration of the sport and the bonds it fosters across borders.

$1.8 Million Prize Money Highlights 19th Annual Hawkesbury Cup Day

Mate ‘Ringa’

Calvert to Retire as Independents Aim to Break Major Party Grip on Council

Independents and Greens hope to change the shape of the Hawkesbury City Council in this year’s elections, which are only six months away. They will leverage the diminishing support for the major parties - a trend amplified by the recent Tasmanian state election.

Independent councillors who spoke to the Hawkesbury Post highlighted the current council’s poor financial record, as controlled by the major parties. This includes a disastrous two-year broken sewer repair job that forced it to take out a $32.5 million loan. The interest on this alone costs ratepayers more than $1 million a year, and the debacle forced local sewerage rates up 14% this financial year.

Voters have been drifting away from the Liberal, National and Australian Labor Partys for the past decade, which has seen a spike in support and votes for the Greens, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers, One Nation, Legalise Cannabis - and a growing raft of independents. This was highlighted by the success of “teal” candidates in the 2022 Federal election and the Cannabis party winning a surprising 15% of the vote in the recent by-election for the Queensland state seat of West Ipswich.

“The next election is extremely important in terms of the future direction of the Hawkesbury area. Surveys of local people tell us what they value, and how important retention of rural character, heritage, our river and our unique identity is, and yet decisions being made do not necessarily always reflect that! We must translate the wishes of the people into how the future unfolds rather than being directed by vested interests,” Councillor Mary Lyons-Buckett told the Hawkesbury Post. While she said she is strongly considering running again, she is not “100% certain” and if she does, will run on a “People’s Not Parties ticket.”

She added that the major parties’ teaming up in the latest two terms of Council had not resulted in “productive outcomes. Some people might call it a ‘failed experiment’. I cannot think of any advantages gained from having a bloc of major party Councillors—I would urge people to look at each of them individually and ask what they have done. Then, ask, what advantage have we gained from having a dominant major party group? I cannot see any.”

Australian Labor Party veteran councillor and Deputy Mayor Barry Calvert has told fellow councillors he will retire at the election, posing a potential threat to the current Liberal-Labor alliance that controls the Council with Liberal Mayor Sarah McMahon currently running the show. Cr Calvert, also a former mayor, and his ALP colleague Cr Amanda Kotlash have strongly backed McMahon and her four-strong Liberal Party bloc in a deal to secure the deputy’s job.

Last year, Cr Calvert and Cr Kotlash defied a local ALP branch resolution to withdraw support for McMahon ahead of last September’s mayoral vote, but they did not, allowing Calvert to hang on the No 2 position, along with his presidency of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils. Cr Kotlash’s position is unclear, as she stepped away from her position as a local party office bearer in late March.

At council level, community-based independents have always fared well and account for four of the 12 Hawkesbury Councillors: Eddie Dogramaci, Mary Lyons-Buckett, Les Sheather, and Nathan Zamprogno. Cr Sheather is closely aligned with the Liberal bloc and often votes with it.

Crs. Dogramaci and Zamprogno both said they will be running for reelection, and Dogramaci will field a full ticket of six.

Cr. Zamprogno said he was forced out of the Liberal Party after raising integrity concerns about the Mayor’s entanglements with local property developer Matthew Bennett and questioning

McMahon’s decisions. He predicted that the coming election will see a strong swing towards ‘sensible’ independents, and there is a good chance they will take control of the chamber.

“Perhaps they thought I would slink away,” he told the Post. “They were mistaken. Many people see a political brand and just shut their eyes and tick that box. But people become cynical if they see inauthenticity or politicians using a spot on Council to further higher political ambitions. Sadly, the Liberal Party isn’t what it used to be, and Labor isn’t much better”.

Cr Dogramaci said he would run a ticket of six candidates and took aim at council management.

“Council is a business that must be run like a business, but currently it is run by amateurs who keep wasting people’s hard-earned cash. I am reaching out to voters: Please stop hating the opposition, stop voting for Hollywood smiles. The major political parties have done nothing for the Hawkesbury, just lies, empty promises and more lies,” he told the Post.

“The roads are in a mess. The excuse is “no money”, kerbs failing the excuse is “no grants” “gutters collapsed’’ because there is no money, they say. How could you have money, how could you expect to get grants, when your own engineers advise you the sewer project cost would be $2.7 million? Yet the brain surgeons that run the council let it blow it out to $40 million.”

Greens councillor Danielle Wheeler will contest the September election and said that the party was currently undertaking a pre-selection process for its ticket.

“I will be running and hoping to lead a full ticket of 6 candidates. I’d love to get two Greens councillors up, but that’s up to the Hawkesbury voters,” she said.

Shooters, Fishers & Farmers councillor Shane Djuric said: “I will be running again as I have enjoyed representing the people of the LGA that I was born in and I have been a part of the Hawkesbury my entire life. So I feel I still have a lot to contribute to the people of the Hawkesbury as a lifelong member of our community.”

McMahon was something of an ‘accidental mayor’, replacing Patrick Conolly in 2022 when he stepped down two years after being re-elected following a home invasion. But her star within

the Liberal Party has faded after she lost her position as vice president of the NSW Liberal Party in its recent election and was branded “damaged goods” by Liberal party sources. The NSW Liberal Party must sign off on its nominees for Council.

Some have speculated that Conolly may step down, as, according to insiders, he now appears “uninterested” in Council.

None of the six representatives of the major parties on the Council offered any comment for this story.

Independents and Greens hope to to change the shape of the Hawkesbury City Council

www.hawkesburypost.com.au

www.facebook.com/hawkesburypost

How to get the News

The Hawkesbury Post is available at all Hawkesbury newsagents free of charge and 100 other local locations.

Online

All stories can be found online.

www.hawkesburypost.com.au

New stories are added daily.

Contacts

Editorial info@hawkesburypost.com.au

Advertising advertise@hawkesburypost.com.au

Design and production Design2Pro

Government Inaction on Flood Mitigation

Two years ago, during the NSW government’s flood inquiry, residents of the Hawkesbury Valley poured out their hearts, detailing the devastation wrought by recurrent floods. They described the horror of watching floodwaters surge downstream, wreaking havoc on the land and properties. In the event of another flood the risk today is probably greater not less than it was two years ago.

Most of the roads are in worse condition and the geotechnical failure and erosion along the riverbank stand like a monument to political ineptitude. Funding for infrastructure projects like the third crossing at Richmond and the Grose River Bridge now seem wholly inadequate given project costs today. In fact neither project has even been costed.

This week, the NSW Reconstruction Authority called for a “community panel” to be convened to discuss flood issues in the Hawkesbury Nepean Valley. While this may seem like a step in the right direction, it’s hard to ignore the collective sigh of frustration from the community. We’ve been down this road before. We’ve spent years writing letters, attending public inquiries, and offering our ideas on a whole host of flood matters, in particular mitigation strategies. We’ve hosted forums with experts, invited politicians to witness the devastation firsthand, yet little has changed.

Calling for more community input now feels like a delaying tactic, a way to avoid taking real action. Tinkering around the edges with flood prepared-

ness and recovery efforts is simply not enough. As the Reconstruction Authority itself acknowledges, the challenge ahead is to develop a plan that truly reduces the costs and impacts of floods on our communities. Yet, another round of discussions won’t get us there.

What we need is action. Action on mitigation, action on repairs to roads and the river bank. Our article on Cornwallis in this edition clearly highlights the unwillingness to take action to repair catastrophic damage. We should have taken action years ago. Action that I, along with many others, called for during the NSW government flood inquiry. But here we are, still waiting.

We cannot afford to wait any longer. The longer we delay meaningful reform to allow flood mitigation of Warragamba Dam, the more vulnerable we become. Climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and more severe. We’ve seen the devastation that floods can wreak on our communities, and we know that it’s only going to get worse if we don’t take decisive action now.

It’s time for our government to prioritise flood mitigation. It’s time to allocate the necessary funding for critical infrastructure projects. It’s time to stop talking and start doing.

We don’t know when the next flood will come, but without change to water policy the consequences of the next flood could be far worse.

Editor, Samantha Magnusson sam@hawkesburypost.com.au

Photo Credit: Peter Haynes Perspectives

Council Censors Social Media Comment on Roads, as Community Anger Escalates

Residents and ratepayers have slammed the Hawkesbury City Council, taking to social media to complain about half-finished roads and gutters and the ongoing need for repairs following the floods that began in 2020.

They have also questioned the quality of repairs undertaken by HCC and its contractors—the majority of which are using state and federal taxpayer funds— and how repairs are prioritised. Residents are also asking what funds are being used for flood versus non-flood repairs.

“Of course, more money is getting spent, and more work is being done on the roads. When you don’t fix something properly the first time you need to go back and do it again and again. Bite the bullet, blow the budget now and fix the roads properly the first time,” Brad Smith said on Facebook in response to HCC’s March 7 roads update.

Another commentator said: “Don’t treat people like fools with posts like this. Obviously none of you in the council live in Kurrajong, North Richmond, Kurmond, Freeman’s Reach, Bowen Mountain parts of the Hawkesbury because the roads are pathetic,”

The surge in online complaints across a range of official council and community sites came after HCC took to Facebook with several updates in recent weeks, in an attempt to quell growing anger with the roads’ situation after being given detailed questions by The Hawkesbury Post.

But in its latest update on March 15, where it boasted of $41 million in roads funding between June 2023 and Jan. 2024, HCC turned off comments on its Facebook page.

“Spending more doesn’t mean you’re doing more or better. When SOME of the repairs themselves are substandard and then need rework and require further money than doing a great job once, Laura Beshvar said.

“I think the effectiveness of the funds needs to be addressed. For instance... the work done on EK road near Carinya Cl(ose) took almost 2 years to get to and require numerous pothole works in the interim. The large patch of work was done around Easter last year (still has no lines) and is already littered with bumps and holes as the substrate wasn’t effectively prepared. This means more expenditure and nothing better in terms of the road.”

HCC Manager Elizabeth Richardson has also refused to answer questions about exactly how much the council, state, and federal governments have contributed to road repairs, who is repairing roads, and the guidelines for road repairs. (Our questions to the council are included at the end of this story.)

“Council is well aware that road maintenance and repair is currently the most important issue for Hawkesbury residents. Council is committed to transparency, providing our community with accurate and timely roads information and updates,” she told the Hawkesbury Post, but she did not offer any transparency whatsoever.

“Are there stats on what roads have been repaired then requiring further repairs?” Carol Wright wrote on Facebook. “The community should have that information. A breakdown of each repaired road and cost and re-repair.Transparency so the community can see where the $$ are going exactly!

“Terrace Road Freeman’s Reach, a main thoroughfare road was “patched” in places over 6 months ago. A sign has sat on the corner, new work no lines for over 5 months! Another sign up the hill “rough surfaces” over 5 months sitting there.

“Does that absolve any responsibility to have a safe road that is not completed. The road is still in poor condition. Heavy vehicles approx 8 every hour

start from 4 am… including constant traffic.This is not good enough. A busy road should be finished properly with lines done soon after.”

Like others, she raised the issues of safety on Hawkesbury roads: “Come winter and fog people rely on these safe ty measures like line markings in poor visibility. The work has to be finished properly,” Wright said

HCC Mayor Sarah McMahon said in a Feb. 2024 update on roads that the the Hawkesbury local government area is huge and geographically diverse with 1063km of roads – 20% of which were significantly damaged by floods,

“Many of these roads are in regions and communities far away from the urban centres around Windsor and Rich mond where many of you live and work each day,” Cr McMahon said. “For these regional residents, their roads are often the only way in or out; they’re also often higher speed roads in more difficult ter rain which increases risks to motorists.

“That is why we as a Council chose to prioritise the repair of roads in places like the Macdonald Valley, Colo and Low er Portland ahead of roads in Windsor and Richmond, which have numerous road routes to choose from. The recon struction of Greens Road at Lower Port land and the replacement of Upper Colo Bridge are good examples of this, but are far from the only ones. The current reconstruction of the heritage Thomas James Bridge on Settlers Road is another prime example. These are road repairs that very few of our residents see, but are critical links to our regional communities.”

• What are the technical guidelines/ systems for fixing potholes?

• How do you monitor the quality of the work? Who is responsible for overseeing this?

• How does a road, pothole, footpath get in the “queue”? What are the assessment criteria? Which roads are more important than others?

Questions HCC will not answer:

• Can you please lay out roads spending clearly, showing how much council, State and Federal governments are paying this financial year.

• Can you please lay out the quantum of repairs that will still be in arrears at the end of the financial year and how this might be funded.

• Can you explain the building of “gutters to nowhere” as per commentary on HCC page.

• Does Council have a team who fixes roads, or does it out outsource everything?

• How is the outsourcing run - block tenders, a panel etc?

Riverbank Nightmare Continues 3 Years On

The Post understands that Public Works does have a tender in the market at present but due to the fact the department has no media team, further details could not be obtained.

Barton is building something of an enviable record with the $35 million

sewerage repair disaster that has punched a hole in the HCC balance sheet and ongoing fury by residents about the state of the roads that he oversees. Last year, HCC boss Elizeabth Richardson placed Planning Director Megan Ang on the project.

The drains that criss-cross under farmland on the Lowlands remain in

such a state of disrepair that HCC does not even know the location of them all.

As part of its efforts to offload any responsibility for the disaster it caused Hawkesbury City Council issued an Emergency Works Order - but not until September 14, 2023 - handing the job of filling the Canyon to the two landowners directly affected.

Such Orders effectively circumvents the usual bureaucratic hoops and governance including development applications and tenders, and verifying landfill removing the onus from council and onto landowners.

The Order means that the two land owners, Jeremy Bayard and Emmanuel Degabriel have undertaken private works to shore up the canyon with thousands of trucks carrying landfill moving daily into what is now a padlocked site, by local contractor Jeff Sann who is conducting the filling project. The Post understands that Bayard’s work is complete - and began well before the Order was issued due to government inaction - while Degrabriel’s is ongoing. But the big job of securing the over bank with a retaining wall or other solution without which the landfill risks washing away is in the hands of the state government.

Sann is paid by the state government to remove excavated fill from major works projects such as Warringah Freeway and the light rail system; people familiar with such projects estimate the fee is about $200 a tonne.

“The plans that accompany Council’s Order have been prepared by a consulting engineering firm and the Order stipulates that the owners are required to provide suitable documentary evidence to Council that the work complies with the general intent of the plans.

“Council subsequently issued an Order that required the property owner to undertake works to shore the riverbank to reduce the potential risk that structures on the property may collapse into the river,’ HCC planning director Megan Ang told the Hawkesbury Post in a statement.

The Order, a copy of which HCC provided to the Post, states it was made as result of an inspection on July 20, 2023. Yet this was more than two years after the initial damage and more than a year after a previous inspection previously cited by HCC.

“Following the July 2022 floods, Council inspected a private property on Cornwallis Road where localised riverbank failures were identified,”

So why this Order was suddenly made - a full year after the previous inspection - remains a mystery that HCC won’t answer, along with about a dozen other questions, HCC did selectively answer some questions about the site but not why the padlocked gate is about 1 km from the actual site and why there are security cameras and often security guards on a public road.

The Post has also learned that Barton and Richardson make regular visits to the site, have a quick look, and then leave. But the biggest problem that remains is that HCC’s initial attempt to fix the problem only resulted in further damage - as well the wrong sized pipes to remediate the drain were ordered and are understood to remain near the site. The Hawkesbury Post understands that the wrong pipes cost $1 million and now won’t be used. Instead new pipes costing a similar amount need to be ordered. The purchase of the wrong pipes were signed off by Barton and Richarson, according to people familiar with the project who asked not to be named for fear of retribution.

The works were further delayed after poisonous Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) that originally emanate from firefighting foam used for years at Richmond RAAF base were found at the site.

“The Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Management Area Plan for RAAF Base Richmond identified that the area around Cornwallis was known to have potential PFAS contamination. Due to this, further testing for PFAS was undertaken, ” HCC Infrastructure manager Will Barton said, previously.

While PFAS remains in the soil at the site, the EPA has decided to take no further action, which last year paved the way for works to begin once funding is secured.

Locals say that if the council had moved earlier to properly fix the problems that mounting costs and changes to the way the river hydrology could have been avoided.

In the 2022 at the NSW government flood inquiry, Clr Conolly said the council was dealing with $60 million worth of asset damage following the floods and had engaged the Public Works Advisory, a state government agency, to lead repair work to Cornwallis Road.

“PWA’s doing a great job, but it has been a slow process, and that’s what the community’s feeling at the moment,” he said. Nearly two years later, not much has changed.

FROM PAGE 1

Landholders have undertaken private works to save their properties

PCYC Windsor Reveals State of the Art Sporting Hub

The South Windsor Police Citizens Youth Clubs NSW (PCYC) facility has unveiled a major upgrade that positions it as the premier sporting destination in the Hawkesbury region.

PCYC NSW Chief Executive Officer Ben Hobby said the significant investment will establish the PCYC Windsor as the ultimate sporting hub catering to the diverse needs of Hawkesbury residents and beyond.

“The PCYC Hawkesbury was already a jewel in the community crown of this region. It has now been substantially upgraded, boasting world-class amenities and diverse programs, with a focus on physical and educational well-being,” Hobby said.

“This marks the dawn of a new era for the Hawkesbury community. The enhanced, expanded club is not just a space to congregate, it is a testament to the dedication of community spirit towards empowering youth, our precious rising generation. The vitality of this beating community heart will continue to drive life-changing transformation for all,”

”I want to thank the Government, community members, PCYC ambassadors and our diligent team for bringing this dream to fruition,” he said.

The revamped facility boasts six competition courts and a sprawling 1200 square meter gymnastics center,

complete with top- of-the-line amenities catering to gymnasts of all levels, from beginners to competitive athletes.

To encourage community engagement, the facility incorporates versatile multi-purpose activity spaces spanning 300 square meters. These areas are flexible enough to accommodate a diverse range of activities, conferences, and educational programs, enriching the community’s access to both leisure and learning opportunities.

With a well-equipped 200 square meter gym and fitness center, PCYC Hawkesbury encourages individuals of all ages to prioritise their physical health and embrace healthy habits.

A dedicated youth hub offers a safe and inclusive space for personal development among the younger members of the community.

PCYC said that as the official home of the Hawkesbury Basketball Association, the facility is committed to nurturing local basketball talent and fostering skills development within the community.

Beyond its sports and recreational amenities, the facility features meeting rooms, a café, and modern conveniences, providing spaces conducive to meetings, social gatherings, and networking opportunities.

PCYC NSW, a charitable organisation dedicated to providing a wide range of youth and community activities, operates 66 clubs across the state.

McMahon Runs last in Liberal Vote

Hawkesbury Mayor Sarah McMahon has been dumped from the NSW Liberal Party’s State Executive, failing to win re-election as Vice President after only two years in the role. After the vote, she ran last of three candidates for one of two roles in state-wide voting after results were signed off.

She also failed to secure a role as a Federal delegate on the State Executive after standing for two separate positions.

Conservative Peter O’Hanlon grabbed the “urban” VP spot held by Cr.McMahon. She received only 28% of the vote compared to the winner’s 38%. Lawyer James Wallace came second with 34%.

The State Executive is an elite group of decision-makers who run the Liberal Party and strongly influences which candidates will run at local, state and federal elections.

Former NSW Premier Nick Greiner mercilessly slammed the entire State Executive in his review of the Liberal National Party coalition’s loss in last March’s State election as an “appalling toxic waste of time.”

“In further comments, he noted: “The (NSW) Division is at a critical point. If the Executive is not reformed, it is impossible to see how any future election could be won.”

And this: “Most conversations about the State Executive elicit strong and angry reactions from Division members, including that the Division should be put into administration.” and “Members have expressed concern and distaste about the operations of the State Executive since the 2022 Federal election.”

The outcome, decided in state-wide voting among more than 700 delegates, commenced after the Party’s Annual General Meeting on February 24. No

women will likely be elected to the State Executive, further compounding the organisation’s recent poor record with women.

The race to replace Jason Falinski, who voluntarily stood down as the NSW Liberal Party President, was won by State Upper House MP and former minister Don Harwin by only one vote from the Party’s conservative Treasurer Mark Baillie.

It is a precipitous fall from grace for McMahon inside the Party. Less than

Boutique I nde pe nde

Riverside Gardens is a boutique retirement village offering stylish residences within a safe, independent living community.

Established in 2010, Riverside Gardens consists of 2 and 3 bedroom villas and apartments nestled amongst established gardens and tree lined streets.

On a daily basis, the community centre is a hive of activity and a beautiful space for residents to socialise and enjoy.

Riverside Gardens is conveniently located within walking distance of North Richmond shops, cafes, and endless recreation.

two years ago, she was trounced in her second bid to replace the Australian Labor Party’s Susan Templeman as the Federal Member for Macquarie in the 2023 Federal election.

Liberal Party sources who spoke to the Hawkesbury Post on the condition of anonymity said that there were three reasons that McMahon had failed to secure re-election. One reason was that she was seen as “damaged goods” following two consecutive Federal election losses. She is also seen as being “under

a cloud” due to multiple complaints to regulatory authorities concerning her domestic relations with property developer Matthew Bennett.

While Bennett was officially deemed “not a property developer” by the Office of Local Government in 2022, he has since commenced two controversial property developments in Kurrajong. The Hawkesbury Post understands that various authorities in the state bureaucracy have received further complaints and could now be taking a different view, especially in light of the change in the NSW government last year.

The third reason for her failure was that McMahon has also aligned herself with the former power broker Alex Hawke’s centre-right faction. Hawke was former Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s close ally. Feelings against Hawke are so strong inside the Party that there was a motion to expel him at the AGM. While that failed, his faction has lost influence according to the vote count, leaving the Executive marked split between the rising (religious) conservatives and moderate factions, but the closeness of the vote could, ironically, see his faction have the balance of power with just a handful of representatives.

McMahon was beaten in the past two Federal elections by Australian Labor Party incumbent Susan Templeman. In the last election, Templeman turned the country’s most marginal seat into a comfortable Labor seat with a swing of 7%, well above the state and national average.

Asked to comment, McMahon said: “This is breaking news? Goodness me, please find some perspective.”

the Hea rt of the Ha wke sbu ry

Property development ties to Sarah McMahon are worrying the Liberal Party

Local Disappointment over Coroner’s Black Summer Bushfire Report

Last week the NSW Coroner handed down her findings into the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires.

The inquiry headed by State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan into the deaths of 25 people during the bushfire disaster was held over two years. It has made more than 20 recommendations to the NSW Rural Fire Service, including that the agency review its procedures so that authorised fire investigators examine any breach of fire containment lines.

On 14 December 2019, during catastrophic conditions, the RFS lit a backburn at Mount Wilson in an attempt to contain the huge Gospers Mountain fire which ended up burning an estimated 63,700 hectares in the Grose Valley.

Bilpin district resident Kooryn Sheaves experienced those fires and the coronial inquest first hand. This is her story.

The mention of Gospers Mountain Fire fills our communities with fear and dread. It’s been three summers since we woke every morning with the smell of smoke in the air and looked out across a dead black landscape.

The recommendations of the NSW Coronial Inquiry into the Black Summer Fires which focused on the cause and origin of fires over that scorching summer period across NSW are not going to directly help us next bad fire season.

The Coronial Inquiry, which took 3 years and cost $1.5 million delivered 28 recommendations filled with tentative language and general suggestions rather than directions for improvement in the NSW RFS.

Our black summer fires in the Hawkesbury started on 26 October 2019 with a lightning strike igniting a wildfire at Gospers Mountain deep in the Wollemi National Park. By 11 November this wildfire had grown to 26,000 hectares, and on a day when weather conditions were rated severe for bushfire, Gospers Mountain expanded to 56,000 hectares with a perimeter of 170 kilometres.

The Rural Fire Services Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons declared a localized State of Emergency (Rural Fires Act 1997 Section 44) for the area allowing Hawkesbury RFS Fire Control Centre to draw on extensive resources from other areas as approved by RFS State Headquarters.

On 12 November Hawkesbury RFS Incident Management Team came up with a plan to fight fire with fire by lighting strategic backburns from fire trails and roads surrounding Gospers Mountain. The RFS is a vehicle-based firefighting organisation, so this was the best fit for its resources.

The plan proposed to grow the fire from 56,000 hectares to 450,000 hectares using strategic backburns lit from fire trails and roads surrounding the wildfire. This would create a protection zone around assets through backburning that would be “conducted to allow firefighting to be done on firefighter terms with sufficient resources under suitable conditions”.

The NSW RFS believed weather conditions during the 2019/20 summer were so adverse for firefighting that waiting for the wildfire to become an imminent threat to property and lighting a tactical backburn to meet it was too dangerous for local fire fighters.

The plan’s southern containment strategic backburn fire line for the Gospers Mountain wildfire was about 60 kilometres stretching from Colo Heights to Mt Lagoon, across to Bilpin and up to Mt Wilson and north to Newnes Plateau near Lithgow. NSW RFS State Headquarters signed off on the plan and burning began the next day.

This plan created the biggest recorded fire in NSW written history.

By the time implementation was completed over 710,000 hectares were burnt killing an estimated billion animals; similar numbers of flora species were erased; 217 homes, sheds and structures were destroyed; essential transport and telecommunications infrastructure was badly damaged; and the Sydney basin was blanketed in smoke for weeks causing an increase death due to poor air quality.

To have a chance of improving our response to the next big bushfire we need to understand how the Gospers Mountain Mega fire was made and learn the lessons needed to prevent it happening again.

The NSW Coroner missed the opportunity to do this by first refusing to hear from communities directly impacted by this fire and then handing down recommendations that were so generalised as to be in effect useless.

So it’s up to us to continue to discuss and organise within our communities what lessons we need to take away from

the fire and flood catastrophes we have experienced, and how better we can manage these disasters in the future.

Another Fabulous Gourmet Destination Arrives in the Hawkesbury

Richmond’s culinary scene continues to flourish with the addition of exciting new food venues, and one of the latest gems to grace the neighborhood is Sydney Wholesale Meats. Located at 11/40 Bowman Street, this haven for enthusiastic home cooks and food connoisseurs alike promises an unparalleled meat-shopping experience.

Owned by Dave and Tanya from Hawkesbury, Sydney Wholesale Meats prides itself on offering a meticulously curated selection of top-quality meats sourced from the East Coast of Australia with the highest animal welfare standards. From conventional cuts to more exotic options like wild-caught Crocodile, Venison, Kangaroo, and whole oxtails, catering to the more adventurous palate. The store also boasts premium wagyu and dry-aged meats for those seeking the epitome of flavor and tenderness.

On arrival, customers are provided with toasty puffer jackets to explore the cool room where an extensive array of fresh meats, Black Pudding, White Pudding, Haggis, Pepe Saya Butter, and other delectable delights await. To complement the meats, the store also offers a wide range of charcoals and woods for smoking and barbecuing, an assortment of condiments and rubs, frozen party foods, pasta, dumplings, seafood, offal products, pet meats and much more.

The store’s staff are friendly and enthusiastic, which results in a personalised shopping experience for customers.

Sydney Wholesale Meats accommodates customers with varying schedules. It operates from 10 am to 6:30 pm on weekdays and from 6 am to 5 pm on Saturdays. You can find them on Facebook or check out their website at www.sydneywholesalemeats.com.au.

They offer Home Delivery For Sydney Metro Customers and free delivery for orders of $150 or more.

Former Mayor Connolly to Step Away from Council Leaving Debt and Destruction

Former Hawkesbury City Council mayor, Liberal Patrick Conolly will not seek re-election in the upcoming poll in September. The son of former state Liberal MP Kevin Conolly, he was first elected to HCC in 2012 in his 20s.

Connolly told his fellow councillors the news on March 26 a week ahead of nominations for Liberal Party pre-selection for local government elections. Several councillors told the Post that Conolly has appeared increasingly disinterested in the Council - he missed the last meeting - and there was little surprise about his decision.

Nominations open on April 3 and close on April 10, nominees have to be signed off by NSW Liberal Party headquarters. The council’s other Liberal councillors mayor Sarah McMahon, Paul Viegel and Jill Reardon have not indicated one way or another whether they will stand. McMahon’s domestic relationship with local property developer Matthew Bennett is understood to be attracting fresh scrutiny under the Minns’ government which may affect her chances if she wants to run again.

Conolly’s decision came only a week after another former mayor, the Australian Labor Party’s Barry Calvert - who is currently HCC Deputy Mayor - announced his retirement. The absence of the two long-time powerbrokers from the major party bloc that has dominated the council for two terms, will change the dynamic of the next council, no matter who is elected.

Conolly was mayor from 2018-20220 in the previous council, and was reelected to the position following the 2022 council election with the support of his three fellow Liberals and the two Labor councillors.

He stepped down in August 2022, three months after he was stabbed in a dramatic home invasion by up to six men that occurred while he, his wife and four children were asleep on the evening of May 15, 2022.

Police said at the time that he was not specifically being targeted by the robbers.

Shortly after Conolly’s election, then HCC General Manager Peter Conroy was forced out at short notice. The reason for Conroy’s departure has never been made public and a number of councillors do not know the reason either – they have not been told. He was later replaced by former inner city Council executive Elizabeth Richardson who recently gained a new three year, $1 million contract that was opposed by all but one of the Council’s independent and minor party members.

Conolly also presided over the beginning of two infrastructure disasters: the damaged sewer pipe known as Rising Main C and the collapsed river bank at Cornwallis Road due to a failure of an unmaintained council drain in the Richmond Lowlands.

The sewer took two years to repair with the cost blowing out from $2.7 million to at least $35 million. The HCC was later forced to take out a $32.5 million loan to cover the cost for which ratepayers continue to pay.

Cornwallis Rd has morphed into an unprecedented ecological disaster that remains unrepaired today more than three years later. It has cost local landowners and farmers millions of dollars and its repair cost is estimated at up to $40 million.

Cr Conolly did not reply to a request for comment on his election plans.

Council to Monetise Local Tip Amid Landfill Crisis

Hawkesbury Council has voted to expand its Waste Management Facility (WMF) and attempt to transform what it describes as a “strategic asset” into a cash cow by charging neighbouring councils and businesses to use it as Sydney faces a fast looming landfill crisis,

According to the Environmental Protection Authority, Sydney is forecast to run out of landfill space by 2036. Without this expansion, Council’s landfill will reach capacity by 2029-2030. The organisation said that this would require the construction of a waste transfer station to transport waste to another waste facility, “likely resulting in higher fees and charges for the Hawkesbury community.”

But it will be at least two years before any decision is made to expand the landfill’s operations, initially to the north on the current site, and then to the west after Councillors voted to initiate steps to investigate options over that time.

At its March 12 monthly meeting, councillors considered reports about extending the facility’s life, increasing the ability to recover more valuable resources, and expanding the customer base for recoverable items to neighbouring Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The new proposal does not allow residents outside the Hawkesbury to use the landfill service, which will remain exclusively for Hawkesbury residents. Only disposal of recoverable waste such as green waste, mattresses, scrap metal and other recyclable materials would be available to customers outside of the Hawkesbury LGA.

The State Government says that to service Sydney it needs a new inert landfill with a capacity of three million tonnes a year, and another putrescible landfill - for waste that decays - capable of handling half a million tonnes a year by 2030, MRA Consulting Group’s Mike Ritchie said.

Council’s resolutions included:

• Endorsing the expansion of the customer base to include residents and businesses in the adjoining LGAs for resource recovery items.

• Initiating steps for expansion within the current landfill footprint and to the northern end of the current site.

• Investigate the options for expansion of the landfill footprint westward.

• Extend the landfill life through a detailed investigation into options for increased resource Recovery.

In a statement, the Council said that expanding the resource recovery service to residents from neighbouring LGAs will help make the site more economical. Residents would also be charged a cheaper rate for resource-recovered items than non-residents with a planned two-tiered fee structure. This would strengthen Council’s ability to receive more external funding and provide an additional revenue stream.

“The Strategy provides the direction for Council to meet the needs of the Hawkesbury community while strengthening the Facility’s financial sustainability,” Hawkesbury City Council Mayor Sarah McMahon said. “We are always looking for opportunities to improve our existing services and make them better value for money for our ratepayers”.

Council remains saddled with a $32.5 million loan taken out to cover its mismanagement of a broken sewer pipe in 2001 that took more than two years and more than $30 million to repair. Ratepayers are footing an interest bill of more than $1 million each year, with little sign that the state government has any intention of stepping in to help fund the loan. Despite state and federal assistance, it is also failing to keep on top of road repairs.

Hawkesbury Council wants to raise money by letting neighbouring councils dump their waste in the Hawkesbury

Airbnb Shakeup Threatens Local Businesses

The NSW government has short-term rental accommodation in its sights, posing a threat to the local tourism industry and economy.

The Minns’ government is considering significant changes to rules and regulations governing short-term rental accommodations, including platforms like Airbnb and Stayz.

The proposed changes include regulatory and revenue measures, including higher registration fees, more stringent approval requirements, and limits on the number of nights a property can be let for non-hosted short-term rental accommodations. Proposed measures also include levies on booking revenues and day fees per guest staying in short-term rental accommodations.

Housing Minister Rose Jackson described the current regulatory framework for short-term accommodation in NSW as “purposely light touch”. She said every part of the housing market would be “under the microscope”.

“This review will inform our approach to make better use of all forms of housing, including short-term rentals, vacant property and holiday homes.

“This includes looking at ways to move some of this housing to the long-term rental market and to minimise its negative impacts on the housing market as well as what we can do to support homelessness services across NSW,” Jackson said last month.

Local businesswoman Fiona Germaine highlighted the potential financial burdens these changes could impose. “State government proposals, including additional accommodation taxes and caps on short-term rental accommodations, could mean the end of short-term accommodation for Hawkes-

bury, with businesses facing substantial taxes,” Germaine said

One key proposal involves capping the number of nights a property can be used for short-term accommodation. In the Byron Bay local government area, the limit is just 60 nights per year, while in some parts of Greater Sydney, hosts can only rent out their properties for 180 nights annually.

The government wants to generate revenue and sees restricting short-term accommodation as part of the solution to the escalating housing crisis. Hosts argue that many short-term rental properties are not suitable for longterm rentals. They fear that restrictions on hosting durations, or the number of properties available for short-term

rentals within an area, could jeopardise tourism and its economic benefits.

The Bells Line Road Business Council (BLRBC) says the changes could imperil numerous small and micro businesses reliant on the overnight stay tourism economy.

Susan Wheeldon, Airbnb’s country manager for Australia and New Zealand, said platforms such as Airbnb have become essential to many local economies. “Hosting is an economic lifeline for many amidst a cost of living crisis,” Wheeldon said, citing a recent study indicating the financial support Airbnb provides to hosts.

Although Airbnb and Stayz are open to supporting a short-term rental tax similar to one in Victoria, they oppose

several other proposed measures. They argue that such measures should also apply to hotels and not just short-term rental accommodations.

A report funded by Airbnb highlighted the sector’s minor impact on Australia’s housing market.

“Airbnb currently represents between 1 and 2 per cent of total dwelling stock in Australia and, in more than 90% of local government areas (LGAs), represents 5% or less of total dwellings. And further, less than 3% of local government areas have non-hosted STRA at levels equal to at least 10% of total dwelling stock,” the report said. It added that In 2022, guests on Airbnb spent over $12 billion in Australia and contributed $13.6 billion to GDP whilst supporting over 90,000 jobs.

Boost for Hawkesbury Mental Health Services

With the opening of a permanent headspace centre at 120 Francis Street, Richmond, young people in the Hawkesbury area now have access to vital mental health services. The newly established headspace Hawkesbury is the 159th headspace centre to open nationally.

Susan Templeman, MP, Member for Macquarie, said that recent natural disasters, including bushfires and floods, have significantly impacted young people in the Hawkesbury region. In response to these challenges, headspace Hawkesbury aims to provide ongoing support and assistance to those affected.

“I’ve spent 15 years advocating for youth mental health services in the Hawkesbury and am very proud that this is being delivered by the Albanese Labor Government,” Templeman said. “While we live in a beautiful region, over the last few years our community has survived with the effects of the Black Summer bushfires of 2019/2020 and devastating floods. Seeking support for our mental health is about processing these events and ordinary daily challenges to come out stronger on the other side,” she said.

Assistant Minister for Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Emma McBride said early in tervention in mental health was critical to good outcomes.

ing young Australians to reach their full potential and equip them with the tools they need to better manage their mental health now and into the future,” Minister McBride said. “We will continue to expand the headspace network so young people all over Australia can access the mental health care and support they need, when and where they need it,” she said.

Mountains Primary Health Network and information on eheadspace through

The Grose Vale Bridge Investigation to Nowhere

The reason the planned Grose Vale bridge road route was initially diverted from a significant property owned by real estate agent John Starr - and through a historic farm - remains a mystery. A report aimed at uncovering the rationale behind this detour has cost ratepayers over $13,000. However, details of why the diversion occurred have been kept secret.

The Hawkesbury Post has learned that solicitors O’Connor Marsden, the report’s authors, had no power to compel individuals associated with the decision-making process to discuss the diversion concerning the Starr property. Consequently, numerous key figures crucial for a thorough investigation did not talk to investigators. Moreover, rather than being overseen by an independent party, Council controlled the investigation’s parameters.

“The Investigation Report is a confidential document and cannot be released. Publicly available information can be found in the Council Meeting business papers from January 2024. The investigation cost $13,993.88, an HCC spokesperson said.

A summary of the report’s findings was offered to HCC at a 23 January 2024 briefing; however, this only covered meetings regarding the project between 12 November 2018 and 30 January 2019. The briefing did not cover any correspondence between council officials or with external parties.

The summary said there was sufficient evidence that discussions about minimising the impact on or avoiding the Starr property were based on the intention to minimise the number of affected properties ( and/or properties to be acquired provided the most direct route to the Grose River Bridge.)

It added that there was “insufficient evidence to identify a person/persons or the entities that, at the meeting on 30 January 2019, issued instructions to avoid the Starr property or that such instruction was actually made. The minutes of the meeting stated; that the - “Road (be) designed to avoid the Starr property as per the design brief”

“There is no evidence to support an assertion that the minute recordings to avoid the Starr property were made as a result of instructions that were improper and/or were acting on instructions from any third party not present at the meetings.”

The report was commissioned by Council after community uproar, covered in state-wide media, that the Wilcox family farm, dating back to the 1800s, was to be bought by the government, sliced in half, and the primary residence on the property to be bulldozed.

The Wilcoxes were in the middle of renovations when they found out their house was to be demolished for the Grose River Bridge route. Now they are living in what Mrs Wilcox describes as “limbo land.” The Wilcox family has been farming on Ashtons Rd for 20 years after moving from Freemans Reach so they could have more space. They help feed Sydney from their 15 acres and are not ready to retire. The land has been a farm since the early 1800s.

“They could put it [the new road] either side [of the property]; there are vacant blocks on each side, but they are choosing to put it through our house,” Marianne Wilcox said last June.

Yet no one would clarify for them or the Post who decided on this specific route and why it could not cross the edge of the 75 acres next door, which is part of a horse stud—known by the engineers working on the bridge project as “the Starr property” and named after the owners of that land.

The findings also came despite evidence that came to light after the Wilcox family’s Freedom of Information (FOI) searches, clearly indicating that some instructions had been given—although not in official meetings.

The Wilcoxes put in a GIPA – a freedom of information request – to get hold of discussions about the route held in 2019, and in the material they received – from minutes of a meeting with staff from Redbank Communities, Hawkesbury Council, TfNSW, and engineering consultants WT Partnership – there are some curious lines. It says, “Road designed to avoid the Starr property, as per design brief”.

And “A small deviation of Grose River Rd at the intersection with Ashtons Rd to facilitate alignment with the new extension of Grose River Rd link which is to avoid the private land housing the horse stud”.

Eventually, the Wilcox farm was saved, but one of the casualties was Hawkesbury City Councillor Nathan Zamprgrono’s membership of the Liberal Party. Zamprogno was previously a Liberal member of the Council but, dumped from the Party’s ticket at the

2021 election, stood as an independent candidate with the Pary’s blessing and won a council spot.

He claims that HCC Mayor Sarah McMahon’s successful move to have him thrown out of the Party was primarily due to his advocacy for the Wilcoxs and their farm, against McMahon’s wishes.

While she has denied it, the Hawkesbury Post has seen documents confirming this version.

At the time, McMahon was on the NSW Liberal Party State Executive as Vice President, a role she was recently dumped from in the Party’s new election for office bearers last month.

Artists impression of the Grose River Bridge

Flood Mitigation Remains the Elephant in the Room

A local Hawkesbury action group has accused the state government of inertia after it announced a new community panel to help work underway to reduce the risk and impact of future floods in the region.

Hawkesbury Community Alliance (HCA) said it is extremely surprised at yet another request for community input from the NSW Reconstruction Authority. It said that it is now two years after the last major floods, and the NSW Government has yet to provide tangible results. “...we appear to be still in a consultation phase. This is yet another ‘talkfest’ with no action,” HCA said in a statement.

The NSW Reconstruction Authority is seeking input from Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley residents to address flood issues and is asking them to join a new community panel to investigate infrastructure options and enhance flood awareness and preparedness.

“Floods in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley have devastated communities, homes and businesses, and we know people will only face more and worse impacts if nothing changes,” NSW Reconstruction Authority Deputy CEO Simone Walker said.

“This critical work will provide strategies and actions to make sure people living and working in the Valley are safe and better prepared. Now more than ever, it’s important that the NSW Reconstruction Authority meets the challenges of the future with a plan to reduce the costs and impacts of floods on communities.”

However, HCA said successive governments have failed to deliver meaningful outcomes and were too focused on the recovery stage rather than flood mitigation. “A greater focus on mitigation could avoid so much waste,” HCA said.

“Despite the community’s active participation in the flood inquiry and its unwavering cooperation with all information requests, the current government, and the one prior to it, has failed to deliver any meaningful outcomes. This

to impacted residents. It also hosted the Flood mitigation forum with expert input from Professor Stuart Khan for the community, politicians and media - sharing what actions would make a difference in future. Yet, despite these efforts, the situation remains stagnant.

“Hawkesbury Community Alliance believes that Warragamba Dam should be legislated as a flood mitigation dam, and Professor Stuart Khan clearly demonstrated how achievable that could be in his presentation. It is exasperating to note that we seem to still be stuck in a never-ending cycle of consultations, with little to no progress being made on the ground.”

The NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA), the state’s disaster preparedness and recovery agency, is leading the work to reduce the risk and impact of floods through the state’s first regional Disaster Adaptation Plan (DAP).

The Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley is one of the most dangerous floodplains in Australia. It is often compared to a bathtub, with five ‘taps’ flowing in and only one drain. Between 2020 and 2022, the area flooded six times.

The Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley stretches from Brooklyn to Wallacia and Wisemans Ferry. It covers land in the Hawkesbury, Hills, Blacktown, Penrith, Central Coast, Wollondilly, Liverpool, and Hornsby local government areas. The DAP—which the government considers a high priority—will cover the whole region, spanning all eight Local Government Areas, including the Hawkesbury.

inertia is frustrating and disappointing,” HCA said.

“Hawkesbury Community Alliance has gone above and beyond by inviting several politicians to witness the devastation first-hand, including speaking

The government has set up a page for community members to express their views or, if they wish, join the new Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley DAP panel here: https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/ hnv-disaster-adaptation-plan

Successive Governments have failed to use Warragama Dam for flood mitigation

Former Minister’s Son Dies After Parachuting Exercise in Richmond Lowlands

ADF soldier Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon, the son of former Labor defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon, died from injuries sustained during a parachuting exercise gone wrong on 6 March, near the RAAF Base at Richmond. He got into trouble during a jump and landed at Sydney Polo Club in Richmond Lowlands.

In announcing the death, Brigadier James Kidd paid tribute to Fitzgibbon, saying he was loved for his courage, humour and “service to the country”.

“We are devastated and heartbroken by the loss of our wonderful Jack. Serving in the special forces was Jack’s

dream job, and we take comfort from the fact he died serving his nation,” Joel Fitzgibbon said in a statement read by Kidd.

Kidd said Jack Fitzgibbon was a qualified parachutist. All parachute training was suspended while the incident was under investigation.

Lance Corporal Fitzgibbon’s funeral was held at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Cessnock on Monday, 18 March, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese among hundreds of mourners at Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon’s funeral. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and

Minister for Defence Richard Marles also attended to pay tribute.

Eyewitnesses said they rang for assistance before the soldier hit the ground at about 6.30 pm. They said they saw two parachutists above Sydney Polo Club on Richmond Lowlands, one of whom was clearly in trouble when his parachute appeared unable to open.

Multiple emergency service vehicles, including ambulances, rushed to the scene. About an hour later, more arrived, with sirens ringing. A helicopter was also seen landing at Sydney Polo Club.

Richmond to Honor Veterans with Procession and Dawn Service

This year, Richmond will honour our fallen Anzacs with a procession and commemoration service organised by the Richmond RSL Sub-branch. Beginning at 2:30 pm on Sunday, April 21st, 2024, the Richmond RSL Sub-branch will lead a procession along West Market, Windsor, and East Market Streets to the Richmond War Memorial in Richmond Park. The procession will be led by the Light Horse on horseback, followed by veterans in jeeps, and accompanied by the Hawkesbury District Band. Various groups will participate, including the Windsor RSL Sub-branch, the National Servicemen’s Association, RAAF Base Richmond, military cadets, scouts, guides, and local school children.

At 3:00 pm, the ANZAC commemoration will take place at the Richmond War Memorial, featuring the traditional Catafalque Party, keynote addresses, and the laying of wreaths by veterans and community members. All are encouraged to attend and pay their respects by lining the streets of Richmond in honour of those who have served or are currently serving our nation. Descendants of Veterans are also invited to join the procession, with the option to wear their family members’ medals on their right side as a mark of respect.

On Anzac Day, the Dawn Service will also be held at the Richmond War Memorial on Thursday, April 25th, 2024, beginning at 5:00 am. This service will include traditional elements of the Catafalque Party, speeches, and wreath-laying.

Seating will be provided for dignitaries, veterans, and elderly family members, with attendees advised to arrive at least 20 minutes before the services start.

The Richmond RSL Sub-branch welcomes all veteran and community groups participating in these commemorations and recognises their significant contributions. Families, descendants, and individuals are also invited to lay private wreaths honouring loved ones who have served or continue serving our nation. The Richmond RSL Sub-branch said that, along with the Richmond Club, it remains committed to ensuring that the sacrifices and service of our military personnel are duly recognised and respected.

“Richmond RSL Sub-branch and the Richmond Club greatly revere the service and sacrifices of our past and serving military personnel and are working ever more closely to ensure that our service personnel receive their proper recognition, respect and acceptance,” Richmond RSL Sub-branch said.

For additional information about the ANZAC Day commemorations, marching as Descendents and the laying of wreaths, please contact the Richmond RSL Sub-branch Secretary, Gillian Fletcher on 0438782419 or Lynette Bowles, on (02) 4578-2804.

Other services around the Hawkesbury Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury Campus will host its Anzac day service at 10am on 25 April.

As the Post becomes aware of the timings for other local services at Kurrajong War Memorial Park, Pitt Town, Wilberforce War Memorial, Windsor Dawn Service at McQuade Park and Wisemans Ferry ANZAC Memorial, we will share them on our Facebook page and website.

At 3:00 pm, the ANZAC commemoration will take place at the Richmond War Memorial, featuring the traditional Catafalque Party, keynote addresses, and the laying of wreaths by veterans and community members.

ROBYN PRESTON MP

State Member for Hawkesbury

Opinion

Robyn Preston

Hawkesbury Hospital is a critical and much-loved facility in our region that employs many dedicated health workers. They are the backbone of the organisation who treat and care for us when we are often at our most vulnerable.

The announcement that St John of God Health Care is not renewing its contract and that NSW Health will take over the operation of the hospital from 1 July 2024, has created tremendous anxiety and uncertainty for health workers and the community.

When the Minister for Health, Ryan Park, was asked recently in Budget Estimates whether Hawkesbury Hospital would remain open after the new Rouse Hill Hospital was built, he confirmed that it would, which is now on the public record.

What isn’t on the public record, is the reassurance that health workers at Hawkesbury Hospital won’t be worse off when NSW Health assumes responsibility for the hospital.

I have repeatedly asked the Minns Government to guarantee that no hospital staff member will be disadvantaged when transitioning their employment to NSW Health. Where is the loyalty from the Minns Labor Government in recognising the tireless effort we witnessed of our health workers, as they nursed us through the pandemic?

Why can’t staff transfer their accrued sick leave, annual leave and long service leave entitlements from St John of God Health Care, across to NSW Health?

To make matters worse, during a recent budget estimates session, we learned that NSW Health, is planning to introduce paid parking at Hawkesbury Hospital. Imagine the awful prospect of sick and elderly patients having to park on nearby streets and then walking a long distance to the hospital, because they can’t afford to pay for parking.

I am concerned about the impact that additional cars will have on adjoining residents and businesses. Parking is already at a premium on surrounding streets, so think about the effect that an additional one hundred or more cars parked on the roadside, will have. What an insult to health workers and volunteers who have kept the facility operating magnificently through fires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic. How deeply unfair of the Minns Labor Government, to now gouge parking fees from our essential workers.

These decisions demonstrate a lack of respect for our valued health professionals, and I will fight to ensure they get a better outcome.

ROBYN PRESTON MP

Member for Hawkesbury

I’m here to help you!

advocate on your behalf to find solutions

offer advice and guidance about Government regulations, services and grants

assist with matters relating to transport, roads, education, health, water, welfare, mental health, veterans, emergency services, housing and Local Government arrange congratulatory messages for significant birthdays and anniversaries

aid in Seniors Card applications and updating your enrolment provide Justice of the Peace services

SUSAN TEMPLEMAN MP

Federal Member for Macquarie

Opinion

The Matildas captured the heart of the nation at last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup. It didn’t matter if you were old or young, male or female, we were all united cheering on our incredible women athletes, including the Hawkesbury’s own Courtney Nevin, who made our country proud on the world stage. And we can’t forget the Pitt Town Football Club players who carried the Australian flag at the semi-finals.

The Albanese Government is ensuring the next generation of women athletes have the support they need to reach their goals and thanks to the Play Our Way Program, local clubs in the Hawkedbury can do their part to give women athletes a brighter future.

The Play Our Way Program will invest $200 million across the country for sporting clubs and organisations to improve access to sport for women and girls, build more suitable facilities and roll out grassroots initiatives to help them participate in sport throughout their lives.

Grant applications have opened and I want to make sure that Hawkesbury

clubs make the most of this grant program. I’m encouraging sporting clubs or other community organisations who have ideas for encouraging girls and women to play a sport, or who have facilities that need upgrading to be suitable for female users, to get cracking.

The program is available for all sports and given the success of the Matildas and Diamonds I would expect to see local soccer and netball clubs among those who want to take advantage of this grant round.

I’ve also been seeing real interest by women in rugby league and there not a sport I can think of where there isn’t a need for better facilities or programs to encourage teenage girls to keep playing.

Not every young person will go on

NEW MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE HAWKESBURY

to play sport professionally, but every child’s life can be enriched by the physical and social benefits of sport. We know these benefits of playing sport continue throughout your lifetime and yet 1 in 2 girls will stop playing a sport by the time they reach the age of 17. The Albanese Government wants every little girl who was inspired to score a goal, jump in the pool, or pick up a bat to have the facilities and support they need to participate in sport long term.

There are two streams of grants - one for facilities and a second for participation and equipment. They are open to sporting and community organisations, local governments and non-for-profits.

This grant program was designed with the assistance of experts across sport

and government, with people like Liz Ellis AO, Lauren Jackson AO, Tal Karp and Madison de Rozario OAM providing input to make sure the grants give women’s sport the investment it needs.

Our local clubs already produce fantastic athletes and good people, and I know with this additional support the future of women’s sport in the Hawkesbury can be even brighter.

The Play Our Way program Grant Opportunity is open, to apply visit: https://www.grants.gov.au/Go/ Show?GoUuid=efb2bc27-8eed-4e088d9e-704132e143ad

For more information head to: https://www.health.gov.au/node/49126 Applications will close 2 pm (AEST) 29 April 2024.

The Hawkesbury now has two new free mental health services for people of all ages, funded by the Albanese Government.

By the end of this year, the Hawkesbury will have two new free mental health services for people of all ages, funded by the Albanese Government.

Based in Richmond our new Headspace and Head to Health Centres deliver easy access to support unlike anything the Hawkesbury has previously had.

Based in Richmond, both Head to Health and Headspace will deliver ready access to support unlike anything the Hawkesbury has previously had.

I know these services can change and save lives across our community

I believe these services can change and save lives across our community.

Hawkesbury Headspace

Coming soon: Hawkesbury Headspace

Finally young people in the Hawkesbury have a dedicated mental health service.

Located behind Coles at Richmond.

Located at 120 Francis St, Richmond, behind the Coles. Phone: 1800 517 171

Finally, young people in the Hawkesbury will have a dedicated mental health service.

Hawkesbury Head to Health

Now operating: Hawkesbury Head to Health.

This free mental health service for adults is funded by the Federal Government and available 6 days a week.

This free mental health services for adults is fully funded by the federal government and is available 6 days a week.

Phone: 1800 595 212

Located at 1 Musson Ln, Richmond Phone: 1800 595 212

Susan Templeman

Asbestos found at PCYC South Windsor

Asbestos has been discovered at the PCYC Hawkesbury Youth Centre at South Windsor, as the list of locations that have received mulch potentially contaminated with friable asbestos grows.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed asbestos was found at the PCYC this week.

No further details are available, including how it got there; however, it adds to the growing list of sites across the state where asbestos has been found in contaminated soil and mulch.

Locally, the EPA has already confirmed asbestos has been found at St.John of God Hospital in North Richmond, Woolworths in Kellyville, and a Transport for NSW park in Wiley Park and Riverstone Sports Centre. Several schools, including Penrith Christian School in Orchard Hills and St Luke’s Catholic College in Marsden Park, also tested positive after they received mulch from the same contaminated source.

In late February, the EPA said it was following up on a second supplier that may have provided asbestos-contaminated mulch to at least two sites in western Sydney: Cranebrook High School and Mont Saint Quentin Oval in Bardia. At the time of writing, only one company, Greenlife Resource Recovery, had been directly implicated by the EPA in the crisis, which has seen friable and non-friable asbestos found in mulch.

NSW EPA Chief Executive Tony Chappel has said the investigation is exploring multiple lines of inquiry, including the possibility of foul play or criminal conduct. “We are looking at multiple lines of inquiry absolutely, including allegations of foul play or criminal conduct,” he said.

The NSW government announced the establishment of an Asbestos Taskforce,

along with an increased workforce of public servants, including firefighters, to support the EPA in its investigation.

The EPA said the government’s primary focus is on “contact tracing” along the complex supply chain and ensuring prompt testing, reporting, and management of any positive results.

Our Delicious Food Will Amaze You

Tuesday- Sunday 11:30 am–2:30

The EPA has advised all landowners to implement measures to prevent public access and commence the removal of contaminated mulch.

The complete list of sites which have tested positive will be updated here: https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/workingtogether/community-engagement/

updates-on-issues/rozelle-parklandasbestos-investigation/sites-beinginvestigated-for-asbestos-in-mulch-andresults

Individuals with concerns about mulch are encouraged to contact the EPA Environment Line on 131 555 or at info@epa.nsw.gov.au

Western Sydney Councils Call for Rethink on Housing Plans

The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) has issued a call to the New South Wales Government to reevaluate proposed planning changes that it believes could compromise the state’s ambitious housing targets.

The President of WSROC, Councillor Barry Calvert, said key issues such as parking access, waste management, urban heat mitigation, bushfires and floods needed to be addressed to ensure the smooth implementation of the government’s housing plan.

The NSW Government published a document titled “The Explanation of Intended Effect: Changes to create low and mid-rise housing” in December, outlining

significant alterations to housing planning controls. These changes, including adjustments to floor space and building height allowances, aimed to enhance development capacity in areas near station or town center precincts.

However, WSROC said there are various problems with the proposed plan, warning of potential repercussions such as increased land values, diminished quality of life, exacerbated traffic congestion, and safety hazards from overflowing garbage bins.

“The lack of consultation with local government in the lead up to the release of the proposed changes is extremely disappointing. WSROC urges the State

Government to work more collaboratively with local councils to deliver a more nuanced and fit for purpose solution to the current housing crisis. We are extremely concerned that the current proposal will result in increased risk to human health and amenity, and ultimately do nothing to address affordability,” WSROC’s submission to the government said.

Councillor Calvert said WSROC’s support for efforts to improve housing availability and affordability, provided that the resulting housing is sustainable and well-designed. He urged the government to collaborate with councils to address critical details, including

concerns about insufficient onsite parking provisions and the impact on waste collection services.

The absence of clear directives on affordable housing delivery and developer contributions in the government’s proposals has also raised alarms among Western Sydney councils. WSROC highlighted the need for a more comprehensive approach to address natural and man-made hazards, such as flood risks, bushfires, and heatwaves, particularly in the Hawkesbury Nepean Valley area.

WSROC wants the NSW Government to engage with local councils to develop a more nuanced and tailored solution to the current housing crisis.

Earthquake Packs a Punch but Limited Damage

“It felt like a boom, and I kind of thought someone had run through a wall. I genuinely felt like the house was about to flip on its side,” Toller Cave recalled after the earthquake.

Living in a large house in Mulgoa with about six others, Cave was just kilometres from the quake’s epicentre the night it hit. Although the quake measured only 3.6 in magnitude, his experience shows how frightening even a mild quake can feel, particularly in an urban area.

According to Australia’s earthquake monitoring system, Geoscience Australia, 5,857 people reported feeling the short-lived tremor at 8.53 pm on 8 March. The epicentre was located in the Blue Mountains National Park, just west

of Warragamba dam, nine kilometres below the earths surface.

“I was just sitting in my room watching Netflix, and then the kids were watching a movie outside. Then there was just a huge bang, and it felt like the house was about to tip over for about one second. We thought Gucci (the household cat) had jumped off the countertop at the same time, and I thought nothing of it. Then my housemate Sarah ran into my room and said there was an earthquake,” 16-year-old Cave said.

While thousands of other western Sydney residents felt the quake, there was little structural damage.

Fire and Rescue NSW said they had received just two calls for assistance.

They responded to a home in Glenmore Park that received some structural collapse to a roof and damage to roof tiles and a unit block in Kingsford, with reports of cracks in the wall.

“On both occasions, our firefighters weren’t required to take any action, there were no evacuations required, and there were no injuries on site with a risk of further structural collapse,” Fire and Rescue Acting Superintendent Mat Sigmund said. He said any residents who have noticed damage should contact their insurance company.

Just near the epicentre sits Sydney’s major water source, Warragamba dam. However, following inspections, the dam’s manager, WaterNSW, says there is no damage. “...seismic activity was well

below the threshold that would pose any threat to WaterNSW dam infrastructure,” Water NSW said. “Dams such as Warragamba are designed to withstand major seismic events and the most extreme weather conditions.”

While there is a perception that Australia does not experience significant earthquakes, the data tells a different story. According to Melbourne University associate professor of earthquake science Mark Quigley, Australia has experienced ten earthquakes similar to the deadly Christchurch earthquake (in which 185 people died), on average, every six to twenty years. The most deadly was the 1989 Newcastle earthquake, which killed 13 people and caused $4 billion in damage.

Political Will Threatens Toll Reform For Western Sydney

Western Sydney residents bear the burden of unequal and often eye-watering tolls across 130 kilometres of roads and 13 roads and tunnelsthat are the highest in the ocuntry .

Butfor toll reform to occur the Minns government is going to have to stare down monoply road and tunnel operator Transurban and convince voters that arent so affected by the tolls to swallow a revenue cut., t aHeading towards the 2027, election that leaves the question over whether the government has the political will to do so.

An independent review of motorway toll pricing in Sydney, led by former competition tsar Professor Allan Fels and economist Dr David Cousins has proposed wholesalereform. At the heart of their recommendations, released this week, is the creation of a state owned tolling authority - State TollCo - which would take control of the motorways and set prices.

The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) is supportive of the plan and many of the other recommendations in the report, including a recommendation to introduce two-way tolling on major routes like the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The final report will be released in six months.

In welcoming the report, WSROC President, Councillor Barry Calvert, said that Western Sydney residents are disproportionately affected by tolling issues due to the region’s greater reliance on private vehicles and limited public transport options. “In effect, road tolls and the fuel excise constitute a regressive tax, which greatly and disproportionately burden working families in Western Sydney,” Cr. Calvert said.

WSROC has outlined several key demands in response to the review’s

findings. These include advocating for a fairer tolling system with “journey caps” and “daily caps” to ease the financial strain on commuters and small business operators. WSROC also wants greater transparency in toll pricing and the adoption of smart tolling technologies, to tailor charges based on various factors such as income level and time of travel.

Councillor Calvert said the need for reform was urgent as Western Sydney

residents effectively subsidise transport infrastructure upgrades for more affluent parts of the city. He urged for bipartisan collaboration at both the state and federal levels to ensure the implementation of a sustainable and equitable toll system.

Cr. Calvert also said fuel excise also needed to be addressed as contributions by owners of electric and hybrid vehicles was minimal.

“In the longer term the question that continues to be avoided by politicians of all colours is ‘how do we charge for the use of roads when the fuel excise is no longer sufficient to maintain our roads let alone expand our road network as our population grows?” he said.

“This is already happening as the users of hybrid and especially all-electric vehicles are not contributing to the maintenance of our roads through the fuel excise.”

Senseless Act Destroys Community Piano

The piano originally donated to the community was located in Windsor Mall on George Street when it was vandalised. Police said the incident occurred at about 10.15pm.

said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Windsor Police on 4587 4099 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Windsor Police are seeking information in relation to the malicious damage of a community piano in Windsor on Friday night.

The I Love Windsor Facebook page said the piano was there for everyone to enjoy. “It’s beyond belief that anyone would want to do this. We are now seeking a new piano donation,” it

A Culinary Journey in the Heart of the Mountains

Bilpin Melange, nestled in the heart of the mountains, has been serving up culinary delights for nearly four months now. Owned by the dynamic duo, Daniel and Katrina Hiltbrunner, this restaurant is more than just a business venture; it’s a labor of love and a commitment to the Bilpin community.

Daniel, an internally trained and award-winning chef, brings a wealth of experience garnered from his globetrotting culinary adventures. Originally from Switzerland, Daniel’s journey led him to Australia, where he honed his skills in various restaurants, from Brisbane to Melbourne, Japan, the Bahamas and even Abu Dhabi. But it was the serene beauty of the Blue Mountains that captured his heart.

“A friend who was looking for a house in the blue mountains saw there was a restaurant for sale so we bought it. We love it,” Daniel said. When we were in Bungendore it was small and rural and we like the smaller community. WE enjoy having the nicer relationship with the local community. The scenery here is beautiful and we have amazing produce on our doorstep,” he said.

The name ‘Melange’ reflects the eclectic mix of influences found in the restaurant’s cuisine. Drawing inspiration from Daniel’s Swiss roots, as well as his stints in Japan and the Bahamas, the menu boasts a fusion of flavors that celebrate seasonal produce and global culinary traditions.

“Food, for me, is all about mood and seasonality,” Daniel shared. He enjoys classic European dishes alongside Japanese favorites and a touch of Swiss comfort food. He is also a fan of Mexican cuisine once you get past Nachos and Tacos. “In Australia we are lucky to have all that influence of ethnic cuisines - Indian, Thai, Greek, Italian. Australian cuisine is influenced by many ethnic cuisines. It is quite unique as well,” he says.

Beyond the kitchen, Daniel and Katrina are committed to fostering connections with the local community. They’ve renovated the restaurant and

have plans for an inviting outdoor area where guests can dine amidst nature’s beauty.

But it’s not all work for Daniel. As he celebrates his 40th year as a chef, he still finds joy in donning the white jacket and creating culinary masterpieces. “This isn’t just a job; it’s a passion,” he emphasised. “Teaching in culinary schools was

fulfilling, but here in Bilpin, I get to do what I love on a deeper level.”

At Mélange Bilpin, the focus isn’t just on food; it’s on creating memorable experiences. With a commitment to using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and a team dedicated to hospitality, Bilpin Melange promises an unforgettable dining journey in the heart of the mountains.

Our team of experienced and highly dedicated property managers have a deep knowledge of the local market, tenancy laws, local tradespeople and how to efficiently maintain your property’s high quality. We know the care and thought that goes into choosing an investment property, and you deserve exceptional management to match this. When you engage our property managers, you’re tapping into a world of professionalism that will benefit your investment for the long-term.

Speak to our team today on 02 4587 6666 for an obligation free insight into

Karen Terrey Joanne Galea Claudia Sciberras Tahlia Frederick

Riverside Gardens Crossword

QUIZ

1

Word find

ARMY ATTACK BOER

3 In what year was Krakatoa’s last eruption?

4 Which political party has ruled Singapore since becoming independent in 1959?

5 Which two monarchs were placed on the British throne after the 1688 Glorious Revolution?

6 The Matterhorn (pictured) straddles the border of which two countries?

No. 018

7 What ‘big’ landmark can be found in the NSW town of Ballina?

8 Which of these sports was not introduced at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics: 3x3 basketball, freestyle BMX, 5x5 Rugby?

9 What is the literal English translation of the term ‘de jure’?

10 Hepburn romanisation refers to the commonlyused translation method of which language into the Latin alphabet?

Edgeword

Place each of the tiles of letters into the blank jigsaw below to create four sixletter words going across and down.

Theme: War

There may be more than one possible answer.

Quick crossword

ACROSS

1 Swamp (7)

5 Slid; dashed (7)

9 Tribes (5)

10 South American (9)

11 Wrath (3)

12 Connect; associate (11)

13 Struggles; filters (7)

15 Dried or cleaned without wiping (6)

18 Scottish delicacy (6)

20 School (7)

22 Bug poison (11)

24 Common pet (3)

25 Emitting (9)

26 Expel; escape (5)

27 Accounts (7)

28 Feathered cleaners (7)

DOWN

1 Strangest; craziest (8)

2 Exchange (5)

3 Descending with rope (9)

4 Argues (7)

5 Boxed; fought (7)

6 Oily fruit (5)

7 East Asian nationality (9)

8 Tangoed (e.g.) (6)

Drop Down

14 Epic; instrumental (9)

16 Those with faith (9)

17 Grows in the womb (8)

19 Alcohols (7)

Starting with the sevenletter word, drop a letter and form a six-letter word. Continue in this manner until you reach the single letter at the bottom. You can rearrange the letters in each step, if necessary.

There may be more than one possible answer.

Sudoku

Fill in the blank cells using the numbers from 1 to 9. Each number can only appear once in each row, column and 3x3 block

Crossmath

Insert each number from 1 to 9 in the shaded squares to solve all the horizontal and vertical equations. Multiplication and division are performed before addition and subtraction.

No. 018

20 Winced (7)

21 Reflector (6)

23 Seat (5)

24 Greek island (5)

5x5

Insert the missing letters to make 10 words – five reading across the grid and five reading down.

9-Letter word

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

Solutions

Today’s Focus:

15 words: Good

22 words: Very good

29 words: Excellent

Reference: Macquarie Dictionary

The leftover letters will spell out a secret message.

CLASSIC WINTER WARMING RECIPES: Spaghetti Bolognese and Lamb Moussaka

By Fiona Hamann

Classic Winter Warming Recipes: Spaghetti Bolognese and Lamb Moussaka

As the cooler months settle in, there is nothing quite like the comfort of classic, hearty dishes to warm the soul. Two timeless favourites, Spaghetti Bolognese and Lamb Moussaka, are here to do just that. Both recipes feature mince—beef for the bolognese and lamb for the moussaka—making them delicious and budget-friendly options for a satisfying meal. Both dishes are fantastic for serving crowds or making ahead and reheating.

Rich Bolognese Sauce

Serves 4-6

Cook time: 1 hour +

My bolognese recipe is a mix of an Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe from years ago by Emma Knowles and Anna Del Conte’s classic beef ragu, which I have modified over time. It’s become a firm family favourite at our place. You will get many ingredients, including porcini mushrooms, from Richmond Fruit Market. You can also buy the pre-mixed veal/pork bolognese mince from the supermarket. If your budget allows, ask the butcher to mince the meat for you. If you don’t eat pork, use beef and swap the prosciutto for two anchovy fillets (it’s for salt and umami and won’t leave your spagbol tasting like fish, I promise).

Don’t get too hung up on precise measurements. I like to glug, splash, and modify at will.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 750 gm minced beef

• 250 gm minced pork

• 100 gm round mild pancetta or prosciutto, finely chopped*

• 1 Tb butter, coarsely chopped

• 1 carrot, diced

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 celery stalk, diced

• 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 tsp sugar

• 15-20 grams dried porcini mushrooms, broken into small pieces and soaked in about 1/4 cup boiling water

• 1 400g tin diced tomatoes

• 2 sage sprigs finely chopped or 1 teaspoon powdered sage

• 2 oregano sprigs finely chopped or 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 2 Tb tomato paste (or one of those small Lego tubs)

• 150 ml red wine

• 500 ml beef stock

• 50 ml pouring cream

• 2 tsp aged red wine vinegar

Method

Heat olive oil in a heavy-based large saucepan (medium heat). Add your chopped Pancetta or substitute, and cook until the meat starts to change colour (roughly 10 minutes). Dollop in the butter and stir more until the meat is a little browner (another 5-10 minutes). Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Stir until the onion starts to soften.

Reduce the heat to relatively low and add porcini (chopped) and water it was soaking in. Add the sage and oregano and stir for 10 minutes until the porcini water has soaked up.

Stir through the tomato paste. Add the wine and stir until evaporated (the process is called deglazing). Add about half the stock and stir for another five or so minutes until the stock is starting to reduce. Then add the remainder along with the tinned tomato, the sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer until the sauce is reduced, stirring occasionally—at least 40 minutes, but it’s fine to bubble for a couple of hours if you have the time to spare. The longer it is cooked on low, the richer the flavour.

Stir through cream and add vinegar. Serve with cooked spaghetti - bolognese on top or stirred through. Scatter over plenty of fresh parmesan and some fresh chopped oregano.

*You can also use serrano ham or even diced bacon.

Lamb Moussaka

Serves 6

Cook time 1 hr 10 minutes plus 40 minutes prep

Moussaka is essentially Greek lasagne (or is lasagne Italian moussaka?). Instead of pasta sheets, moussaka is layered with eggplants. I am not a fan of eggplant, but it is delicious in this recipe. Moussaka also uses savoury minced lamb, like lasagne, which has a velvety béchamel sauce. This recipe is based on one by Nagi Maehashi of Recipe TinEats, and she, in turn, got it from The Food and Cooking of Greece by Sara Nassopoulos. Moussaka features “comfort spices” of cinnamon and nutmeg. I was inspired to make this dish after seeing an enormous pile of absolutely perfect, shiny eggplants in Hartleys Supermarket in Richmond. This recipe calls for about two of them. You will find Greek Oregano and Greek Kefalotiri Cheese in the Richmond Fruit Market. You can make this gluten-free by swapping out flour and bread crumbs for GF alternatives.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants, cut lengthways into slices about 1/2 centimetre thick

• 3 tsp salt

• 2 Tb olive oil (1 Tb for eggplant, 1 Tb for meat sauce)

Meat sauce

• 1 onion, diced

• 2-4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 kg lamb mince

• 1/2 cup (125ml) red wine

• 1 tin (400g) diced tomatoes

• 2 Tb tomato paste (or one of those small Lego tubs)

• 1 cup beef stock plus an extra beef stock cube.

• 1 beef bouillon cube, crumbled (or 1 tsp powder)

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 large tablespoon Greek oregano (or plain)

• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• 3/4 tsp salt

• Fresh bread crumbs/GF crumbs or Panko crumbs

Thick Bechamel Sauce

• 4 tbsp butter

• 50 g plain flour or corn flour/GF flour for GF option

• 625 ml milk

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated or powdered

• 75 g hard cheese like parmesan, pecorino or Greek Kefalotiri Cheese

• 1 egg

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tsp Vegeta or a chicken stock cube

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and layer them in a colander over the sink for about 15 minutes to allow the moisture to escape. Rinse the salt off and carefully pat each slice dry (this is important so it’s not too salty). Lay the slices in a single layer on a couple of oiled baking trays and spray them with oil. Cook in the oven for ten or so minutes until starting to brown. Remove and set aside.

Reduce the oven to 180 degrees.

While the eggplant is cooking, heat the remaining oil in a heavy-based pot and add onion and garlic, stirring for a minute or two until the onion softens. Add lamb and cook, stirring constantly, until it browns. Break up lumps as you stir.

Add the wine and deglaze for a minute or so. Add all the other meat sauce ingredients, bring to a simmer, and lower the heat. Cook for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens, but I like to cook longer for a richer, deeper flavour.

Next, make the bechamel sauce: Melt butter in a pan over low-medium heat. Add the flour and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Using a whisk, slowly add the milk bit by bit, whisking constantly so there are no lumps. It should come together as a sauce thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the grated cheese, grated nutmeg, and vegetable or stock cube. Add seasoning (note that the Vegetable/ stock cube makes it quite salty, so taste before you add any salt). Leave it to cool for a few minutes before stirring in the whisked egg and egg yolk—you don’t want your eggs to scramble!

Cover the base with half the eggplant slices in a large oiled lasagne dish. Put all the meat sauce on top (if the sauce has a heavy oil layer or isn’t thick, try to scoop the meat onto the eggplant, leaving extra meat juice behind in the cooking pot. You want your moussaka to slice when ready and not be too runny. Top with the second layer of eggplant, and then spread all of the thick bechamel sauce over the top. Top with bread crumbs and extra grated cheese and cook in the oven for about 40 minutes. Allow the moussaka to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a Greek Salad.

Sport

Crossland Powersports: Keeping your Boats Afloat all Year Round

Nestled in the Hawkesbury lies a haven for jetski enthusiasts - Crossland Powersports. As a family-run service centre, they pride themselves on being the ultimate destination for all things jetski-related. From spare parts to licensing courses, Crossland Powersports ensures that every aspect of of your jetski experience is covered with expertise and care.

“I trained people in using primarily Jet Skis but on water products across the whole of Asia Pacific... In places where people had never really seen it. New adopters. We’ve been water users from the age of 16, and we are on the water every weekend and we are all amongst it,” mentions Mick Crosslands, the owner of Crossland Powersports.

At Crossland Powersports, their team understands the importance of having access to quality spare parts for every make and model of a jet ski. Whether you’re a seasoned rider or just beginning your jetski journey, their extensive inventory and mechanic expertise will keep your watercraft running smoothly all year round.

As Mick Crosslands emphasizes, “There’s no real on-water service; if you break down on the river or out at sea, you’re pretty much alone... Regular maintenance saves money in the long term, and couple that with the safety factor, if you break down at sea, you want to be sure that everything is working as well as it can be.”

But Crossland Powersports offers more than just servicing and partsthey provide licensing courses to ensure you can have fun on your jetski safely and responsibly. Their experienced instructors guide you through everything you need to know. They “take the training material and add the context in real life rather than slides on a PowerPoint,” allowing learners to have a deeper understanding of the information being fed to them and giving them the confidence to navigate the water with ease.

What sets Crossland Powersports apart is that, as a family-run business, they understand the importance of building relationships with their customers, and they go above and beyond to ensure everyone who walks through their door feels a part of the family. So whether you’re a jetski veteran or a complete beginner, make Crossland Powersports your first point of call for all your jetski needs. With their expert staff and commitment to customer satisfaction, you’ll find everything you need to make a splash on the water.

You can visit their website via https:// crosslandpowersports.com.au/servicing/ or alternatively visit in person.

Showroom: 1/26 Park Rd, Mulgrave NSW, 2756

Service and Repair centre: 15/1

Calvert Blvd, Mcgraths Hill, NSW, 2756 (02) 4502 3793

Sport Our Mate Ringa

Guest writer Stephen Lamb, The Back Rail

In Australian bush parlance, “Ringer” was a term for the best shearer in the shed – the man who could shear the most sheep in a day, otherwise known as a gun shearer.

So it’s conceivable to think that Shane Rose is nicknamed “Ringer” for being the best at what he does. Certainly, his skill when competing cross-country is world-renowned, in particular, his ability to finish the gruelling test of galloping over natural obstacles under the time allowed.

But his nickname is actually Ringa –and its origins are far more quaint than the back-breaking work of shearing sheep.

In typical Aussie fashion, Shane’s nickname started out as Rosie – the ageold unofficial system of either shortening someone’s surname and adding an “o” (Davidson becomes Davo, Johnson becomes Johnno etc) or lengthening the surname by adding an “ie” (Brown becomes Brownie, Rose becomes Rosie). But Shane thinks it was eventing mates Boyd Martin and Danny Wilson who took things a step further, coining the name Ringa based on the nursery rhyme Ring a Ring a Rosie. As Shane says, “It sort of makes sense, because my dad’s nickname was Posie.”

Unfortunately, things aren’t rosy for Shane at the moment, although he maintains his characteristic positive outlook.

As Shane lies in a hospital bed with multiple fractures to various parts of his body, he still believes he’s a chance to make the Australian eventing team for Paris2024.

At 50 years of age and with three Olympic medals to his name, Rose is no stranger to adversity, having suffered more than his fair share throughout his international sporting career.

Despite being selected in both teams, he missed the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics due to last-minute injuries to his mount. In 2001, a thyroid cancer diagnosis resulted in surgery to have the troublesome gland removed and in 2003, he was hospitalised for three weeks with a badly broken leg.

Then in 2006, a kick to the face from a young horse saw him in an induced coma for week and an extended hospital stay that included several face surgeries. The damage was so extensive that the surgeons asked Shane’s wife Niki to send photos from before the accident to help them rebuild his face. Niki often tells the story of sitting at home contemplating whether to send in a picture of Shane or a magazine photo of Brad Pitt. His latest setback – fractures to his femur, pelvis, ribs and elbow and a heavy concussion just 135 days before the eventing dressage begins in Paris – will surely test even Rose’s renowned grit and determination. But overcoming injury is something Australian eventers are renowned for.

Rome 1960, and the man who would become the Godfather of Australian eventing, the late Bill Roycroft OBE, produced a performance that would live on forever in the annals of Olympic history.

Aboard Our Solo, Bill had already cleared 30 cross-country fences before suffering what would today be described as a “rotational fall”, with the horse somersaulting over a fence and landing on top of the lanky Aussie. Heavily concussed and with the associated soft-tissue damage from such a fall, Bill remounted and jumped the final four fences and even more remarkably, achieved one of the fastest times of the day.

He was then helicoptered to hospital, having been given oxygen and a shot of whiskey and spent the night heavily bandaged, sedated and with ice on his bruised and battered body.

With doctors refusing to discharge him the next morning – even going so far as to withhold his clothes – Bill threatened to leave in his underwear, such was his determination to ride in the showjumping round. With Brian Crago’s horse lame and unable to participate, the Aussies would’ve been down to just two team members if Bill didn’t ride, and with a gold medal up for grabs, he was adamant. At 45 years of age (interesting side note, how incredible that Bill competed at five Olympic Games, but his first wasn’t until aged 45?!), his injuries limiting his ability to walk normally, let alone ride, despite pain-killing injections, he signed himself out of hospital and reunited with his teammates.

A clear showjumping round and a team gold medal for Australia – and folklore created. A story that would be told time and again around the tailgates of horse trucks at equestrian events not just in Australia, but around the world.

Fast forward to Atlanta 1996, and on the back of team and individual eventing gold medals at Barcelona in 1992, the Aussies were keen to continue their success. Twenty-one-year-old

Wendy Schaeffer, competing at her first Olympics, played an integral role in the team’s back-to-back gold medal performance, producing clear cross country and showjumping rounds. Her achievement of becoming the youngest female to win an equestrian Olympic gold medal was made even more remarkable by the fact that nine weeks before the Games, she badly broke her leg. In fact, both bones in her lower leg were fractured, and at the time of competing, she still had screws and plates holding them together, and had to ride with her leg heavily strapped. Sports Illustrated ranked the young Aussie 8th in its list of “Great Athletes” at the Atlanta Games, such was the magnitude of her achievement.

At the same Olympics, Wendy’s teammate and member of the Barcelona gold-medal-winning team, the late Gill Rolton, was involved in another legendary display of courage by an Australian eventer.

A fall between fences when her horse Peppermint Grove lost his footing resulted in Gill fracturing her collarbone and some ribs. Incredibly, she remounted and continued on despite her left arm being unusable. At the next fence, a water complex, Gill fell again, somersaulting into the water. After remounting a second time, she managed to gallop another 3

kilometres and jump 15 more obstacles to finish the course. Even after being taken to hospital, Gill refused painkillers, concerned they might stop her competing in the showjumping phase the next day if the team needed her. Fortunately, she didn’t have to ride, but there is little doubt her heroism was at the forefront of her teammates’ minds as they secured the gold medal.

While Shane undoubtedly has more severe injuries than those outlined above, he also has more time to recover. His profile is at an all-time high following his recent mixing of minimalist beach fashion and equestrian sport, which earned the wrath of officialdom but massive public support around the globe. His potential mount for Paris, 19-year-old Virgil, has partnered him on the international stage for over a decade, enjoys almost cult-like status, and has more frequent flyer miles than most people.

What remains to be seen is whether Shane can recover in time to not just make the team for Paris but, in the spirit of Australian eventing folklore, come back from injury and win that gold medal that has eluded him to date.

(Thanks to the Sports Australia Hall of Fame website www.sahof.org.au for providing background information) Story first written for ‘The Back Rail’.

Sport $1.8 Million Prize Money Highlights 19th Annual Hawkesbury Cup Day

With over $1.8 million in prize money up for grabs, the 19th Annual Hawkesbury Cup Day is set to attract racing enthusiasts from far and wide on Saturday, May 4th, 2024. Since its inception in 2006, this standalone event has consistently drawn top trainers, jockeys, and horses from across Australia.

The event’s pinnacle remains the Group 3 $250,000 Richmond Club Hawkesbury Gold Cup, spanning 1600 meters and showcasing the finest talent in Australian horse racing.

Beyond the racetrack, attendees can look forward to a diverse range of entertainment options. Crowd favorites Furnace & The Fundamentals are slated to entertain spectators with a lively performance following the Cup. Various on-course activations, including a Gin Garden, 360 photo booth, and food trucks, promise to cater to diverse interests.

“We will encourage fashionistas to enter our Fashions on the Field Competition by uploading their photos taken from our on-course “Fashion Chute” area,” stated CEO James Heddo. “We will have some great prizes on offer and will provide further details closer to the event.”

For those seeking an elevated experience, Hawkesbury Race Club (HRC) offers all-inclusive hospitality packages starting from $149 per person, providing premium views and amenities. Alternatively, the Front Lawn Precinct tickets at $55 per person offer a more relaxed yet prime position to enjoy the day’s festivities.

Given the sell-out success of last year’s hospitality packages, organisers advise early booking to secure desired packages. For further details or ticket purchases, visit www.hawkesburyraceclub.com.au.

Sport A Father’s Love

When Pankaj Bhatia isn’t managing his busy signage business, he’s investing his time coaching his daughter Yanee, a rising cricket talent with aspirations of donning the green and gold for Australia.

Despite the demands of running his own business, Bhatia devotes a substantial portion of his week to nurturing Yanee’s cricketing talent. With a commitment to her development, Bhatia spends upwards of 20 hours each week alongside his daughter after work, fine-tuning her skills on the cricket field.

Yanee, at just seventeen years old, has already made significant strides in the cricketing world. A member of Penrith Cricket Club, Yanee recently represented Sydney Thunder Nation Cup, CHS for Sydney West High Schools & NSW All Schools Competition. With dreams of representing her country, Yanee’s dedication and passion for the sport mirrors her father’s support. “She wants to play for Australia but if she doesn’t make it, she wants to go into the defence force,” Bhatia says. Late last month Yanee was selected to for Tour of India for Girls cricket Under 17.

Away from the cricket pitch, Bhatia is a testament to the immigrant success story. Arriving in Australia from northern India in 2009, he soon ventured into entrepreneurship, leveraging his background in sales and Graphic Design to establish a flourishing signage business. “I just loved the business. I like creating new things, doing different things every day and talking to different people every day,” Bhatia says.

Starting from humble beginnings in a

garage in Schofields, Bhatia’s business journey has been one of continual growth and expansion. In 2020, he relocated to a larger warehouse in Vineyard, equipped with state-of-the-art printing machinery to better serve his clientele, which

includes small businesses, corporate entities, real estate agencies, and builders amongst others.

Known for his commitment to quality and efficiency, Bhatia ensures rapid turnaround times, often delivering

products within one to two days to meet his clients’ urgent needs.

Beyond business success and cricket, Bhatia finds fulfillment in family life, spending his leisure time with his wife Preeti and their six-year old son Ryan.