Hawkesbury Post May 2024

M AY E D I T I O N 2 0 24

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Is Flood Mitigation Finally In Sight?

Maree acknowledges that not all floods are impacted by spills from Warragamba Dam, but a plan to reduce the magnitude of those that do is overdue and desperately needed.

A resident of Oakville for 24 years before moving to Pitt Town in 2022, Maree and her family, like so many, were surprised by the 2020 and 2021 flooding events.

“My husband and I had gone for a walk and were down by Lynwood (Country Club) and we noticed the water had come up to the Stop sign. That had never happened before. Later, water flooded their driveway and isolated them and about 15 other houses. We had no warning, no idea,” said Maree, who asked the Post not to publish her last name.

“The water backed up in McKenzie Creek and came around along Saunders Road and Old Stock Route Road. Normally, it would drain away, but because of the volume of water coming down the river after they released water from the (Warragamba) dam, it couldn’t get away,” she said.

According to data from the Reconstruction Authority, if this were to happen, it is estimated that 64% of floods currently reaching the 1 in 100 chance-per-year level at Windsor would no longer do so.

Maree’s recollections are not unique.

In the wake of the seventh flood in little more than three years and ongoing flooding concerns in the Hawkesbury region, the New South Wales Government is contemplating a significant policy shift to lower the full capacity of Warragamba Dam, a move aimed at mitigating the impact of future flooding events for residents in the Hawkesbury Nepean Valley.

According to data from the Reconstruction Authority, if this were to happen, it is estimated that 64% of floods currently reaching the 1 in 100 chance-per-year level at Windsor would no longer do so.

Additionally, floods that still reach this level would be significantly delayed, allowing more time for preparation and evacuation efforts.

“We’re looking at all potential changes – including dropping the maximum allowable level on Warragamba,” Premier Chris Minns said. “However, I can’t consider doing that until I supplement Sydney’s water supply in the meantime. So that’s not going to give us an immediate relief. It’s going to take a bit of time.”

But for people like Maree, it is welcome news.

“It’s a brilliant idea. If they were to reduce the water capacity of the dam.

I think it’s an achievable, economical, sustainable and relatively immediate solution,” she said.

She said housing development surrounding Hawkesbury had changed the nature of flooding and made flooding worse.

“Water running off from places like Box Hill, the Gables, and Marsden Park can’t get away when the river is in full flood, and the dam spills, causing it to back up on the flood plain,” Maree said.

“Roads are now flooding differently to how they used to. They are not flooding in the same order, and I think surrounding development plays a role. If Blacktown and Baulkham Hills is draining water into the Hawkesbury, they should pay to ensure it drains away effectively,” she said.

According to modelling undertaken by Infrastructure NSW, reducing Warragamba Dam’s full capacity by up to

Continued on page 8

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Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

EDITORIAL

A Litany of Errors 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.

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In the wake of the recent flooding emergency,it has become painfully clear that serious errors are persisting within the organisations tasked with safeguarding the community during natural disasters. The repeated misjudgments and oversights, as evidenced in the April flood event, demand urgent attention and accountability from the responsible authorities.

Firstly, the discrepancy in flood height reporting during the height of the emergency stands as a grave indictment of the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). Residents faced perilous situations, unaware of the true extent of the flooding due to inaccurate and delayed information dissemination. It is unacceptable that during such a critical time, when lives are at stake, faulty gauges and erroneous forecasts were allowed to persist, leaving vulnerable communities ill-prepared and exposed.

Moreover, the spilling of the Warragamba Dam two days ahead of forecasts and then the actual event was marred by poor communication and delays and ultimately showed a complete lack of understanding about the time critical

information a flooding community needs.

Then we had the guard rails on Richmond Bridge. The failure to lower them, a seemingly routine yet crucial task, contributed to delays in reopening the bridge and exacerbated commuter chaos.

The repercussions of these failures are profound and far-reaching. Lives were endangered, trust in official communications has been eroded and communities are once again left reeling in the aftermath. As expressed by one community member, it was just lucky that it was not a coronial inquiry.

It is a stark reminder that the consequences of incompetence in disaster management cannot be overstated.

Accountability must be upheld, and measures implemented to prevent such failures from recurring. Transparency, accuracy, and timeliness in communication during emergencies must be prioritised, ensuring that residents have the information they need to make informed decisions and safeguard their lives and livestock and property.

Editor, Samantha Magnusson sam@hawkesburypost.com.au

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Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

ANZAC Day Dawn Service Honours Sacrifice and Remembrance ANZAC Day was honoured at numerous services around the Hawkesbury last week as residents paid homage to the bravery and sacrifice of Australian and New Zealand service personnel, past and present.

At Richmond hundreds of people gathered at the break of dawn as the haunting notes of the Last Post echoed across the memorial grounds, a poignant reminder of the price of freedom.

Wreathes were laid in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their countries.

Among the attendees were veterans, their families, and members of the wider community, united in their shared respect for those who have served.

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Flood Special

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Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Unyielding Waters

In the wake of the seventh significant flood in just over three years we have dedicated the May issue of the Hawkesbury Post to the Hawkesbury’s ongoing battle against flooding. In early April many in our community found themselves yet again submerged in the challenges of nature’s wrath. In this edition

we spoke to those impacted by the floods, our local political representatives, and the dedicated bodies entrusted with our safety during such crises. Despite the recurrent nature of these events, lessons from the past seem to elude us. But one thing this flood did do was put the sharp focus on flood mitigation, something this

community has long been asking for. The NSW Premier Chris Minns appears to understand the urgency and the complexity of the problem, and has given us the strongest indication yet that mitigation is firmly on the table. We asked flood expert Stuart Khan to dissect the government’s proposed mitigation strate-

gy for the Warragamba Dam and explore its implications. We hope this edition not only helps to inform you about recent events but also highlights to those with responsibility and the power to make changes what went wrong and what needs to be done to better protect our community.

Flood Protection and Water Security: Reimagining Warragamba Dam’s Role Opinion

Stuart Khan is Professor and Head of School of Civil Engineering at the University of Sydney.

The Hawkesbury Post recently reported that the NSW Premier is considering alternative opportunities to use Warragamba Dam to help mitigate impacts of future flooding for Hawkesbury residents (“Minns Considers Lowering Warragamba to Prevent Flooding”, Apr 10, 2024).

A previous proposal to raise the Warragamba Dam wall has been abandoned due to a variety of factors including cost, time to construct, and impacts to the UNESCO-listed World Heritage Blue Mountains National Park. However, it is not necessary to increase the height of the dam wall in order to make effective use of Warragamba Dam for flood mitigation.

Flood mitigation capacity can be maintained simply by deciding not to keep the dam filled to the brim. The volume of water held behind Warragamba

Dam when full is what we call the ‘full supply volume’.

To provide flood mitigation, a dam needs to have some extra capacity to hold more water back during times of intense rainfall and runoff. When Warragamba Dam is filled to the full supply volume, there is no extra capacity and additional inflows will be spilled into the downstream river system.

Not all dams are operated with a full supply volume that consumes the entire capacity of the dam. Consider the example of Wivenhoe Dam, which stores drinking water for Brisbane and other parts of South East Queensland.

Wivenhoe has a storage capacity of more than 3000 gigalitres (3000 GL), but much less than half this volume (1,165 GL) is designated the full supply volume.

The remaining capacity is kept empty so that it can be available to capture large inflows and reduce flooding.

When large inflows occur and fill the flood mitigation capacity of Wivenhoe Dam, the water is subsequently released at a rate that is safe to minimise flooding downstream. The storage volume behind the dam wall is lowered to the full supply volume.

The NSW Government could choose to operate Warragamba Dam in a similar way. When full, Warragamba holds around 2000 GL of water. All of this volume is currently used for the full supply volume and none for flood mitigation

capacity. But we could decide to reduce the full supply volume by any amount up to about 800 GL. This would provide an equivalent capacity for flood mitigation.

Modelling undertaken by Infrastructure NSW indicates that 800 GL of flood mitigation capacity would reduce exposure to major floods for residents in the Hawkesbury Nepean Valley. It found that of the floods which currently reach the 1 in 100 chance-per-year level at Windsor, 64% would no longer do so. Furthermore, floods that still reach the 1 in 100 chance-per-year level at Windsor would be significantly delayed, providing more time for preparation and evacuation.

But of course, there is a catch. The catch is that by reducing the full supply volume of Warragamba Dam, we would be reducing Sydney’s drinking water supply security. We know from decades of experience that our city is prone to severe drought and we cannot afford to lose any drinking water supply security.

Luckily, there is also a good solution.

The plan for Sydney’s future drinking water supply is laid out in a document prepared by the previous NSW Government, the Greater Sydney Water Strategy. From information presented in the Greater Sydney Water Strategy, Sydney’s vulnerability to drought is largely a consequence of our heavy reliance on rainfall-dependent water supplies. The Strategy describes how our city can become more drought resilient by tran-

sitioning to a greater proportion of our water sourced from rainfall-independent supplies. The major rainfall-independent supply sources are seawater desalination and purified recycled water.

The Greater Sydney Water Strategy states that if we were to reduce the full supply volume of Warragamba Dam by 800 GL, we would lose the ability to reliably supply a volume equivalent to about 80 GL per year. So we would need to replace the lost drinking water supply capacity with new rainfall independent supply of the same water production capability. Sydney’s seawater desalination plant can supply 90 GL/year, so we would need another desalination plant of about the same size.

Sydney is already planning to double the capacity of our seawater desalination plant and we also have a longer-term vision for additional seawater desalination, and quite likely some purified recycled water too. To maintain drinking water supply security with a lower Warragamba full supply volume, we would need to bring forward some of these investments, possibly by several decades.

While this won’t be cheap, having some flood mitigation capacity in Warragamba Dam, coupled with more rainfall independent water supplies would not just provide flood resilience, it would also provide drought resilience. That’s an opportunity that is surely worth our serious consideration.

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Flood Special

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TfNSW Blames Early Dam Spill for Bridge Damage Transport for NSW has blamed the premature spilling of Warragamba Dam on its inability to lower the guard rails on Richmond Bridge, leading to delays in its reopening and widespread commuter chaos.

Images circulating on social media after the peak of the flood event depicted extensive debris and damaged guard rails and pipes on the bridge, confirming suspicions that the guard rails had not been lowered prior to the closure.

The Hawkesbury Post has been told that the unexpected early spilling of Warragamba Dam caused the river levels to rise more rapidly than usual, rendering it unsafe to lower the guard rails on Richmond Bridge.

“In all weather events, we leave lowering the pedestrian barriers until as late as possible because doing so too early could trap pedestrians on the wrong side of the river with no alternative travel options available to them,” a TfNSW spokesperson told the Hawkesbury Post.

“During a weather event, the same crew lowers the pedestrian barriers on Yarramundi Bridge and North Richmond Bridge in that order. Water levels were already too high to safely put crews onto North Richmond Bridge to lower the barriers,” he said.

TfNSW said is working with the contractor to ensure future scheduling of the removal of the pedestrian rails is done in time to optimise safety of pedestrians and ensure rail removal before flood water is too high.

Residents and landowners were caught off guard early Saturday morning when they learned that Warragamba

Dam would spill two days earlier than previously announced by Water NSW, leaving many scrambling to evacuate amidst heavy rain and darkness before evacuation routes became impassable.

The failure to detach the bridge railings exacerbates Richmond Bridge closure times, and has caused traffic chaos as commuters try to find alternative routes to work.

Troubling images taken of the bridge and posted on the Hawkesbury Traffic Stats page appear to show a large

pipe that is usually attached to the side of the bridge, which seems to have detached.

This is not the first time TfNSW has failed to detach the railings before the bridge closes. Failure to do so increases the time the bridge is out of action and the risk of serious damage. This frustrates the community, especially those west of the river, who rely on the North Richmond bridge as a piece of critical infrastructure and vital access route.

Member for Macquarie, Susan Tem-

pleman MP told the Post: “It is really dismaying to see the photos of the debris on the bridge and I have sent them to the office of Minister for Transport. If Transport for NSW or their contractor failed to take down the railings before the bridge flooded, there needs to be an explanation to the community of how that happened and what will be done to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

“This has created additional traffic chaos, which may well have been avoidable,” she said.

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Flood Special

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Flood Heights Mismanaged During Emergency The Hawkesbury River surged well over two metres higher than was publically reported during the height of the flood emergency on the night of April 5 and morning of April 6.

At the peak of the emergency, when flood waters were cutting off evacuation routes and isolating people and properties, three different datasets recorded varying flood heights at North ­Richmond.

The river heights reported to the public by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) on April 6 were significantly inaccurate, at least in part due to a faulty gauge near the Richmond bridge.

As a result, the BOM failed in its duty to disseminate life-saving information during the crisis. Erroneous figures still linger on the BOM website as official records.

Compounding the chaos, Water NSW should have provided an emergency alert to a community already in a flood that the Warragamba Dam would spill two days earlier than the forecast it provided less than half a day before on Friday, April 5. Instead, it issued an email at 4.15am on Saturday morning that the Dam would spill in the next six to eight hours.

For a community relying on alert text messages, few saw it.

It probably didn’t matter, as that too was wrong. The Dam began spilling just over an hour later at 5.45 am. No one was alerted until after the event.

The BOM has acknowledged the issue but maintains that it correctly forecast a major flood, seemingly overlooking the critical importance of accurate and timely flood height information during the flooding event—information that is critical to evacuating communities and can save lives.

“Specific details of the irregularity at the North Richmond gauge are being actively investigated,” the spokesperson said.

Many residents, unaware of the true extent of the flooding, found themselves in dangerous situations. The Hawkesbury Post was told of an older man in Londonderry waist-deep in water, ringing relatives to tell them the house was already heavily flooded. Others in the Richmond Lowlands found themselves in the dark and the rain, evacuating livestock in knee-deep water just minutes before evacuation routes were impassable.

“Our flood forecasts draw intelligence from various sources, including satellites, radars, and a network of gauges. Despite irregularities at the North Richmond gauge, our peak flood forecasts remained timely and accurate,” a BOM spokesperson told the Post.

“The Bureau issued a Flood Watch for the Hawkesbury, Nepean and Colo Rivers on Wednesday, April 3, with minor to major flooding expected from late Friday, April 5. Flood Warnings issued on Friday, April 5 (24 hours in advance of the flood peak) correctly forecast river heights reaching the Major flood level at North Richmond.

“Any known irregularities at the North Richmond gauge did not affect the timeliness or accuracy of our peak flood forecasts,” the spokesperson said.

During a night of relentless rain, the BOM released the official Flood Warning Nepean Hawkesbury No.4 at 2:24 am on April 6, indicating a river height of 4.25 metres, still within minor flood levels. But the river was, in fact, much higher. Water NSW data shows the river height at 2.30 am on April 6 was 2.25 m higher, at 6.50 m.

“The Hawkesbury River at North Richmond (WPS) is currently at 4.25 metres and rising above the minor flood

level (3.80 m). The Hawkesbury River at North Richmond (WPS) is likely to exceed the moderate flood level (7.90 m) early Saturday morning. With forecast rainfall, the river may reach the major flood level (10.50 m) Saturday morning,” the BOM said in the 2.24am Flood Warning No.4.

The BOM’s official data record of the river height (still available on the BOM website) recorded at the same time states that the river was 5.50 metres, more than a metre higher than they were telling the public but still a metre lower than the river’s true height, according to the Water NSW data.

Further discrepancies persisted in subsequent updates. By 5 am, Water NSW records show the river was 8.64 metres and rising. BOM data states the river, at the same time, was well below that level at 7.80 metres. At 6:12 am, when the BOM issued its next warning – Flood Warning Nepean Hawkesbury No.5, the river had surged well past 9 metres. According to Water NSW data, the river was well on its way to forming a major flood. Yet, the official warning communicated to the public by the BOM in its flood update stated the river at North Richmond was just 8.16 m.

The spokesperson for the BOM told the Hawkesbury Post that the North Richmond river level gauge is owned and operated by NSW Water.

“The Bureau’s current understanding is the peak river height recorded at North Richmond of 10.52m at 8:15 pm Saturday, April 6, is correct, but we are working with NSW Water to confirm.

“The Bureau understands the gauge at North Richmond experienced data quality issues after the river peak was observed and we are working with NSW Water to understand any impacts on measurements.

The spokesperson said, “The observations from the North Richmond gauge will be assessed as part of the post-event review.”

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Flood Special

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The Bathtub Effect In the Hawkesbury Nepean Valley, five main tributaries pour water into the main river when heavy rains come. The Warragamba River is the most significant source.

Understanding the geography of the Hawkesbury Nepean Valley is crucial to comprehending the challenges posed by floods. The valley has narrow points where water gets stuck, raising the water levels. This phenomenon, known as the “bathtub effect,” is akin to a bathtub filling up because it can’t empty it fast enough.

Floods can raise the water 20 metres higher than usual at Wallacia, one of these narrow points. Downstream, at places like Penrith and Emu Plains, the land is low, and floods happen more—it is, after all, a natural floodplain. Even though Penrith has high riverbanks, floods can still reach parts of the town.

When the Grose Vale River adds to the flooding, as it did in the most recent April 2024 flood, it makes the “bathtub effect” worse downstream at places like Richmond, Windsor, and the Lower Hawkesbury.

Further downstream, the gorges on the Hawkesbury at Sackville slow the river further. In the flat land between Windsor and Richmond, floods spread out quickly.

Creeks in the valley fill up during floods, and islands form in the floodwaters. This “bathtub effect” makes the floods in the Hawkesbury worse, putting many homes – and often lives at risk.

In June 1867, the Hawkesbury Valley faced its most significant flood since Europeans arrived and started taking records. Twenty people died in the disaster, including 12 members of the Eather family. It made an inland sea in the valley, isolating what were then small country towns like Windsor, Richmond, and Pitt Town. Water reached more than 19m above normal at Windsor.

Hawkesbury Flood Statistics Unit

This phenomenon, known as the “bathtub effect,” is akin to a bathtub filling up because it can’t empty it fast enough.

If a flood like 1867 happened now, around 90,000 people would have to leave, and about 12,000 homes would be affected, according to the State Emergency Service (SES). The most significant flood in recent memory was in 1961, when water reached about 14.5 meters above normal in Windsor.

Since 2020, we have had seven significant floods in the Hawkesbury. Five of those were major floods, according to records taken at North Richmond, the largest peaking at 14.36 m in 2021. A little more than a year and three floods later, another 14m flood occurred in July 2022. Hawkesbury Flood Statistics has documented flood peaks at various locations, bridge closure heights and the number of days the bridges were closed during various floods. As you can see, no two floods are the same.

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Flood Special

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Is Flood Mitigation Finally In Sight

FROM PAGE 1 800 GL could provide substantial flood mitigation benefits. This reduction in capacity would create additional space within the dam to store floodwaters during periods of heavy rainfall, thereby reducing the risk of downstream flooding in the Hawkesbury Nepean Valley.

Head of the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Sydney and one of Australia’s leading experts on water and flooding, Professor Stuart Khan, said there are solutions to mitigate the flooding and secure Sydney’s water supply. {Read Stuart Khan’s article on page 4} “However, it is not necessary to increase the height of the dam wall in order to make effective use of Warragamba Dam for flood mitigation,” Khan said.

The modelling indicates that reducing capacity could significantly decrease the frequency and severity of major floods experienced by residents in the region.

The Nepean Hawkesbury Valley is one of Australia’s most dangerous flood plains due to its topography and the number of people living there. An unprecedented number of floods in the past three years has brought flood mitigation into sharp focus. While there is no silver bullet, as complex and varying components cause all floods, a number of mitigation measures have been considered to reduce the impact of at least some flooding.

Earlier this month, Premier Minns said that while lowering the capacity of Warragamba Dam is under consideration, it is not a short-term solution and requires supplementary measures to ensure Sydney’s water supply remains secure. Approximately 80% of Sydney’s drinking water is sourced from Warragamba Dam, with the remainder coming from other dams, the Hawkesbury-Nepean River and the Sydney Desalination Plant at Kurnell.

The proposed plan aligns with suggestions put forth by various community groups in the Hawkesbury region,

including the Hawkesbury Community Alliance, which has advocated for mitigation measures to address flooding concerns. In his press conference, Premier Minns acknowledged the gravity of the situation, particularly in light of the recent flooding events that have affected the region.

“We’re the fourth or fifth government that’s looked at flood mitigation and Warragamba Dam, it goes all the way back to the Greiner government in 1988.

It’s an expensive proposition. I want to make sure that we’re looking at all the potential changes, including dropping the maximum allowable level at Warragamba,” Minn said.

While raising the dam wall has been proposed as a solution in the past, it was unfunded and controversial, with concerns regarding its environmental impact and cost. Instead, the current proposal includes doubling the capacity of Sydney’s Kurnell Desalination Plant, allowing it to provide up to 15% of the city’s drinking water. This measure, coupled with the reduction in Warragamba Dam’s capacity, aims to bolster both flood mitigation efforts and water security for Sydney residents.

NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson emphasised the importance of reducing the city’s dependence on Warragamba Dam’s water supply to maintain lower levels for flood mitigation purposes. She highlighted the potential benefits of this approach, which could prove to be more cost-effective and environmentally sustainable compared to raising the dam wall.

“I think that potentially delivers a broad range of benefits and is actually less expensive than raising the dam wall,” Jackson said. The previous government’s policy to raise the dam’s wall was unfunded in the budget but would have cost about $1.6 billion on 2019 prices, had damaging environmental consequences and taken years to build.

It was also revealed last year that the dam had cracks, an issue still being investigated.

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Flood Special

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First Pictures Reveal Cornwallis Disaster

First pictures reveal the compromised riverbank and flooded farmland at Cornwallis and Richmond Lowlands

For the seventh time in three-and-a-half years, Richmond Lowlands turf and livestock farmers have been bearing the brunt of the latest flood, with tens of millions of dollars in destroyed turf and grazing paddocks.

But this was not caused by a natural flood. Farmers and residents are pointing the finger squarely at Hawkesbury City Council. Three years ago, the HCC’s collapsed drain and failure to repair it quickly caused a massive riverside canyon at Cornwallis Road that has significantly exacerbated flooding on the Lowlands. Paddocks that had previously been safe for livestock in most flood events are now dangerous due to the changed hydrology of the area.

As a result, more than 700 horses were urgently evacuated from the Lowlands in the early hours of Saturday morning, as the rising water caught many by surprise. That led to the cancellation of an international polo tournament that promised to pump millions of dollars into the local economy.

Pictures commissioned by the Hawkesbury Post showed the extent of the catastrophe for the first time: a vast gaping hole in the river bank that was once paddocks. By sheer luck, the latest flood was not large enough to wash away the million dollars of pipes sitting on the river’s edge, but previous floods have washed them kilometres away onto local farms.

The pictures also revealed that turf and livestock farms, land held by residents and polo fields were submerged by

flood waters, which would not have been there but for the riverside canyon.

Farmers and other residents of the Richmond Lowlands said the water came far more quickly, at a greater volume – with flood level touching 12 metres by the weekend – and earlier than in flood events before the latest Cornwallis disaster.

“We would not have had this much water if it hadn’t been for the hole at Cornwallis,” said Charlie Saliba, a turf farmer with 350 acres of turf worth millions of dollars whose property is close to the Cornwallis Canyon told the Hawkesbury Post.

When Hawkesbury Post spoke to him in the days after the last flood, Saliba said he had already lost millions of dollars due to silt from the last floods, but he said it was still too early to ascertain the damage from the latest flood.

Another turf farmer, who asked not to be named, said: “Rain happens, and floods happen. We know that, but since the Cornwallis collapse, we are now getting mud and silt deposited on our turf in such volumes that it is unable to recover. The only hope this time is that we had a big volume of clean rainwater ahead of the river flooding. The farmer said this flood had already cost them at least $3 million in lost turf and would impact future contracts.

The HCC’s bungled attempt to fix the initial problem and the sheer financial scale of the problem – estimates for its repair have ranged between $ 10 million – $40 million – has seen the work on the project handed to

the NSW State Government. However, 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.

The Post understands some turf farmers are considering compensation claims from the state government due to continuing inaction. “We got all flooded because they haven’t fixed up the hole in the riverbank; it’s ruined our farms again. This is all the council’s fault,” said Saliba.

“The (previous) 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. “The water does not go to Windsor any more. That’s all because of the disaster at Cornwallis.”

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.” 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.

In answers to questions from the Post only weeks before the latest floods, Hawkesbury City Council said it is “too early at this stage to provide a timeline on the completion of the restoration works at Cornwallis.”

The ongoing Cornwallis Rd failure comes less than 18 months after the

HCC was forced to take out a $32.5 million loan to cover its mismanagement of a two-year saga to repair a broken sewer pipe known as Rising Main C. The Post understands that Public Works currently has a tender for the repair of Cornwallis, but due to the department’s lack of a media team, further details could not be obtained.

The biggest problem that remains to be solved is that HCC’s initial attempt to fix the problem only resulted in further damage, as fresh floods made the canyon larger. The wrong-sized pipes to remediate the drain were ordered and are understood to remain near the site. The 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.

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

At the 2022 NSW government flood inquiry, Cr 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 years later, not much has changed, and farmers in the Richmond Lowlands will have to bear the brunt of governmental inaction at two levels following this latest flood.

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Flood Special

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Floods Spell Bad News For Roads The dire state of the Hawkesbury roads is expected to worsen after the recent floods, with many now looking at several years before they are repaired.

Hawkesbury City Council (HCC) told the Post that it has only completed $52 million worth of projects for “sealed roads and landslip repairs” under state government funding of $135 million handed out two years ago. A further $41 million in funding is under consideration. At present, 59 projects with a value of $74.3 million are in progress.

“In line with approvals sought under Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, the funding for the majority of projects expires in March 2025. A further 12-month extension may be sought once assessments of the damage of the current flood have been considered,” an HCC spokesperson said.

Despite the initial funds being directed towards major rural projects like Green’s Road, Hawkesbury City Council has been slow to address the deteriorating state of urban roads. This lack of attention to the roads that directly affect residents has understandably sparked anger among the community.

But the money that was committed came before the latest flood. Due to the impact of the heavy rains and further deterioration due to lack of maintenance, Council will have to survey, detail and apply for a fresh round of funding. In the meantime, residents will find - as they have already - that on some roads contractors repaired sections that were assessed two years ago, with the rest left unrepaired, people familiar with the HCC system said.

The HCC roads program has suffered serial delays. To some degree, this has been due to the turnover of mid-level managers running the program. At one stage, it was without a manager for four months. A person was later employed but was found to be unsuitable for the

role, resulting in another search, said people familiar with the situation. This had a significant impact on the roads program, which now has a manager in place.

The state of the roads is arguably residents’ number one complaint about the HCC. Feelings run so high on social media that HCC has previously censored Facebook posts, and Mayor Sarah McMahon has removed posts promoting HCC roadworks.

Federal member for Macquarie Susan Templeman said that funding announcements made by the Perrottet and Morrison governments for a $33 million, 100 flood road improvements program for western Sydney, in January 2022, was only for planning and not “one cent” for any construction.

More than $534 million dollars of federally funded infrastructure projects are being delivered across the Hawkesbury, on top of the millions provided to Hawkesbury City Council to repair flood affected roads and infrastructure in recent years, Templeman said.

“I think it’s a bit rich for Liberal mayors and MPs to be whinging about slow delivery of flood resilience measures when they have absolutely nothing to show for the decade or so they held government at both a state and federal level,” she added.

Templeman’s comment came after McMahon took to Facebook alleging the government had “abandoned” the region over flood mitigation.

“Some people may think this (sic) it is uncomfortable to identify the local pollies who are doing nothing, but I don’t have a problem with it,” McMahon said.

At HCC’s April meeting, the draft plan for 2024-2025 was presented and will shortly be released on the internet for comment. As part of the plan, HCC has committed to a $129 million Capital Works Program.

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Flood Special

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Premier Accuses McMahon of Political Game Playing Amidst Crisis NSW Premier Chris Minns accused Hawkesbury Mayor Sarah McMahon of engaging in political manoeuvring during the ongoing flood crisis. The Premier dismissed the Mayor’s actions as “playing politics” and urged elected leaders to prioritise addressing the crisis over political disputes.

During a press conference following the April floods, Premier Minns was questioned about accusations from the Hawkesbury Mayor that he had not visited the community to discuss the government’s proposed evacuation routes. In response, the Premier highlighted the need to focus on broadcasting emergency information across New South Wales, emphasising that addressing the crisis should take precedence over political conflicts.

He said: “Look, I’m not going to play politics right now. The most important thing is that we get emergency information broadcast to the people right across New South Wales. That must be our priority. We can get to policy changes and disputes between politicians as soon as we’re out of the danger period, and I’d encourage every political and civic leader to adopt that.”

Despite the Mayor’s accusations, the Premier has visited the area twice as leader of the opposition, touring flood-damaged areas and meeting with locals at the invitation of Hawkesbury Community Alliance to discuss potential mitigation strategies and understand community views.

When questioned about the possibility of raising the dam wall, Premier Chris Minns expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of such a measure. He highlighted that the significant cost of the project, estimated at $2 billion, may not effectively mitigate the impact of flooding, particularly flash flooding in the affected communities. The Premier outlined that a substantial portion (45%) of floodwaters in the catchment do not result from spills from the Warragamba Dam, indicating that investing in a flood mitigation program centred solely on raising the dam wall may not adequately address the issue.

Premier Minns further elaborated on the challenges associated with raising the dam wall, citing the exten-

sive time required for engineering assessments and construction. He highlighted that even if the decision to raise the dam wall were made immediately, completion of the project would be years away, making it impractical in the current situation.

He said: “The answer is no. There’s a few reasons for that. Firstly, it would take three to four years for engineering work to determine how you would even complete a project like that. You’re talking about a

massive increase in the size of the wall, which means that you have to secure the base of the wall as well.

“The construction would be another three or four years off the back end of that. So even if a government were to come along tomorrow and say we’re going to lift the Warragamba Dam wall, I would argue that 45% of floodwaters don’t tumble over the top of the wall. And secondly, you’re talking about many, many years down the line before it would even be completed.”

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Flood Special

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Anger in Pitt Town About Evacuation Route, By Pass There is growing anger in Pitt Town that calls for upgrading its flood evacuation routes have so far been ignored by the government, and that work on a long-promised bypass will not commence until at least next year The population has tripled in the past 15 years so this has increased the number of residents who may need to evacuate from the area quickly in the case of floods.

The regular evacuation route has tight bends and in many places it is difficult for vehicles to pass. The backup route has a locked gate, goes through part of a national park and is riddled with potholes, has no speed limits, and is usually only one-way. During the recent floods, the lock on the gate had been changed and the keys could not be located.

The Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman has previously questioned how sensible it is to have a locked gate where only a limited number of people have a key “to be your key escape route from what could be a very fast-rising flood.”

The president of the Pitt Town Progress Association Chris Bell told the Post that the community has been pressing the NSW government for $10 million to upgrade flood evacuation routes.

“Hawkesbury City Council has been trying to get the follow up grant,’’ Bell said. Still, HCC’s record in progressing projects funded by the state government has been patchy with almost $100 million in funds for roads’ projects from the 2022 floods still either unspent or part spent.

State Member for Hawkesbury Robyn Preston said in a statement

after the April flood: “Having a safe passage for more than 3,000 locals to escape floodwaters is essential, but this evacuation route needs an upgrade.

The flood inquiry of 2022 recommended it be upgraded - which is estimated to cost around $12 million. I am calling on the Labor Government to fund this vital project.”

“We need a breakdown verge of a metre on either side of the edge of the road. Our fire evacuation roads need to be fit for purpose and able to cope with the traffic, because the fire evacuation route is normally a four tonne limit road,” Bell said.

“But during floods, all of our other roads are blocked off and trucks, including sewage treatment trucks that are taking water away from our sewage treatment plant are using that poor piece of road. The sides start to crumble and break away and we end up with the giant potholes that are filled with water.“ But while an “announcement” has been made by Roads Minister John Grahan in October 2023, tender documents for the project - which is only 1.5 kilometres - are not expected to be issued until at least the third quarter of this year.

“They’ve done the design, everything’s done. All they have to do is move in a

bulldozer and start laying bitumen. I’m to be told it’s taken nine months just to go out to tender when the tender documents must be a standard piece of paper that they use for every project. They would just reference the design that’s already been done. It’s just very frustrating, very frustrating,” Bell said.

The growing number of sand quarries on the other side of Pitt Town have seen 200 trucks a day pass through the town’s main street between 5am-5pm.

“This project has been talked about since the 1960s,” Bell said. “People living on the main drag have had to put up with it. It wasn’t so bad 20 years ago, but the trucks have been there for 20 years.

For the last 20 years every time the government approved another quarry, part of their dismissal of all the community concerns about the increased traffic was that these concerns will be irrelevant because of the pending bypass. And here we are 2024 and still no bypass” A spokesman for Transport for NSW would only say: “The NSW Government has committed $100m towards the Pitt Town Bypass project.

“The project includes extending Pitt Town Road and adding two new roundabouts with a key focus on improving road safety, removing heavy vehicles from the town center and supporting the new residential development to the north of Pitt Town.”

Bell said that these delays made locals feel disenfranchised and disenchanted no which side of politics they were on “because it’s all smoke and mirrors until you see the bulldozer driving across the paddock.”

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Flood Special

Public Health Warning Urged After Flood Reveals “Putrid” Contaminants The April flooding event in the Hawkesbury revealed “putrid” level of contaminants in the flood water, with the council-run sewerage treatment plant at McGrath’s Hill flooding during the most recent flood event.

Leading water Scientist and Associate Professor Ian Wright from Western Sydney University said the contaminants found in the latest flood waters were some of the highest and most concerning they had ever seen.

Wright surveyed local rivers, taking water samples on April 5 and April 6 as the flood waters rose. He told ABC Radio that he and his students tested the water at the University on Monday and Tuesday and found it was “absolutely loaded with pollutants, and it just confirmed how dangerous that can be.”

He said the waters were full of sediment but, more seriously, e-coli, an indicator of faecal contamination. “I’ve worked with Sue Cusbert, a lab technician who has been doing this for decades, and she said she has never seen results off the scale like they were, Wright said.”

He said the contamination was coming from any warm-blooded animal waste, “anything that was in the paddock, the footpath or the park that was flushed into the river” during the heavy rains, and from the region’s sewers.

“So many of our sewerage assets are located below down near the water line; most of that is under our feet, the sewers that gravitate away from the house. A lot of rural houses have their own on-site system, and so much of that got flooded,” he explained.

Hawkesbury City Council has a sewerage treatment plant that includes ponds at McGraths Hill near Windsor. “That was all flooded by the South Creek flood, which banked up from the Hawkesbury.

Basically, a lot of that flood water was diluted sewerage,” he said.

However, an HCC spokesperson argued that there was not a problem with the sewerage plant.

“The floods in April 2024 had a direct impact on the constructed wetlands, which are part of the treatment process at the McGraths Hill Sewage Treatment Plant,” an HCC spokesperson said, “The treated waters in these constructed wetlands have, by that stage, already undergone a secondary level treatment and would represent no greater source of water pollution than runoff from a typical urban catchment.”

Professor Wright said the chemical levels in the water were “astounding.”

The nitrogen levels they found were 10 times the safe levels, and phosphorus levels were “sky high,” approaching 100 times the safe level for waterways. He described these as a “ticking time bomb” potentially creating algae blooms and posing a threat to the fish population.

“The management of the Hawkesbury River, including water extraction, is the responsibility of the NSW Government.

Council maintains that people should not enter or come into contact with floodwaters and should take adequate measures to protect themselves during cleanup activities, including NSW Health’s advice on staying healthy during and after floods,” the HCC spokesperson said.

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Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

SUSAN TEMPLEMAN MP

Federal Member for Macquarie Opinion

Susan Templeman

Better serving flood prone communities.

Depending on how you count them, it’s as many as seven floods in the last four years that starkly remind the Hawkesbury that we sit on a floodplain.

Large areas of rural land were badly affected with farmers of turf and veggies, equine businesses and other landowners the hardest hit. Thankfully this time only a very small number of residential homes were flooded.

However, even residents who weren’t flooded felt the effects of the known and unknown, temporarily isolated or restricted, with roads and bridges across the Hawkesbury closed due to the rapidly rising waters.

In the weeks since the floods I have spoken to residents and businesses across the Hawkesbury about what we can learn from this flood, and what can be done better next time. For me there are many policy issues that are not yet properly addressed around flooding – some of it sits with the NSW Government and issues around accurate information on Warragamba levels and

reliability of water gauges; some sits with the Federal Government’s Bureau of Meteorology, again around accuracy.

One big topic that is brought up to me again and again is insurance. Every flood is a reminder of how vital it is that our community can access affordable insurance that will provide the coverage we need. Even when people do have insurance, making a claim after a flood is rarely a smooth process.

It’s clear that the current insurance arrangements are not serving floodprone communities like ours.

That’s why a Parliamentary Inquiry I am part of is holding hearings in the Hawkesbury on Thursday 9 May, to listen to the local experience of flood insurance. The Inquiry is looking into insurers’ responses to the 2022 major floods

claims, however it also covers issues of uninsurance and unaffordability.

The Inquiry has been collecting evidence from insurers, consumer advocates and now we’re looking to speak with homeowners and business owners. The Hawkesbury has a unique perspective, given the multiple floods over recent years and I want to make sure our views are heard.

For people who made claims during 2022, the claims timeframes, obstacles to resolving claims, as well as the experiences of policyholders before, during and after making claims are all relevant to the Inquiry’s work when we report back to Parliament later this year.

Many people did have insurance in 2020 and 2021, but not in 2022 – you are all welcome to give evidence.

Part of the hearing will be for residents and businesses to make a short public statement, publicly sharing their experience of insurance in the ­Hawkesbury.

I’m a member of this Committee myself, so I’ll be there. If you’re interested in attending or being a witness at the hearing contact me at susan.templeman.mp@aph.gov.au More information about the inquiry is available at www.aph.gov.au/ Parliamentary_Business/Committees/ House/Economics/FloodInsuranceInquiry Or simply google “Flood insurance inquiry”.

The second key issue that this latest flood has re-sparked is around flood mitigation. I think this is something that we should not stop discussing until really practical steps are implemented.

Significantly, immediately after the flood, the Premier of NSW, Chris Minns, and NSW Water Minster, Rose Jackson, restated their intention to look at how Sydney’s water supply can be supplemented so that the existing Warragamba Dam could be used to mitigate flood risk.

This, and the work being identified under the NSW Disaster Adaptation Plan including the preparation of the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley DAP as the first local plan are important steps in reducing the risks and improving mitigation for where we live. This is important work being done by the NSW Government and I will continue to work closely with them, and impress upon them the need for urgency, to ensure the Hawkesbury can be better prepared for floods and able to respond as quickly and effectively as possible.

NEW MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE HAWKESBURY The Hawkesbury now has two new free mental By the end of this year, the Hawkesbury will have health services for people of all ages, funded by the of two new free mental health services for people Albanese Government. all ages, funded by the Albanese Government.

Based new Headspace Based in in Richmond Richmond,our both Head to Healthand andHead to Health Centres deliver easy access to support unlike Headspace will deliver ready access to support anything the Hawkesbury has previously had. unlike anything the Hawkesbury has previously had.

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

Hawkesbury Headspace Finally young in the Hawkesbury Coming soon:people Hawkesbury Headspace have a dedicated mentalColes health Located behind atservice.

Richmond.

Located at 120 Francis St, Richmond, behind the Coles.

Finally, young people in the Hawkesbury will have a Phone: 1800 517 171 dedicated mental health service.

Hawkesbury Head to Health Nowfree operating: Hawkesbury Head to Health.

This mental health services for adults is fully This free health service for and adults is funded6by funded bymental the federal government is available days a week.Government and available 6 days a week. the Federal Located at 1 Musson Ln, Richmond Phone: 1800 595 212 Phone: 1800 595 212

Susan Templeman with Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Emma McBride at the launch of Hawkesbury Head to Health.

SUSAN TEMPLEMAN MP Authorised by S. Templeman, Labor, 299 George St Windsor NSW 2756 | T: (02) 4573 8222 | E: susan.templeman.mp@aph.gov.au

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News

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Lower Portland Ferry Commuters Inconvenienced Again Lower Portland ferry commuters and emergency services have another two weeks to wait until the ferry returns to service after Hawkesbury City Council announced an extension of delays.

It’s the latest sign of mismanagement of the ferry that HCC only put in for legally required maintenance at the very last minute in January. The ferry’s licence to operate expires this month. HCC was also slow in having maintenance undertaken in the previous cycle.

“A revised program for the Ferry maintenance has been received to complete the additional works required for the overhaul. It is expected the ferry will be operational by Tuesday, 14 May 2024,” HCC said on its Facebook page.

As the key route between the Hawkesbury and the Hills Shire, the ferry is an important driver of the local economy, supporting tourism, businesses and locals getting to and from work. Around 500 vehicular trips are made each week, saving hundreds of locals more than half an hour of travel time, with the closest alternate crossing point at Sackville.

Lasty year, HCC was forced to move into damage control after it failed to ink an agreement for the extension of the service with its operator TONO Group, forcing it to increase its spend on another year for the service. HCC also failed to organise a loan ferry from the state government during the ferry’s maintenance.

Last week, the NSW government announced it would take conttrol of the ferry’s operations – the only one on the Hawkesbury to be still run by local government.

State Government Takes Control of Lower Portland Ferry Operations The NSW Government is to take control of the Lower Portland Ferry after months of mismanagement and the cessation of ferry services for four months.

The NSW government has announced it had given the Lower Portland Ferry a lifeline and will step in to manage the service to “secure its future for the local community.”

The free car ferry crosses the Hawkesbury River and is a vital link for commuters, tourists and during emergencies.

I atllows firefighters and paramedics to access communities and offers a safe and convenient passage for residents As the key route between the Hawkesbury and the Hills Shire, it’s also an important driver of the local economy, supporting tourism, businesses and locals getting to and from work. Around 500 vehicular trips are made each week, saving hundreds of locals more than half an hour of travel time, with the closest alternate crossing point at Sackville.

The service, currently operated by HCC and jointly funded by HCC and Hills Council, was facing an uncertain future. The NSW government had provided additional funding in recent years but this was now in doubt. Both councils had previously expressed a desire for the government to operate the service.

The ferry has been out of service for maintenance since January and was not expected to return until around mid-April. In the middle of last year, the HCC failed to issue a new tender for a new contract to operate the ferry at the end of its contract nor had they made plans for critical maintenance required under regulations to keep the ferry operating beyond April 2024. Additionally the council had made no plans, in the event of any maintenance, for a loan or replacement ferry.

Transport for NSW said it is working closely with Hawkesbury City Council on arrangements to transfer the service to NSW Government ownership later this year and ensure there is minimal disruption to service.

Both Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman and Member for the Hawkesbury Robyn Preston had advocated for the NSW government to assume management of the ferry.

Templeman welcomed the decision. “For years this has been a source of anxiety for residents, with many calls to the previous Liberal government to remove the operation of the ferry from Hawkesbury Council, in order to provide security of service.

“It’s taken a Labor State Government to resolve this issue, which ensures long-term peace of mind for locals, and I thank Transport Minister Jo Haylen for her leadership,” she said.

Haylen said: “We’re so pleased to be keeping the Lower Portland Ferry afloat and ensuring it stays in service. This means communities around Lower Portland, the Hawkesbury and Colo Rivers retain a vital link during emergencies, and fast travel times for those who use the route regularly.

“This crucial and beloved ferry’s future was under a cloud and suffering maintenance issues, and there was a real risk under the current arrangements that it would be discontinued. The ferry has been part of the landscape since the nineteenth century and now it will continue to serve the local community into the future,” she said.

Preston told parliament in February that the Labor government needed to accept responsibility for the Lower Portland ferry. “I appeal to the Treasurer in the other place, Premier MInns and the MInister for Transport to factor this ongoing cost into the next State budget. Currently the Lower Portland ferry is out of service for 12 weeks for cyclical maintenance.

That takes a toll on locals who have to make alternative arrangements for such a long period because a substitute vessel has not been secured,” she said.

Earlier this week Templeman wrote to the NSW Minister for Transport asking her to review the previous government’s decision to privatise other ferry services – including the Wisemans Ferry, Webbs Creek Ferry and Sackville Ferry currently operated by Birdon.

“In my view privatising these services was not in the public interest and they need to be within the responsibility of Transport for NSW to manage and operate. I therefore urge you to take the action needed for the NSW government to own and operate the vehicular ferries in the Hawkesbury,” she wrote.

News

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

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Local Veteran Honors Fallen Comrades Ahead of ANZAC Day On a perfect Hawkesbury Sunday afternoon, Lieutenant Colonel John Petteit, a member of the Hawkesbury District Sub-Branch, took to the streets of Richmond, alongside fellow veterans for the ANZAC Sunday March and Commemorative Service at Richmond War Memorial.

Displaying his own medals earned during his service in Vietnam in 1969, alongside those inherited from his uncle’s valour in World War Two, Petteit commenced a series of events to honour the sacrifices made by Australia’s servicemen and women.

But for Petteit, he was not there just to honour the fallen heroes but also to shine a light on the oft-overlooked casualties of war – those who succumbed to its enduring scars long after the battles ceased.

Reflecting on the significance of these tributes, Petteit underscored the importance of remembering not only those who fell in combat but also those who succumbed to the silent wounds of war.

“It’s also a time to remember the many who died after their service due to PTSD and other issues resulting from their time in war,” Petteit said.

“My brother was in Vietnam with the Armoured Corps for two years and died at the age of 47 from PTSD in 1989. It got him, it got a lot of people actually, and you don’t hear about those. You hear about the people killed there but you don’t hear about the many thousands that died afterward from war-related issue,” he said.

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help now, call triple zero (000). If you are concerned that someone is struggling or might be thinking about suicide and you aren’t sure how to talk to them, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14

Lieutenant Colonel John Petteit served in Vietnam.

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Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Dogramaci Claims Widescale Business Backing from Business Small Business Party Councillor Eddie Dogramaci has vowed to run with a full ticket of six for the upcoming Council Elections in October declaring war at the ballot box on the major parties.

His main running mate is Rodney Galea from Wilberforce, a senior manager at Hypro Pet Foods. Dogramcik told the Hawkesbury Post (HP) he had significant backing from the local business community “I will fill the ticket with honest, dignified, trustworthy individuals committed to serve the whole Hawkesbury, all 70,000 not a few thousand to please specific-party followers,” Dogramaci told the HP. “We will immediately stop waste of ratepayers’ hard earned cash this council/ management has been and divert it to fix the roads, kerbs and gutters. Every bit of work within the Hawkesbury regardless of what, will be given to our local tradies business owners to keep the money in Hawkesbury,” he said.

Doghramaci said he will also work to gain the assistance of Minns government to construct the Mulgrave train station car park- a multi storey modern car park suitable for the people using only local people for construction.

A string of election results from the 2022 Federal election through to the recent Tasmanian state election have seen voters desert the LIberal, Australian Labor and National Parties for Greens, One Nation and independents and small alliance party candidates.

Rodney Galea from Wilberforce with run in the Small Business Party

The Hawkesbury Council is relatively unusual in New South Wales for being dominated by councillors directly aligned with major parties who hold six out of the 12 positions and are aiming to push through policies and regulators using the casting vote of a Liberal mayor.

Cr Dogramaci’s views on trying to stop the dominance of major parties on the council aligns with a number of Independents as well as Greens councilor Danielle Wheeler.

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

News

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Nurses and Midwifes Fight to Save Entitlements Nurses and midwives at Hawkesbury District Hospital have called on the state government to take action to ensure their leave entitlements will be transferred.

From July, Hawkesbury District Hospital Health Service, which has been operated by St John of God Health Care for eight years, will now be transferred to public hands.

Staff have been told that their accrued annual leave and long service leave will not be transferred due to legal implications between private sector and public sector systems.

The Nurses and Midwives Association said this has left workers distressed and anxious about their future with just a little more than two months until Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District takes over.

“After years of loyalty and dedicated services to the hospital and community, we feel like this is a real kick in the guts.

We are losing the freedom to take our leave on our terms,” NSWNMA Hawkesbury District Health Services Branch secretary Ben Wright said.

“There is a lot of angst among health workers, particularly around the financial and tax implications of this payout. Some staff have hundreds of hours accrued and have plans on how they will use it. This move throws their finances and future goals into disarray,” Wright said.

The implications of the decision could impact other family support payments such as family tax benefits, paid parental leave and childcare rebates. It could also push some workers into higher tax brackets, he said.

Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman said many of the workers has cared for the community for decades and while she supported the transfer of the hospital’s management to the public health system she

was disappointed not all entitlements would be transferred. She said she had raised the issues with the State and Federal Minister’s offices and would continue to advocate on workers behalf.

“While I am pleased some entitlements, like personal leave, will be transferred, I understand that annual and long service leave may be paid out - with consequent implications for taxable incomes, means tested benefits, holidays and retirement plans,” Templeman said.

“Like you I am very disappointed that many of those issues remain unresolved at a time when letters of offer will soon be issued,” she said.

Local Member for the Hawkesbury Robyn Preston said she has made a representation to the government about the plight of the workers however workers will be disadvantaged. “The response gives me no certainty about staff entitlements and I remain very concerned that Hawkesbury Hospital staff will be disadvantaged, as they transfer to NSW Health,” she said.

In a letter to Preston, NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr Michael Holland said legal technicalities prevent the entitlements from being transferred.

“The Australian Government legislation (Fair Work Act 2009), prevents staff from being able to be transferred directly to the District. This means that once a staff member’s employment at St John of God ends, the Act prescribes obligations on the employer to pay annual and long service leave entitlements,” Holland said.

“I understand these changes will have an impact on many employees and St John of God has encouraged staff to seek financial advice to help them make the best decisions for their individual circumstances,” he said.

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News

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Rescue Group Flags Greater Road Risk for Wildlife in Winter Wildlife rescue group WIRES has urged Hawkesbury residents to remain alert on the roads in order to stay safe and avoid hitting native wildlife.

Hawkesbury Wires volunteer Anne Marks fosters joeys orphaned by traffic collisions, rescuing, raising and releasing Eastern Grey kangaroos, wallabies and wallaroos.

Marks said that drivers should be aware that collisions with kangaroos and wallabies often occur at the same places and to take care if they have seen animals on the road.

“Drivers need to be aware of key hot spots near bushland in their area and slow down to reduce the risk of a severe collision,” Marks said. “These areas include Richmond/Agnes Banks, Windsor Downs/Bligh Park, Tennyson/Kurrajong, and St Albans.

Ms Marks recently met with Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman and showed her two of the joeys currently in her care, which she has named Jess and Parker.

“WIRES volunteers do incredible work, we can all play our part to prevent collisions with wildlife, so joeys like Jess and Parker can be raised in the wild with their mums, Templeman said.

She added that while these joeys were fortunate enough to have survived the collision and be in Marks’ care, it’s much better to prevent them or their mother being hurt or killed.

“As we get into winter, the days get shorter and many people leave for work in the dark and come home in the dark,” she said. “That increases your risk of hitting one of these beautiful animals.

So I really encourage drivers to stay alert, especially around the bush and follow the speed limit.” Hitting these

animals doesn’t only hurt or kill them, and orphan a joey, it can result in human injury and damaged vehicles.”

Marks said that if you do hit an animal, it’s important to stop and call Hawkesbury Wires. “If you hit a kangaroo or see an injured kangaroo, please contact WIRES on 1300 094 737 available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

“Following vet assessment native animals require specialist rehabilitation care from licensed wildlife carers as soon as possible,” she said.” Deceased animals can also be reported. This information helps identify high risk collision areas and species numbers and ensures that the pouch has been checked for a joey.”

Hawkesbury Wires volunteer Anne Marks and Susan Templeman MP

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

News

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Local Heroes in The Limelight It’s nice to see a local project getting national recognition, especially for all the right reasons.

The spotlight is shining bright on The Jeremiah Project, headquartered in the heart of Windsor’s community kitchen on Macquarie Street; And it’s not just a passing mention. The project was featured in a two-part documentary airing on Helping Hands, a television program broadcast nationwide on the Nine Network every Saturday and Sunday.

Producers of Helping Hands handpicked The Jeremiah Project for its deep roots in the local community and its remarkable impact. Jacky Turano, a Hawkesbury local and the brains behind The Jeremiah Project, shared the story behind its inception and its profound effect on those it serves. Jacky herself is moved to tears when discussing the project’s mission and the people it touches.

“We are so blessed to receive such overwhelming support from our local community, volunteers, and businesses,” Jacky shared. “It enables us to stand by our community in their times of need.”

If you missed it, you can still watch repeats on Channel 9 and 9Now. Helping Hands is Australia’s only mainstream media program dedicated to social good, aiming to inspire and foster discussions that empower.

“We collaborate with charities, social enterprises, philanthropists, and businesses that lend a hand to make the world a better place,” Executive Producer Richard Attieh said.

The documentary highlights the generous support The Jeremiah Project and The Community Kitchen receive from local businesses like Aldi in Richmond,

Lindt Chocolates, the South Windsor Pie Shop, and The Richmond Club.

“We celebrate and spotlight leaders of social good, visionaries, impact-makers,

and game-changers like Jacky and The Jeremiah Project,” Attieh said. “We’re eager to showcase more incredible initiatives in the Hawkesbury and beyond.”

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News

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Council Seeks Submissions on Grose River Bridge Council is seeking community feedback on the latest iteration of the developer-funded Grose River Bridge The Hawkesbury Council is currently assessing an application to construct a new road connecting Grose River Road at Grose Wold with Springwood Road at Yarramundi. This includes a new bridge across the Grose River, a developer-funded bridge aimed at improving connectivity and reducing travel time in the area, as part of the developer’s Voluntary Planning Agreement when Redbank Community in North Richmond was initially approved. Council is publicly exhibiting the proposal and seeking comments and submissions from the community.

Over the years, the project has already attracted community criticism when it was initially located in the much-loved Navua reserve, and much later was mysteriously instructed to go through the Wilcox family home to “avoid the Starr property” – a horse stud.

It has undergone numerous amends, the location changed, and the Redbank developer has also sought to pay the VPA amount of $23 million rather than proceed with the promised bridge on more than one occasion. Under the VPA, if the bridge didn’t proceed, the developer would pay $23 million to the then RMS, which could allocate the money as it chose, not necessarily for the bridge.

Early feedback on community social media pages has been that the documents are very technical. “The attached documents are all technical; there is nothing about the +/- of the project, the lack of supporting infrastructure, costs,

Artist’s impression of the Grose River Bridge

who pays for the bridge, site drawings, or how close is the road located from the Wilcox house, what happens to the upgrading of Grose River Rd and Grose Wold Rd. I can only gather the VPA for the project is approved and all that needs to be decided is the bridge spans lengths, width designs, and do we or don’t we have rails, bicycle lane and footpath,’ posted Craig Fuller on Sick of North Richmond Traffic Snarls.

Whilst initially not intended as flood resilient crossing, the community has increasingly called for flood resilience and latest version of The Grose River Bridge Flood Impact Assessment suggests: “The analysis suggests that a new bridge would be closed far less frequently than the existing bridge as it would only need to close in events greater than the 1 in 100-year flood but that the route which it opens up would

be closed in a 20-year ARI flood which is still considerably less frequent than the North Richmond Bridge,” “The saving in travel time using the new Bridge and Springwood Road rather than Bells Line of Road and Darling Causeway would be 90 minutes.”

To make a submission, please fill out the form via the link here or via email at council@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au.

Submissions close on 20 May.

WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOUR PROPERTY IS WORTH? With over 30 years of experience in property transactions exclusively within the Hawkesbury area, Peter has witnessed numerous market cycles, technological advancements, business adaptations, and expansions of products and services. Peter's specialisation lies in rural and lifestyle properties, making him the natural choice when it comes to selling your cherished home in the Hawkesbury.

“Mr. Chidgey with so many years of experience helped in the sale of my farms. In my view he understands everyone, the seller, buyer and all others involved and gives a dignified response. He takes on the hard yard and helps as much as in the process. I thank him for helping me and hope he does that to everyone else. Raywhite, they are very professional, ethical and genuine organisation. I bought my first house 23 years ago from them and find them always helpful.”

-Naveen Kumar Raghav, Vendeor - Putty

Give Peter Chidgey a call today on 0414 921 912 to find out the value of your home.

www.raywhitewrpt.com.au WINDSOR | RICHMOND | PITT TOWN | WISEMANS FERRY

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Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Since 1993, Skin Fitness has been the go-to oasis for all things skin and hair in the heart of the Hawkesbury.

Serving you with passion and care for 30 YEARS! 1/47 March street, Richmond • (02) 4578 3796 • www.skin-fitness.com.au

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Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

ROBYN PRESTON MP

State Member for Hawkesbury Opinion

Robyn Preston

We have witnessed events locally and overseas which remind us of our place within this country and why we enjoy the freedoms that we do today. We owe a debt to Australia’s Veterans, who put themselves in a position of an uncertain future.

Dawn services across the country in commemoration of Anzac Day, gave us an opportunity to pay our solemn respect to our Defence personnel, but we should too, consider the great impact war and conflict can have on our soldiers and our great nation. Families, friends, neighbours and colleagues, may all feel these weighted emotions.

We live in a time where we are breaking the stigma around mental

health. We openly discuss our feelings and don’t feel the need to hide our ambition to seek help. When I visit local health services around the community, it is amazing to see that a lot of mental health mentors are in fact, sufferers themselves. They choose to take their experience and turn them into strengths as they share their history and learn from that past to help the community – just like our diggers did.

Now as I continue to advocate for mental health assistance across NSW, I am saddened by the news of more domestic violence instances occasioning death. As a country, we may talk openly about seeking help, but I say let’s do better. We know that a conversation can save a life. I think a conversation can also prevent an outcome. If we speak to those closest to us when we think they are struggling, we can encourage them to seek help and in-turn, potentially save another life.

We have been afforded our freedoms, the right to worship, to speak freely and to choose who we support. Let us never forget the sacrifices made for Australians, by Australians. We have the opportunity to work towards peace, in the way that our brave Veterans did, and our Defence members continue to do.

We live in a time where we are breaking the stigma around mental health. We openly discuss our feelings and don’t feel the need to hide our ambition to seek help.

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 My office is located at Western Sydney University Hawkesbury Campus Building R4, College Drive, Richmond PO Box 505 Richmond NSW 2753 P: 02 4578 0300 E: hawkesbury@parliament.nsw.gov.au Authorised by Robyn Preston MP. Funded using Parliamentary entitlements.

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News

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Richmond Bridge Costings and Full Plan Still Under Consideration The NSW government has not yet fully costed the new Richmond Bridge and bypass of Richmond, leaving it unclear whether the $500 million that has been committed by the state and Federal government will be sufficient.

The government has also not yet arrived at timing for the delivery of the project stages and a target date for the bridge to be opened, despite work on Stage 1 of the bridge now being underway. The new bridge will only provide two more lanes of traffic across the Hawkesbury River.

The Federal government has committed $400 million to the bridge and the state government has set aside $100 million.

But residents are concerned that if there is a funding shortfall, that there could be delays between preparatory and access road work and the completion of the bridge.

Transport for NSW (TfNSW) is continuing to develop the environmental assessment and concept design for the new Richmond Bridge and Traffic Improvements Stage 2 project for public display “this year”, a spokesperson for TfNSW told the Hawkesbury Post.

“The proposed New Richmond Bridge and bypass of Richmond town centre would deliver a one in 20 chance per year flood resilience between Richmond and North Richmond,” the spokeperson added “This would connect North Richmond to the flood evacuation routes heading south from Richmond. A new bridge and

The new Windsor Bridge was completed in 2020

road at this level would have remained open in all flood events that have occurred since 2020.”

The government would not comment on how high – or low – the access roads to the bridge would be. During the recent flood, while the Windsor Bridge

remained above the flooded river, a number of access roads to it were flooded, increasing even further the huge traffic snarls west of the river.

In February, TfNSW undertook inspection and coring work on the Richmond Bridge including checking

the bridge structure for reinforcement, identifying defects in the concrete and assessing overall structural conditions. It drilled to extract three cores underneath the bridge to assess the composition and health of the bridge materials.

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Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Flu Vaccinations Urged Ahead of Winter Be your own health hero this Winter. Get your vaccinations up to date.

Wentworth Healthcare, the provider of the Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network, is encouraging the community to get their vaccinations up to date before the winter months.

Wentworth Healthcare CEO Lizz Reay said it’s important not to become complacent as we approach Winter, when respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 and flu start to rise.

“To protect yourself and your loved ones, we are encouraging everyone to get the flu vaccine as soon as possible and ensure that your COVID-19 vaccinations are up-to-date,” Reay said.

“Keeping up with your vaccinations increases community immunity, providing us all with better protection,” she said.

Flu vaccinations are recommended for everyone aged six months or over. Flu vaccination is free for certain eligible groups under the National Immunisation Program. These groups are listed on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

All adults 18-64 years can receive a free COVID-19 top-up vaccination every 12 months. Adults aged over 65 can consider further doses every six months.

Those with severe immunocompromise should receive a top-up vaccination every six months.

Children and adolescents aged five to 17 with medical comorbidities, disabilities, or significant or complex health needs can also receive a free COVID-19 top-up vaccination every 12 months.

Those aged 70 and over and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 and over should also consider getting the free pneumococcal vaccine. These vaccines can be given on the same day and are

available from GPs, pharmacies, community health centres, council immunisation clinics, Aboriginal Medical Services, and other vaccination providers in the area.

“Even if you are healthy and feel you don’t need the extra protection of

vaccination, as a community, we need to look out for those around us who may be more susceptible to the health impacts of these viruses,” Reay said.

“Getting vaccinated means that we can help limit the spread to those who

are more vulnerable, such as people with disabilities, the elderly or those who have significant or complex health needs.

“I encourage you to talk to your GP or pharmacist about what vaccination is right for you,” she said.

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Lifestyle

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The Smelly Bucket Why do I still find myself bracing and turning my head away every time I open the compost lid?

It has gone on for nearly 20 years. However, I have never actually met with any foul smells. It’s the sight of food scraps sitting amongst worms and other bits and pieces that look like they should smell.

My husband grew up on a farm, and they used to call their food scrap bucket the “smelly bucket.” Again, I don’t know if it ever really smelled that bad, but the chore of taking it out was a guaranteed argument.

Living here in Hawkesbury, our area is ideal for the many things we can do with our food waste, whether you’re on a residential property or a farm. Our Council does not yet offer the FOGO service, where you can use the green wheelie bin to put your food scraps in with your garden waste, but there is no need. We can make good use of our food scraps in our home garden or in our paddocks.

I have fiddled with small worm farms for years but finally purchased a large AeroBin using a council discount through the Compost Revolution. At first, I felt like it was filling up too quickly, but once I got the mix of food waste, carbon (e.g. paper), and moisture content right—it really started to hum.

Down at our farm, we don’t produce a lot of food scraps, but having a dedicated compost bay behind the shed for manure, grass clippings, leaves, and dead plants works a treat. I wish I had a bobcat to turn this mounting pile of goodness, but, alas, turning a pitchfork into it occasionally will ultimately do the trick.

I look forward to Winter when I will finally get a chance to spread this composted mixture onto my paddocks. From what I have gathered through the years, just adding fully broken-down composted organic matter to the top of my soil will bring teeming life down below.

I love it. It is simple and a very low-maintenance approach to improving my pasture. All I need is compost, time, that bobcat (in an ideal world), and a bit of muscle. I won’t fend any weeds away (although some may argue I will), but by spreading compost, I will improve my soil health, improving the grass my animals graze on. That feels like an easy win.

Separating food scraps for composting might already be second nature to you, or you might divert them to a chook bucket instead. What I have found through the years is that once I started to separate food scraps from everything else, it felt strange not to do so.

If you have ever wanted to try composting but didn’t know where to start, I would go to www.compostrevolution.com.au. They have a dis-

count with most Councils, including ours. There is also http://sharewaste.com, where you can link up with a local network of keen composters and have them pick up and compost your food waste for you.

So why bother with all of this?

I use this “free fertiliser” at home in my veggie patch and garden. Down at the paddocks, I am readying my compost heap for a big spread before I sow my Winter seed mix. With the amount our area cops in terms of floods, bushfires, PFAS, and God only knows what else, I think, at the very least, improving my pasture is a step in the right direction.

Happy gardening. Better yet, happy composting.

All the best, C W McGregor

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Riverside Gardens Crossword QUIZ

Quick crossword 1

2 3

4

5

The 1995 film Clueless is loosely base on which of Jane Austen’s novels?

What year were denim jeans invented?

Which of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is still standing?

The primary ingredient in tonic water, quinine, is also used to treat what disease?

Who won the 2020 Stella Prize?

Word find

No. 019

The leftover letters will spell out a secret message.

CALENDAR CHANCE CLOCK

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

COURSE DATE DAY

DEADLINE DECADE DURATION

EPOCH EVENING HISTORY HOUR LIFE MINUTE MOMENT MONTH PERIOD SCHEDULE SEASON

6 Reese Witherspoon (pictured) co-produced and stared in which 2017 miniseries?

7 In what year was Netflix founded?

8 Which Formula One race was discontinued in 2013 due to poor attendance?

9 Which film won the 2019 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film?

10 Honeybell oranges are also know as what?

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

ACROSS

1 Mixture (8) 5 Seasonings (6) 10 Dwelling (5) 11 Thousands of years (9) 12 Cover; protection (7) 13 Researcher (7) 14 Scatters lightly (9) 17 Rough edge (4) 19 Hats (4) 20 Luggage items (9) 24 Instructs; improves (7) 25 Warship (7) 27 Brightness; reflectiveness (9) 28 Accept; tolerate (5) 29 Sweet (6) 30 Laziness; inactivity (8)

DOWN

1 Lessons (7) 2 Large deer (5) 3 Implication (8) 4 Integer (7) 6 Skinned (6) 7 Persists (9) 8 Spread (7) 9 Timepieces (6) 15 Fixing (9)

16 Flightless bird (3) 18 Correct; on target (8) 19 Dairy products (7) 20 Network (6)

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.

21 Engraved; cut (7) 22 Monitors (7) 23 Greasier (6) 26 Contemptuous (5)

5x5

Drop Down

SECOND WATCH

Theme: Time

No. 019

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

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.

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”.

PUZZLES AND PAGINATION © PAGEMASTERS PTY LTD | PAGEMASTERS.COM

Solutions Today’s Focus: 24 words: Good 36 words: Very good 48 words: Excellent

Reference: Macquarie Dictionary

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Lifestyle

33

How One Conversation Led to Owning a Record Shop

By Imogen Abbott

The sweet songs of Richmond Records have been serenading the Hawkesbury since the 1980’s, with the store being pivotal to our local music scene. But this year the store is getting some fresh paint, so we would like to welcome to the stage the new owner… Spyda!

Spyda, or Paul, is a retired Police Officer of 32 years, who has always held a passion for music. He said he is still “giggin’ around” and that on a typical Sunday afternoon you can find him playing in a band at a local pub, or writing his own music.

Spyda becoming the owner of the store seems like it was fate. He told us the story of how he and his wife Laney fell in love with the store in early 2023 while adventuring through Richmond… “Laney said ‘oh look at that cool little shop on the corner!’ so we pulled over, walked in, and just fell in love with it”. With his love of a chat, Spyda got talking to the former owner Mark and his son Zac, and even did an interview with them both. Not long after that day the shop went up for sale, so the pair got talking to Mark again and ended up becoming the newest owners.

But, despite new owners, Richmond Records will continue supporting its passions, being both music and the community.

Baditude Rock N Roll is another of Spyda’s projects. It is a media platform for blogs and video interviews, which is now working in collaboration with Richmond Records.

The purpose of this collaboration is to “focus on music promotion, especially for the locals. There’s some great bands around here”. To support our local musos, Spyda wants to utilise the outdoor space of the store to set up an area where “local artists could play their guitar for a little while and we can have a sausage sizzle”. He has “big plans but they are small steps” His goal is for the community, local musicians, and himself to “work together” so that everyone can achieve the shared goal of a positive local music scene.

As mentioned earlier, Spyda has a love for talking to people and hearing the amazing stories they carry. Owning the shop came about from one conversation, and since then he has heard many more interesting stories in store.

So, when you go into Richmond Records, make sure you have a great story to share with Spyda.

Talented Siblings Take the Cake at Hawkesbury Show The Cilia family made quite the splash at this year’s Hawkesbury Show, showcasing their flair for both cake decorating and agriculture.

Led by mother Jane Cilia, along with daughters Ella 9, Sienna 7 and son Jason 3, the family’s collective talent and dedication were on full display, earning them a slew of awards and recognition.

Mum Jane’s expertise in cake decorating impressed the judges as she clinched several accolades. Her intricately designed Special Occasion Cake featuring son Jason’s 3rd birthday cake “Bluey” secured a commendable second place, while her innovative succulent-themed miniature cake and sugar art piece titled “Slothing Around” also earned her second-place finishes. Notably, her Bunnings Warehouse cake inspired by her husband Michael, received a highly commended recognition.

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Ella came home with a second-place win for her four decorated cupcakes, each featuring “cute” animal designs. She also received the prestigious Hawkesbury Show Special Encouragement Award for her themed “Busy Bees” arrowroot biscuits, demonstrating that this young talent is one to watch in the future.

But not to be outdone, younger sister Sienna, impressed judges with her imaginative approach to baking and decorating, earning a highly commended award for her themed “The Kingdom of the Animals” arrowroot biscuits.

Beyond the realm of cake decorating, the Cilia family ventured for the first time this year into agriculture with their watermelon cultivation efforts. Despite challenges posed by recent rains, their perseverance paid off as they secured top honours for the Most Largest Watermelon, alongside a respectable second place for Any Variety Watermelon.

Despite three-year-old Jason not securing a prize this year with his arrowroot biscuits, he is just as passionate, mum says.

“My three children love being in the kitchen with me. Their interest of cake decorating started from a young age. I love making their birthday cakes each year, I love seeing the joy on their faces. They look forward to the Hawkesbury Show each year,” Cilia said.

Lifestyle

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Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Embrace the Cold with Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder

By Fiona Hamann As we gear up for the cooler months, there’s something truly special about the comforting aromas and soul-nourishment that slow cooking brings. It’s like a hug on a plate, or in a bowl. When it comes to slow cooking, lamb is the go-to star in this cosy culinary adventure.

Slow cooking isn’t just about the food—it’s about the joy of mindfully creating something truly special and savouring every moment. However, there’s also a tonne of joy in the eating.

I bought two lamb shoulders from the Sydney Wholesale Meats at Richmond and decided to try my own spin on Yottam Ottolenghi’s Marmalade-Glazed Lamb Shoulder for a crowd over Easter. I used some Maggie Beer Blood Orange marmalade from the Richmond Fruit Market, though I have no doubt there are fabulous local marmalades that would work just as well (the key is to get a bitter marmalade).

I switched tangerines for mandarins and added some excellent-quality spices from The Spice Basket in Richmond to elevate the dish.

The result was excellent! The lamb turned out so tender and packed with flavour that I’ve already decided I’m making it over and over again throughout the winter. Best of all you don’t need a slow cooker, just a deep baking pan.

The recipe calls for ten anchovies, which might scare some of you.

I promise you can’t taste them—they just add amazing umami depth of flavour. It’s best to marinade overnight as well.

Serve with couscous, baked root vegetables, and warm, fresh, crusty bread to soak up all that delicious sauce. If you choose to swap out the soy sauce with a GF option, it’s also a gluten-free recipe.

Lamb with Marmalade Glaze Prep 15 min Cook 4 hr 45 min Serves 6 For the Glaze • 100ml blood orange or other bitter marmalade • 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari sauce • 2 tsp Aleppo chilli flakes • 1 tsp mixed spice (I made my own, recipe below, or you can buy it pre-mixed)

For the lamb • 1 bone-in lamb shoulder (about 2 kg) • 2 tbsp mixed spice • 2 tsp ground cumin • ½ tsp sugar • 1 tsp olive oil • Sea salt and black pepper • 3 celery sticks, trimmed and roughly chopped (190g net)

• 6 mandarins, peeled and cut in half widthways • 2 garlic heads, cut in half widthways (leave the skin on) • 4 eschallots, peeled and cut in half lengthways, or two Spanish onions quartered.

• 10 anchovy fillets • a small bunch of thyme sprigs • 750ml chicken stock, the best quality you can afford

Lifestyle

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Method: 1. Combine all the glaze ingredients in a bowl and then set them aside.

2. Place the lamb in a large, high-sided roasting dish lined with greaseproof paper. Mix the mixed spice, cumin, sugar, oil, one and a half teaspoons of salt, and a quarter teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Rub this mixture evenly all over the lamb. Allow the lamb to marinate at room temperature for an hour, or for best results, refrigerate it overnight (if refrigerated, remove it from the fridge an hour before cooking to allow it to return to room temperature).

3. Preheat the oven to 240C (220C fan). Place all the remaining lamb ingredients in the tray around the meat, then tightly cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes.

4. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C (160C fan) and cook the lamb for four hours until the meat is tender and easily falls apart. Do not check the lamb frequently to prevent heat and steam from escaping—I didn’t check mine at all.

5. Take the roasting dish from the oven, uncover it, and brush three-quarters of the glaze over the lamb. Return it to the oven and roast uncovered for 30 minutes until the meat forms a nice crust. Remove from the oven, brush the remaining glaze all over the lamb, lightly cover with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

To make your own mixed spice, combine the following ingredients: • 1 TB ground allspice • 1 TB ground cinnamon • 1 TB ground nutmeg • 2 tsp ground mace

• 1 tsp ground cloves • 1 tsp ground coriander or whole seeds • 1 tsp ground ginger

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Lifestyle

FALLING FOR FOLIAGE:

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Step into Nature’s Autumn Canvas at Mount Wilson

As the seasons turn and we dread the onset of Winter, it’s comforting to know that’s when the Hawkesbury and the Mountains really come into their own.

In the words of author and poet Emily Bronte, “Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree”.

An hour up Bells Line of Road from Richmond, Mount Wilson exudes a timeless charm with its rich history and breathtaking Autumn gardens.

While also stunning in Spring, the autumnal colours are breathtaking – even if you aren’t a “garden” type.

Mount Wilson is a fantastic destination for a family day trip.

Mount Wilson dates back to 1868 when it was surveyed by Edward Wyndham and later named after Bowie Wilson, the then NSW Secretary for Lands.

The area quickly gained popularity as a summer escape from Sydney’s heat for the wealthy in the late 19th century.

The extensive gardens planted around the houses took advantage of the volcanic soils, leaving behind historical landmarks such as St George’;s Church, and the house Withycombe, to name just two.

The first property established in Mt Wilson in 1875 was Wynstay, originally named Yarrawa. It was founded by Richard Wynne, the inaugural Mayor of Burwood, NSW, and the patron of the Wynne Art Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW. In the 1880s, he also built a Turkish bathhouse for his ailing wife, Mary Ann. The baths are now a museum on the property.

Oakleaf hydrangeas in bloom at the Nooroo Gardens

Lifestyle

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

37

A Family-Friendly Day Out

Mount Wilson is fantastic for the whole family for exploring numerous private gardens, local bushwalks and picnicking. To make the most of your visit, it’s important to note that there are no shops or cafes in the area. Visitors should bring their own lunch to enjoy at one of the delightful picnic spots. There are public toilets at Silva Plana, the Fire Station, Founders Corner, Waterfall Reserve, and Cathedral Reserve. While you can bring dogs to Mount Wilson, they aren’t allowed in the National Park or most gardens.

The Enchanting Open Gardens

Mount Wilson has a wide variety of open gardens. The autumn colours hit their riotous peak around Anzac Day. Weekends can be busy with city tourists, but some gardens are also open daily midweek.

For those who are happy to mingle with weekend crowds and enjoy people-watching, it can be almost as much fun as the gardens themselves. I have spotted Instagrammers and Tik-Tokkers toting portable change tents, switching wardrobes between photos or videos, and bridal parties mocking up wedding photos. It all adds to the delight.

Here’s a summary of the open gardens and their offerings. We were unable to contact some gardens to verify their admission price, but allow budget for entry to each garden in your planning.

Breenhold Gardens Mount Wilson

The heritage-listed Garden Estate of Breenhold at Mount Wilson is one of Australia’s most extensive privately owned garden properties, offering a unique experience for visitors. With 45 hectares of parkland and native bushland, there are wonderful surprises at every turn. The gardens were designed by the late Thomas Breen (Snr) and his wife Charlotte and were first planted in 1965.

Opening Hours: Daily from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm during the Autumn season, from 29th March to 26th May 2024.

Entry Fee: $17.50 per adult, $5.00 for children over 5 years old, and a family rate of $40.00 for 2 adults and 3 or more children.

Location: 29 The Avenue, Mount Wilson, NSW 2786, Australia

Merry Garth Gardens

This beautifully laid-out 2.5-hectare garden is surrounded by temperate rainforest and offers a captivating view across the mountains and deep valleys of the National Park. Keith and Libby Raines designed and planted the garden in 1978. There’s also a small nursery with a huge collection of cold-climate plants for purchase.

Open Days: Every Wednesday throughout the year, all weekends in April, and the first two Sundays in May. Opening Times: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Entry: $5 per adult, Children free Location: Davies Lane to Galwey Lane, Mount Wilson

Yengo Sculpture Gardens

Yengo was first purchased in 1877, and its garden layout was overseen by Charles Moore, the Director of the Sydney Botanic Gardens, and J.H. Maiden, the Government Botanist. The experimental garden boasts an alpine setting and is home to almost 150-year-old trees, including sequoia, cedar of Lebanon, and Spanish cork. Delightful sculptures crafted by renowned English artists Judith Holmes Drewry and Lloyd le Blanc are scattered Throughout.

Open Days: By appointment (message via their Facebook page) Entry: $10 per adult, $3 for children under 12 Location: 19 Queens Ave, Mount Wilson NSW 2786

Nooroo Garden

With 140 years of horticultural history, Nooroo Garden showcases the beauty

Beba Garden built by William Cox in 1880

of plant and flower species from across the world, as well as Australian native plants. Nooroo was first planted in 1880

by William Hay, and original plantings include English oaks, chestnuts, ash, and cedars. The autumn colours are at their best in the ten days after 25th April.

Opening Hours: Open every day from 29th March to 26th May 2024 for the Autumn season.

Entry Fee: $10 for adults, $2.50 for children up to 12 years old Location: Church Lane, Mount Wilson, NSW, Australia

Bebeah

This 12-acre garden estate, built in 1880 by William Cox, has been rejuvenated into a rare Australian example of a formal country garden estate. It boasts meticulously designed landscapes and magnificent specimen trees.

Open Hours: Most of the year (10am4pm) Entry Fee: $10 for adults, $2.00 for children Location: 60 The Avenue, Mount Wilson NSW 2786

Our Delicious Food Will Amaze You

02 4571 3238 0481 352 858 Tuesday- Sunday 11:30 am–2:30 pm, 4:30–8:30 pm Monday Closed Shop 8, 15-17 Bells Line Of Road, Heritage Plaza North Richmond, 2754

* Elegant and Authentic Chinese Food * Try Our Live Seafood * Elegant and Family-Owned

Windyridge

Voted one of Australia’s most beautiful gardens, Windyridge offers an extensive range of cool-climate plants, sells delicious scones and homemade cakes made by local chef Shereen Laing during the Autumn season, and boasts a small onsite nursery. Well-behaved, on-leash dogs are allowed into the gardens. You are also welcome to eat your picnic in the gardens (but please take your rubbish away!)

Opening Hours: Open every day from 8:00 am Entry Fee: $12.50 per adult and $3 for children.

Location: 25 Queens Ave, Mount Wilson, NSW 2786 If you are lost for ideas as the weather gets cold, pack your picnic baskets, gather your loved ones, and immerse yourself in the tranquil beauty of Mount Wilson’s autumn gardens.

02 4577 2003 0481 833 652 22 Fitzgerald St, Windsor 2756 Tuesday- Sunday 11:30 am– 2:30 pm, 4:30–8:30 pm Monday Closed

Sport

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Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Bullseye: Local Girls take home the gold

By Imogen Abbott

Hawkesbury teenager Emily Griffiths has etched her name into the annals of history at the Australian Youth Archery Nationals, clinching gold in every competition she contested, firmly establishing herself as one of the most promising talents in the sport.

Exhibiting remarkable skill and composure, Griffiths, a student at the Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Education at Richmond Agricultural College, left an indelible mark on the Australian Youth Archery Nationals held in Tuggeranong, ACT, which was held between March 17th and April 1st. Griffiths showcased her dominance in the under-16 female compound category, seizing gold across all disciplines—indoor, field, and outdoor events.

Joining Griffiths as a Hawkesbury Representative was Tristal Hoare, a standout competitor from Hawkesbury High School. Hoare showcased her talent with a bronze medal in the Indoor shoot and three commendable fourth-place finishes in the outdoor field rounds in the under-18 female division.

Earlier this year, Griffiths and Hoare were selected for the NSW compound team, laying the groundwork for their ascent onto the national stage.

These remarkable young athletes have both played pivotal roles in securing the NSW compound team’s gold medal triumph.

Tristal Hoare from Hawkesbury High School recieved a bronze medal for the Indoor Shoot alongside several other placings

Hawkesbury Post / May, 2024

Sport

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Recovering Swiftly: The Resilient Spirit of the Ord Minnett Morton Cup In the aftermath of recent flood challenges, the Ord Minnett Morton Cup shone brightly as a beacon of community resilience and passion for polo. Despite facing setbacks from a mass evacuation just a week prior, the Windsor Polo Club, alongside dedicated organisers and supporters, rallied together to deliver a remarkable event.

“This year’s Morton Cup is a testament to the enduring spirit of our polo community,” remarked Teneille Murray, spokesperson for the NSW Polo Association (NSWPA). “Despite challenges, we’ve come together to showcase the talent and passion that define our sport.”

The Ord Minnett-sponsored Morton Cup, a pinnacle of the sport, brought together teams from across NSW in the Hawkesbury region. The event was made possible by Ord Minnett’s unwavering commitment to polo and the region, a testament to their dedication to fostering community spirit through sport.

The tournament showcased the best players and polo in Australia that kept spectators on the edge of their seats.

Gardenvale emerged victorious over Town & Country in a tight 13-12 battle, with Raul Laplacette earning the MVP title. Larapinta’s triumph over Cutcliffe Polo (8-7) was a testament to the Grimes family’s legacy, as Cody Grimes claimed the MVP.

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Ellerston White’s narrow victory over Troika (7-6) in the R.M. Williams Memorial Cup added to the excitement, highlighting the sheer determination and skill of all participants.

The spirit of community and gratitude reverberated throughout the event. Heartfelt thanks were extended to steadfast supporters like Karen and Peter from The Royal Richmond Hotel, renowned for their long-term support for polo and hospitality.Fiona Germaine, proprietor of Vivaldi Flora elevated the ambience with breathtaking floral arrangements, adding a touch of elegance to the Morton Cup. “Our community has been deeply impacted by recent floods. While it was heartbreaking to cancel the 2024 Polo International we are immensely grateful for the outpouring of support and assistance from our community members in the recovery process.

These tough times bring us closer together, and shows our community’s strong determination and spirit.” said Murray.

The Autumn polo season will continue in the Hawkesbury until late May. Polo runs every weekend, Saturday & Sunday, and spectators are always welcome to bring a picnic and watch from the sidelines. You can find the full calendar of events on the NSWPA website: https://www.nswpolo.com.au/

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