Local Council Updates

Blacktown City writers are being invited to go ‘all out’ as part of the 2026 Blacktown Mayoral Creative Writing Prize. The annual competition is open to adults, and to children (aged 8 to 17 years) who live in Blacktown City, with entrants invited to submit a fictional short story or poem inspired by the idea […]

The reconstruction of the historic Thomas James Bridge near Lower Macdonald has received the prestigious Judges’ Excellence Award in Heritage at the 2026 IPWEA NSW & ACT Engineering Awards. The award was accepted by Hawkesbury City Council Acting General Manager Will Barton at the 2026 State Conference in April. Built by convicts in the 1830s, […]

Residents across the district are being urged to speak up as Hawkesbury City Council seeks approval for a significant rate increase above the State’s annual rate peg. The proposal has been lodged with the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), which is now calling for community feedback as part of its formal assessment process. Community […]

Get your taste buds ready! Hawkesbury City Council is launching a brand new event in the heart of Richmond at Richmond Park on Saturday, 15 October 2022 called Savour the Flavour Hawkesbury. The new food and beverage event will celebrate the Hawkesbury’s past and present as the original ‘food bowl’ of Sydney. Visitors and locals […]

Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale OAM is encouraging residents to give generously and help women and girls in need through the Share the Dignity August Dignity Drive. Blacktown City Council, through Blacktown City Libraries, was proud to partner with The Ponds Rotary Club and Share the Dignity to install a Dignity Vending Machine at Max […]

Hornsby Shire Mayor Phillip Ruddock, AO, has commended the emergency services and volunteers for their work in the July floods: “This month’s extraordinary weather event has once again been a challenging time for many of us, resulting in flooding and damage across the Shire,” he announced. “The community at Wisemans Ferry was in disbelief as […]

Recovery Centres are open at Wisemans Ferry and South Windsor and four community hubs are also open throughout the district. If you have been impacted by flooding, you can visit the Recovery Centres for assistance from government and non-government agencies with: Financial assistance for individuals, primary producers and small businesses Accommodation advice Help with replacing […]

*FRNSW Windsor salvage and clean up video below* Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Strike Teams have been on the ground this and last week, assisting residents in our district’s worst flood affected areas. Five additional Strike Teams, comprising 80 personnel and 25 fire vehicles, were deployed to flood zones including the Hawkesbury-Nepean valley. Dozens of […]

The walls of Hornsby Shire Council’s Community Recycling Centre (CRC) at Thornleigh are shining a light on the importance of recycling e-waste and organics, thanks to two new murals by two of Australia’s best-known mural artists, Tim Phibs and Steven Nuttall – aka Ox King. This larger-than-life art is located on the back wall of […]

Glenorie Brigade was established in 1947 by locals … Glenorie had been impacted by the 1939 bushfires that burnt through the area. Although the establishment was delayed by WWII, the community finally met in June 1947, and with the support of the shire councils, the Glenorie Voluntary Bushfire Brigade was formed. – Glenorie RFB. Glenorie […]

National census data has confirmed that Blacktown City is the largest, and one of the most diverse and fastest-growing council areas in NSW. The newly-released figures, obtained in the August 2021 Census, reveal that Blacktown City’s population has grown by almost 60,000 residents, from 336,962 in 2016 to 396,776 in 2021, with Department of Infrastructure […]

Council has been fighting against these incinerators for nearly eight years – Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale. A firm “no” to the construction of any large-scale incinerators was repeated time and again at yesterday’s (Sunday) community rally to protest an amended proposal by Next Generation to build one at Eastern Creek. Staged at Minchinbury Oval, […]