A damning independent audit into the NSW Government’s flood recovery grants program has raised serious questions about transparency, oversight and value for money with direct implications for the Hawkesbury.
The 2026 report by the Audit Office of New South Wales examined the Local Government Recovery Grants Program, which provided funding to councils hardest hit by the 2022 floods, including Hawkesbury.
While the program succeeded in getting money out quickly, the audit found significant weaknesses in how funds were monitored, reported and evaluated.
Millions delivered but where did it go?
Hawkesbury was among eight Councils identified in the report as “highly impacted” and eligible for up to $2 million in recovery funding.
However, the audit found:
- Limited consistency in how Councils used the funds
- Weak oversight of spending decisions
- Poor public reporting on outcomes
In many cases, there is little publicly available detail showing exactly what projects were delivered or how communities benefited.
Transparency gap highlighted
The audit raises a key issue for communities like the Hawkesbury saying ratepayers cannot easily see how recovery funding was spent or what it achieved.
While Councils were given flexibility to respond to local needs, the lack of clear reporting has made it difficult to assess whether funds delivered long-term resilience or simply addressed short-term pressures.
Relevance to Hawkesbury’s current challenges
The findings come at a critical time for Hawkesbury City Council, which is:
- Proposing a 40 per cent rate increase
- Facing ongoing scrutiny over financial management
- Navigating significant infrastructure and flood resilience challenges
Community leaders say the audit reinforces the need for greater transparency.
“If external funding was provided for recovery, the community deserves to know exactly how it was used and what lasting benefit it delivered,” one local stakeholder said.
Recovery or missed opportunity?
The audit also highlights a broader concern that without strong oversight, funding may not always be directed toward long-term solutions such as:
- Flood mitigation infrastructure
- Resilient road networks
- Emergency preparedness improvements
Instead, some spending across the program was found to be less clearly linked to measurable recovery outcomes.
Call for accountability
The report recommends improvements to program design, oversight and governance and public reporting and evaluation.
For Hawkesbury, this presents an opportunity to demonstrate leadership by clearly outlining what projects were funded, what outcomes were achieved and how the community is better prepared for future disasters.
The Hawkesbury is one of the most flood-prone regions in New South Wales, and future resilience depends not just on funding but on how effectively that funding is used.
While the audit does not single out individual Councils, its findings make one thing clear, transparency and accountability are essential to maintaining public trust.
As pressure mounts on household budgets and Council finances, the community is increasingly asking a simple question - what did we get for the money?
