Free Business Support Offered as Great Western Highway Closure Continues
Fully subsidised program is available until 9 September 2026
Business
NSW Health closes Richmond tobacco store
National debate over tobacco taxes, organised crime and the booming black market tobacco trade has reached the Hawkesbury
Rego Discounts, Frozen Opal Fares and Toll Relief in NSW Budget as Deficit Blows Out
NSW State Budget impact on Hawkesbury residents
Will AI steal your career?
Generation Z (14 to 29 year olds) grew up with smartphones, social media and digital technology & AI. Now they are worried about the future careers.
$300 Million Plan Targets Feral Pigs Threatening Hawkesbury Farms
A proposed $300 million investment in feral animal control has been welcomed by Hawkesbury MP Robyn Preston, who says local farmers are increasingly concerned about the growing impact of feral pigs on agricultural land, waterways and livestock. The funding commitment was announced by NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane, NSW Nationals
Could You Build a Second Home on Your Property?
Understanding Dual Occupancies, Granny Flats and Rural Housing Rules
Who Investigates the Boss?
Council's Draft Fraud Policy Faces Questions Over Reporting Pathways. Public submissions close June 22, 2026
Questions continue over confidential Council payout of $340,000 to resigning GM
Public debate continues about the process that led to Hawkesbury City Council approving the 38-week salary payout to former General Manager Elizabeth Richardson. Hawkesbury's former GM began work at NSW Office of Sport as Executive Director Centre and Venues two weeks after leaving Council with 38 weeks
Federal Budget Delivers Mixed News for Hawkesbury Motorists
Roads to Recovery and the Black Spot Program will receive increased funding.
What Council's $240 Million Plan Promises & What It Doesn't
Hawkesbury Council Draft Operational Plan 2026/2027 and the Long-Term Financial Plan 2026–2036
Richmond Bookshop backs local women in business with Author showcase
Richmond locals will have the chance to meet and hear from local authors and businesswomen at a special community event this month. Women with Altitude and Richmond’s independent bookstore, The Book Attic, are hosting The Business Sisterhood x The Book Attic: Books, Business & Bubbles on Sunday 19 April
Hawkesbury Tobacco Shops Caught in Global Illicit Cigarette Surge
Hawkesbury’s tobacco and smoke retailers are increasingly feeling the effects of a worldwide boom in illicit cigarette trade, as revealed by recent shipping records showing billions of cigarettes moving from Dubai through Asia and into Australia. The Sydney Morning Herald investigation found that Manchester brand cigarettes, legally produced in
The "Peoples Economist" Warns Australia Is Losing the “Fair Go”
A young visiting British multimillionaire and economist with a two million online YouTube-channel GarysEconomics following has warned that Australia risks losing one of the defining ideas of its national identity the belief that everyone deserves a “fair go”. Economist Gary Stevenson toured Australia in February and March speaking about
Hawkesbury’s Bee Country at the Centre of Groundbreaking Honey Research
New scientific research connected to the Bee Research and Training Centre at Tocal College is shining a spotlight on the extraordinary potential of Australian honey and the Hawkesbury’s long-standing role in the nation’s beekeeping industry. The research, published in the international scientific journal MicrobiologyOpen, explored the antimicrobial
$170,000 Planning Director: Hawkesbury Accountability Questions
Serious questions about Hawkesbury City Council are being escalated to the NSW Parliament, with businesses and residents asking MPs to grill ministers during Budget Estimates hearings. At the centre of the controversy is the Director of City Planning role a senior executive position worth around $170,000 a year that
Council calls on Telstra to build Berambing tower as residents warn against ‘blame shifting’
Hawkesbury City Council is calling on Telstra to recommit to building a planned mobile base station at Berambing, as residents warn the project risks collapsing amid growing tensions over who is responsible for delivering the infrastructure. In a statement released this week, Council urged Telstra to “finish the job” and
Notice of Aboriginal Stakeholder Consultation
Eco Logical Australia (ELA) has been engaged by RPS Group to undertake an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment (ACHA) to inform a Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for the proposed upgrades to gas pipelines on the Old Northern Road within Marramarra National Park (NP) NSW, and on Broadwater Road, Glenorie, NSW
Council Defends Deputy Mayor’s India Trip Following Public Debate
Hawkesbury City Council has issued a media release defending Deputy Mayor Sarah McMahon’s participation in an overseas trade delegation to Kerala, India, following questions raised in a recent Hawkesbury Gazette article about the governance process used to approve the trip. The council statement, released Tuesday 10 March, confirms that
Council Approve Deputy Mayor’s Overseas Trade Delegation Travel
But Questions Remain About Process and Purpose
Calls Grow for Fairer Funding for Hawkesbury Community Preschools
Calls Grow for Fairer Funding for Hawkesbury Community Preschools Community preschools across the Hawkesbury could face increasing pressure unless the NSW Government moves to boost funding and address wage disparities for early childhood educators, local MP Robyn Preston has warned. The call follows a recommendation from the Fair Work Commission
A Quiet Track Through Hawkesbury History to Fast Food Outlets
Yeoman’s Lane, North Richmond
Richmond solicitor and accountant banned from financial services. Clients allege millions owed.
Richmond solicitor and accountant Christopher Malcolm Edwards has been banned from providing financial services for a decade after the corporate regulator found he operated without the required licence and advised clients to invest in companies he controlled. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) imposed the ban from 15 September
Expansion begins at Australia’s Oldest Retirement Village
Australia’s oldest retirement living community has entered a new chapter, with construction officially underway on a major expansion at Anglicare’s Castle Hill Villages. The first sod was turned this week on the next stage of development at the historic site, which has been providing retirement living and aged
Regent Theatre Reopening Show Sells Out in Under an Hour
The excitement surrounding the return of Richmond’s historic Regent Theatre was on full display this week, with the venue’s Official Reopening Show selling out in under an hour on Wednesday, February 4. Iconic Australian musician Ian Moss will headline the celebrations with a special one-night-only solo
Historic Federal Childcare Pay Rise but Hawkesbury still faces a Childcare Crisis
The nationwide pay rise for early-childhood educators is welcome news but for many families in the Hawkesbury, it arrives against the backdrop of a deepening childcare shortage and controversial Council rent hikes that threaten existing services. What’s new nationally: a pay increase for ECEC workers A government-backed
Windsor Ten Pin Bowling Strikes 40 Years in the Community
Windsor Ten Pin marks 40 years as Hawkesbury’s retro bowling hub—keeping free-fall pins, league spirit, and local memories rolling.
Bilpin’s Harvest Farms: Growing Organics the Right Way
By Phil Burkitt For many years, Aaron Brocken has been quietly leading the way in organic vegetable production in the Bilpin district. His farm, Harvest Farms, has become a local landmark of organic vegetable production, where innovation and hard work go hand in hand. Aaron’s operation stretches across several
Making Money Without Raising Rates
If I were Mayor for a day, I wouldn’t ask residents for more money. I’d ask the Council to make better use of the resources it already has.
Robbie Dunn Recognised Among the Best at Belle Property 2025 Awards
It was a night to celebrate teamwork, dedication, and outstanding results at the Belle Property 2025 Awards, where local real estate professional Robbie Dunn was honoured with the Platinum Elite Agent award — one of the most prestigious recognitions within the Belle Property network. The Platinum Elite title acknowledges agents who
Backing Herself and Her Community: Lani Expands The Pilates Jeanie
“If you focus on the small things, eventually it’s a whole. As instructors, our job is to look at how a body moves, identify imbalances, and work to correct them.”
Businesses Can’t Plan, Families Can’t Build
With the LEP stalled once more, Hawkesbury is a planning basket case.
Hawkesbury far behind neighbours in disaster preparedness
Falling behind our neighbours in disaster infrastructure
Hawkesbury Council Planning Director Resigns Amid Ongoing Concerns
Hawkesbury City Council’s Director of City Planning, Meagan Ang, has resigned from her position effective 13 October 2025. Ms Ang was appointed to the role in 2023 after the General Manager Elizabeth Richardson successfully persuaded Councillors to abandon one of the long-standing cornerstones of the public service — merit-
Dual Occupancy Reform Brings Rural Housing Debate to the Hawkesbury
The Hawkesbury played host this past weekend to John Ruddick MLC, Chair of the NSW Parliament’s Select Committee on Rural Housing and Second Dwellings Reform, who met with local landowners and community leaders to discuss the future of dual occupancy in rural areas. The visit was warmly received, with
New Rent Rules: What Hawkesbury Renters Need to Know
NSW has changed rules so rent increases can only happen once a year.
Hawkesbury has one of the few women at the very top of Australia’s real estate industry
Cindy Cash Ray White North Richmond
Council Claims Progress – But Big Planning Jobs Still on Hold
Hawkesbury Council is patting itself on the back
Richmond Accountant Banned for 10 Years by ASIC
Richmond Christopher M Edwards Solicitors and Accountants, has been banned for ten years from providing financial services by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC). Mr Edwards has the right to appeal this decision before the Administrative Review Tribunal. The ban, which took effect on 15 September 2025, also prohibits
A New Chapter for Tractor 828
Since taking over on July 1st, Joanne Sepping is determined to uphold this Ebenezer café’s country charm and tasty menu that keep local faces returning.
North Richmond at the Forefront of Horse Cloning
Catalina Equine that has become the heart of Australia’s horse cloning
Hawkesbury Council Pushes for 40% Rate Rise
Hawkesbury ratepayers are being warned to brace for one of the biggest rate hikes in the Council’s history, with a plan now on the table to raise rates by almost 40% over four years. At the Council meeting on 9 September, councillors considered a proposal for a Special Rate
Council Votes for 80% Rent Rise on Not-for-Profit Childcare Centres
Hawkesbury City Council has voted to increase rents on community-based early childhood education centres operating from Council-owned buildings, phasing them up to 80 per cent of commercial rates over the next four years. Under the decision, centres will face a 20 per cent rise this year, with annual
Redbank Village Welcomes Stage 2
A new chapter now open in North Richmond with specialty stores and amenities.
Push for ‘Water Curtain’ to Shield Western Sydney from Bushfires
Fire chiefs, residents, business and community leaders renew call for roadside water tanks to stop bushfires from entering Western Sydney
Tragic Fire Destroys Historic Loxley on Bellbird Hill
A devastating fire last night has gutted one of the Hawkesbury’s most beloved heritage venues, Loxley on Bellbird Hill at Kurrajong. The alarm was raised at 7:06pm, with emergency crews on site in under ten minutes. Despite their swift response, the blaze tore through the historic property, leaving
Local Excellence: 2025 Hawkesbury Business Awards Shine Spotlight on Community Spirit
Winners are grinners. The results of the Hawkesbury Business Awards!
Hawkesbury tradies & homeowners are being sold rainforest timber at Bunnings
Why Our Home Decks Are Damaging the Rainforest
Work begins on new flood-resilient Richmond Bridge
Two long-anticipated infrastructure projects are now moving forward in the Hawkesbury, with the Federal Albanese and NSW Minns Labor Governments joining forces to deliver more than $600 million in road upgrades aimed at easing congestion, improving safety, and strengthening flood resilience. Work has commenced on the enabling works for
Collaboration Key to $100M BLOR Upgrade
Local voices in the room pushing to make sure the upgrades reflect what is needed.
Hawkesbury lagging in EV charger rollout as state network expands
Hawkesbury’s presence in the public EV charging network remains virtually non-existent, and there has been no significant investment in kerbside or rapid charging infrastructure.
Charity bike race sparks business backlash
Some businesses object to the potential closure of BLOR for a day to allow charity bike race while organisers say it will bring tourists to the Hawkesbury.
Tradie ladies rise: Government push and local champions like Alana Bathgate drive more women into the trades
HAWKESBURY GAZETTE | WOMEN IN TRADES FEATURE A major federal and state government initiative is making waves in the Hawkesbury and beyond, offering free apprenticeship training in trades and placing a strong emphasis on more women taking part in traditionally male-dominated industries like construction, engineering, and manufacturing. The Fee-Free
Good prospects for Hawkesbury tourism and local jobs
There are almost three times as many international visitors staying overnight in the Hawkesbury as there are people living here permanently.
Industrial land shortage strangling local productivity, say Hawkesbury businesses
“We pay about $800,000 a year in combined rent, and we’d much rather put that towards purchasing a suitable industrial site — but there’s just nothing available in the Hawkesbury.”
Hawkesbury Council endorses Detached Dual Occupancy
As the region grapples with population growth, rising living costs, and disaster recovery challenges, the introduction of detached dual occupancy could ease pressure while maintaining the unique landscape and lifestyle of the Hawkesbury.