Inside Hawkesbury Politics

Politics might feel like something that happens in Sydney or Canberra but the truth is, decisions made by our local political parties shape everyday life here in the Hawkesbury. From road repairs and flood and bushfire recovery to local schools, parks, and planning rules, the ripple effects reach right to our doorsteps.

Each political party has its own set of values and priorities. Some focus on business and jobs, others on health, housing, or the environment. Understanding what they stand for helps residents make sense of the policies that affect local life.

From local councillors to the Prime Minister, political party members decide who runs for election. Knowing a candidate’s party background helps voters see where their ideas come from and how they might vote on things once elected.

And because voting is compulsory, it’s worth being informed. Every Hawkesbury resident has a say but to make it count, it helps to know what each political party really represents.

Informed communities make stronger communities. When residents understand how political parties work, we can hold leaders accountable and push for fair, transparent decisions that put local needs first.

Understanding politics isn’t about taking sides; it’s about making sure the Hawkesbury’s voice is heard. A while back, we asked all the major political parties what they were doing for the Hawkesbury. Not one bothered to reply so we decided to lean in a little closer to the proverbial door of the party room and see what we could hear.

After all political parties receive millions in taxpayer funding, and their policy decisions impact all aspects of our daily lives so we need to know what they are up to at their party meetings.

🟥 Hawkesbury Branch Australian Labor Party: The Rule Book Out and The Comrades Hold Their Breath

The Hawkesbury Labor Party meets on the last Tuesday of each month at Windsor Library. Attending these meetings sounds like a bit of theatre: both Cr Amanda Kotlash and Susan Templeman MP are expected to report back to the faithful on their activities advocating for the implementation of Labor policies.

And here’s where it gets dramatic. Apparently, when Cr Kotlash takes questions, everyone holds their breath. It’s alleged that any hint of criticism sees her reach for the rule book and fire off an email to Sussex Street (NSW Labor Party Headquarters) faster than you can say “disciplinary action.” Word is, comrades who cross her risk being banned from meetings for a period of time and so are prevented from voting on issues of importance to them.

The latest kerfuffle? Cr Kotlash reportedly took offense to comments made by Susan Templeman and others over the Councillor's support for raising childcare centre rents from peppercorn rates to 80% of commercial levels. The tension reached such a point that Kotlash has now allegedly decided to banned herself from attending future party meetings, thus ensuring she will hear no further criticism of any of her activities.

🟦 Hawkesbury Branches of Australian Liberal Party: Bustling Blues for Preselection

The Liberal Party has four local branches spread across the Hawkesbury, each with its own rhythm and rumour mill. Right now, there’s a flurry of behind-the-scenes manoeuvring as members jostle for the starting line in the race to win preselection for the March 2027 State election.

Winning this preselection race means you stand as the Liberal Party candidate for election to the Seat of Hawkesbury in the NSW Parliament, which is located in Macquarie Street Sydney. Hawkesbury has elected Liberal Party candidates since 1950. Winning the seat comes with an annual baseline salary of about $172,00o plus a range of perks and considerable social status.

All eyes are on Cr Sarah McMahon and Cr Mike Creed, both of whom have previously taken a swing at and missed Susan Templeman MP, Hawkesbury's Australian (also called Federal) Parliament representative for the Seat of Macquarie in Canberra.

The current NSW Member for Hawkesbury Robyn Preston who is also Deputy Leader of the NSW Liberals, makes it an interesting three-horse race: McMahon the street fighter, Creed the convivial peace maker, and Preston the polished professional. Expect that field to widen as we enter 2026, the whispers say more names are being floated as we type.

💚 Hawkesbury Greens: Not for Everyone

And then there’s the Greens, who are still standing firm on their controversial rejection of membership applications they labelled as "malicious" from Lichell Maris and her friend our own publisher, Kooryn Sheaves. Ms Maris alleges she was ambushed by Cr Danielle Wheeler in McGraths Hill Bunnings, when after she congratulated the Councillor on her re-election, she was encouraged by her to join The Greens. However when applications were submitted, they were branded malicious and rejected. The whole saga has become a talking point among locals and is a reminder that even the most eco-friendly branches can have thorns.

In a comment posted to the Hawkesbury Gazette’s Facebook page, Councillor Danielle Wheeler disputed Ms Maris’s account, saying:

“Two days after the Council election I was in Bunnings, exhausted and minding my own business. Lichell Maris approached me, not the other way round. She congratulated me…and then said she and Kooryn Sheaves were joining the Greens. I did not ask her to join…”

Cr Wheeler added that membership applications are determined by consensus and that any suggestion she interfered with the decision “is malicious and untrue.”

🗳️ The Takeaway

From the outside looking in, it seems our political parties are spending a lot of energy on power plays and internal politics and not nearly enough on the everyday needs of Hawkesbury residents.

We’ll keep an ear to the ground and glass to the wall and let you know what’s going on in Hawkesbury halls of political power. And if you have anything to contribute to Inside Hawkesbury Politics we would love to hear from you.

EXPLAINER: NSW Taxpayer Funding of Hawkesbury Political Parties

You’ve likely heard whispers about “public funding” of political parties. But what is it, and who gets it? For locals in the Hawkesbury, it’s worth understanding how this system works and how much money is flowing from your taxes into party coffers. All information in this explainer comes from the NSW Electoral Commission, an independent Government body charged with ensuring the rules below are complied with. NSW Electoral Commission

What Is Public Funding in NSW Politics?

In NSW, the taxpayer contributes to political parties and candidates but only under certain conditions, and only for State (not local) elections.

The NSW Electoral Commission administers three public funding schemes:

1. Election Campaigns Fund — reimburses eligible parties and candidates for certain election-related expenses.
2. Administration Fund — helps parties and independent MPs with ongoing administrative and operating costs (outside election campaigns).
3. New Parties Fund — to assist newer or smaller parties with policy development expenses, to help them compete.

Importantly: public funding is not available to political parties that operate only at the local government level. So, for our Hawkesbury council contests, all campaign money must come from private sources, donations or political party coffers.

How Does the Election Campaigns Fund Work?

Here’s how the state election reimbursement works in practice:

• Parties and candidates who want to claim from the Fund must meet eligibility criteria be registered for state elections, have been registered for at least 12 months before the election writs, and either win seats or reach a threshold of first-preference votes.
• Public funding only covers eligible electoral expenditure incurred during a specified period (usually from 1 July before the election through to the election day).
• The payment is based on a “dollars per vote” rate: each eligible first-preference vote earns the party (or candidate) a set amount of reimbursement.
• Parties can receive advance payments (prior to election) based on what they received last time, to help with cash flow. That advance is later deducted from their final entitlement.
• Claims must be lodged within a certain timeframe after the election, backed up by receipts, accounts, and documentation; the Commission may audit them and disallow certain costs.

How Much Did Policial Parties in Hawkesbury Get in the 2023 NSW Election?

Below are the public funding payments to major NSW parties from the 2023 state election. These are amounts drawn from the Election Campaigns Fund taxpayer reimbursements.

Millions of taxpayer dollars went to our political parties to reimburse their campaign expenses in the last NSW election.

What This Means for Hawkesbury today

If a Hawkesbury candidate is endorsed by one of these parties, the party may have received reimbursement from your taxes, but that’s for their NSW State or Federal election expense, not for local council campaigns.

Because local government elections are not covered by NSW’s public funding schemes, local campaigns rely entirely on their political party resources and private donations and fundraising.