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Send your letters to editor@hawkesburygazette.com and please include your name and suburb and phone number - we won’t print your number but we need it in case we need to clarify anything. If you’d rather not have your name printed, just let us know.
Look forward to receiving your letters.
Less shouting, more respect
Dear Editor,
I used to enjoy reading the Letters to the Editor section of the Hawkesbury Gazette, as it provided a space for thoughtful, considered responses to local news and issues. These letters reflected the genuine opinions of readers, often expressed with respect and insight.
Unfortunately, with the rise of platforms like Facebook, we’re now flooded with poorly considered opinions dressed up as facts, often lacking civility or substance. This trend seems to be creeping into the letters section as well.
How will the Gazette ensure that its letters page remains a place for respectful, meaningful public discourse, rather than an extension of social media's noise?
Sincerely, Roxy
[Full name and address withheld by request]
Response from the Editor
Hello Roxy,
Thank you for your letter and for taking the time to share your thoughts. We appreciate your long-standing engagement with the Hawkesbury Gazette and your concern for the quality of public discourse in our Letters to the Editor section.
You’re absolutely right to point out the shift in how people share opinions in the digital age. Social media has opened the door to immediate commentary, but often at the expense of thoughtful reflection and respectful dialogue. As a community newspaper, we believe our letters section should remain a space for civil and constructive conversation—grounded in fact and open to differing viewpoints.
We do edit submissions for length (350 to 400 words tops is ideal) clarity, relevance, and legal requirements, and we make every effort to ensure letters published in the Gazette meet these standards. That said, we also strive to reflect the broad spectrum of opinion in our community, which sometimes means publishing views that readers may strongly disagree with.
Your feedback is a helpful reminder of the responsibility we hold in maintaining the integrity of this space, and we will continue to be vigilant in balancing openness with editorial standards.
Thank you again for your contribution to the conversation.
Kind regards, Tony Bosworth Editor Hawkesbury Gazette
The state of infrastructure in the Hawkesbury
Anyone living here knows the pain: a daily conga-line of vehicles crawling out of Windsor in the afternoon—across to Richmond, Wilberforce, Freeman’s Reach, and up to Kurrajong and out to Colo. Every morning it reverses: a bumper-to-bumper slog from the mountains and outer west into the city. On weekends? The congestion on Bells Line of Road and Windsor Road is out of control.
This level of traffic and infrastructure neglect is not acceptable.
Hawkesbury locals and the thousands of visitors who come here every weekend pour millions of dollars in GST into government coffers. Every coffee, every tank of fuel, every park visit—they’re paying tax. Yet none of it seems to come back to us.
Look at the state government’s financial history, and the evidence is clear: Councils aren’t getting the financial support they need. Ratepayers and local businesses are forced to shoulder more burden, with no return. No road upgrades. No bridge replacements. No new lanes. Public toilets and recreation areas are outdated or lacking.
How much of our trillion-dollar nuclear submarine budget would it take to simply give us four lanes from Windsor to the mountains and the river? To build adequate bridges and decent facilities for our community and our visitors?
We’ve had decades of State representation, from Cadman to Rizzoli, and the alternating political back-and-forth has delivered nothing of substance for Hawkesbury.
We’re a region of hardworking, self-employed Australians—people who contribute significantly to the national economy. And yet, we’re ignored.
Hawkesbury is Sydney’s playground, but it’s time it was treated with the respect, investment, and infrastructure it deserves.
Enough is enough.
Chris Cantwell
Something smells rotten...
Dear editor,
I’d also like to know why no one has been held accountable for the ongoing sewage issues. How have our sewage assets reported in the 2025 Council financial report, declined by $60 million, while Council has taken out a $30 million loan to cover the fiasco of failing to fix the broken Rising C main at Windsor for two years. That’s close to $100 million in combined losses Hawkesbury Council has hidden in the fine print of the paperwork. Other Councils have had an administrator appointed to take charge of things for far less.
The Local Environmental Plan (LEP) is another long-running concern. It’s been more than a decade overdue for an update. Council blames the State Government. The State blames Council. Meanwhile, nothing changes.
With the return of a strong local newspaper, I hope the spotlight can finally be turned on the issues that have too long been swept under the rug. The people of the Hawkesbury deserve accountability, transparency, and real answers.
Sincerely,
Name withheld by request
