Table of Contents
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, Editor Hawkesbury Gazette
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
Rate peg designed to protect the people from being exploited by Councils
The rate peg is there to protect the people from being exploited. Wages don’t increase by 11.73% per year, so how do you expect the average ratepayer to afford to pay this? Find another way, stop wasting money, even take pay cuts (which is what you are expecting us to do by implementing more revenue fees), whatever you do - budget better!
Our community deserves better. We deserve responsible financial management, honest communication, and visible improvements to the infrastructure and services we fund.
Please take these concerns seriously because the people of Hawkesbury are watching, struggling, and running out of patience.
Yesterday I had a phone call from a Melbourne market research company asking me about the Hawkesbury Council's request for the special rate variation, of which I am wholeheartedly opposed to, and he told me that the average rate payer pays just over $1,000 per annum - This is a joke, personally I pay quadruple this amount and I live on a suburban block! I would like to know who is fudging these figures to make it look like we aren’t being already price-gouged and so making the decision to allow the increase easier on the bureaucrats that officiate?
Rachael Farrow
Council’s strange mismanagement decisions
The Hawkesbury Council’s strange mismanagement decisions can have disastrous results for all in our fragile bush fire prone area. The catastrophic loss of private property and wildlife in the 2019-2020 is obvious but have our General Manager and all the Councillors learnt that preparedness for the next set of fires is critical?
The so-called Rural Fire Service backburn at Mount Wilson that escaped was supposedly going to stop the Gosper’s Mountain Fire but the two fires never even connected. The Grose Valley Fire was lit and it caused horrific unnecessary damage. Fires are likely to occur again when the regrowth dries out.
Six years have elapsed, and it is unacceptable that the Council has failed to make proper efforts within their management decisions (using our money) to not prepare for a repeat. Basic communication is critical for fires and other emergencies.
Martin Tebbutt
Response to proposed Special Rate Variation
Dear Editor,
I have attached my response to the proposed rate variation by the Hawksbury City Council for your review. After discussing with several residents, we are all astonished by the council's proposed method to address their asset renewal deficit. Additionally, the council is in the process, or perhaps has already "discreetly" done so, of reducing lot sizes in Redbank Estate and permitting more dual occupancy dwellings.
We have raised our objections to this, as Redbank Estate is promoted as having larger blocks that offer a superior lifestyle. It now appears this move may simply be a strategy to increase the number of ratepayers using the existing infrastructure. We relocated from Schofields to North Richmond to avoid feeling crammed and navigating narrow streets cluttered with parked cars. In Schofields, most residents use their garages for storage or extra living space due to the small lot and house sizes, despite many being double-storey homes.
Furthermore, the increased population is causing significant congestion, especially when trying to cross the bridge. Currently, there are no visible improvements to accommodate the rising traffic on our side of the river. As you are aware, crossing the bridge during peak traffic periods has already become a nightmare. In the event of the next flood, the situation could become even more dire. It seems that planning for growth is done haphazardly, leading from one crisis to another. Moreover, the council appears to be prioritising revenue generation over maintaining the quality of life and demonstrating foresight.
Sincerely,
Jan (as pronounced in Dutch) Uys
Letter from the Gazette Communications Manager
The Gazette’s relaunch has sparked many conversations and plenty of outrage around Hawkesbury Council. Shining a light on local politics has caused both frustration and awareness for residents and council alike.
Moving back to the Hawkesbury after 16 years of living in Sydney’s CBD and the UK has been a wonderful homecoming and, in equal measures, a culture shock. We live in such a beautiful area with strong roots in early settler heritage and deep family lineage. People I know from high school haven't left the area, and I can see why. But one thing that’s perplexed me since moving back home is how people talk to each other about local political issues, or rather, how they don’t.
The Hawkesbury hasn’t had a local newspaper for a few years, and from what I’ve heard, when the previous Hawkesbury Gazette closed, information about council decisions was only available to those “in the know” or involved in the industries being affected.
Since the Gazette’s relaunch, it’s sparked many conversations and plenty of outrage around council and political issues that personally affect people and that they had no idea were happening. Shining a light on local politics has caused both frustration and awareness for residents and council alike.
Many residents are glad the Gazette is back because they finally know what’s going on in their community, but there’s also a sense of dread and hopelessness. A feeling that decisions are made without their say. On the other hand, some decision-makers are outraged that their work is being scrutinised. They feel misrepresented and argue that if readers understood the full context behind decisions, community members wouldn’t be so angry.
There’s a clear divide between the people and their decision-makers. Cue The Hawkesbury Gazette. The role of local media is to bridge this gap and get people talking about the same issues, which in turn brings us closer together.
To understand how we got here, we need to look at where we’ve come from and how past leadership and legislation have shaped today. But we also have to ask what part we’ve played in that. Too often, residents only voice opinions to each other instead of raising them with those making decisions. Talking about concerns to our echo chamber only, won’t fix them. Getting involved will.
So, what can you do to have your voice heard, whether you’re a community member or a councillor? Use the Gazette as your platform. Tell us your concerns or share the facts and reasoning behind your decisions.
For a society to grow together, communication is key. We have people from all walks of life in the Hawkesbury, and every lived experience matters. Let’s talk to each other with respect and kindness so our communication doesn’t turn into conflict, and work together for a unified Hawkesbury.
Sally Dulson
