What we stand for

People Not Parties - What we stand for

DEMOCRACY AND OPEN GOVERNMENT read more	Community participation in decision-making
COMMUNITY FACILITIES read more	Management of public assets Provision for youth and elderly
VISION FOR THE FUTURE read more	What should the Hawkesbury be like in years to come?
LOCAL ECONOMY read more	Local businesses Tourism Agriculture Equine industry
DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYMENT INFRASTRUCTURE read more	Finding the right balance

Democracy and Open Government

It is a basic right of people living in the Hawkesbury to be involved in the decisions affecting us. Decisions at local government level impact on the future of our area - they include decisions about how our rates are spent, what facilities the community is provided with, how public assets are managed and the extent and manner in which the area is developed.

Over the past few years the opportunities for community members to participate at Council meetings and at the various stages of decision-making has been decreasing, and is currently at its lowest point for a long time. This has lead to concern among sectors of the community that their needs and suggestions are being ignored.

We believe the community should be informed, listened to and involved in shaping the future of the place where we live. The 12 elected representatives are instrumental in expressing the viewpoints of the community and working towards reaching the best outcomes for the area. It is important to remember they are not elected to make decisions which suit themselves or their party - their responsibility is to the voting public.

Council is an area of public administration which must be open to scrutiny by the people who stand to be affected by the decisions made. People should also be encouraged to draw attention to problems and to be able to express their opinions and offer suggestions for how things could be improved. Members of the public can attend Council meetings and speak on issues or can ask a Councillor to bring up a matter for discussion.

Decision-making Free from External Influences

It is fundamental that decisions being made are free from external influence, either from other levels of Government or other sources. Local government is separate from State and Federal governments, and even though there is some interaction between these levels, the decisions made by Councils should be based entirely on the local perspective.

The presence of a majority of Councillors from any one political party can place the community in a vulnerable position, as the overarching policies of the party may be implemented even if they are not what the local community want or provide the best outcomes for our area. We are not a sub-branch of the State or Federal government, and should not have decisions influenced by the agendas of the parties in power.

We need each local issue to be assessed carefully by each of the 12 representatives, based on the merits of the proposal and compliance with relevant legislative requirements. Most importantly all matters should be considered in terms of how they will affect the whole community both now and into the future.

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Community Facilities

We believe all residents of the Hawkesbury should have equal access to facilities.

We acknowledge the valuable and hard work presently being undertaken by the staff of the community facilities and are committed to expanding and extending the facilities to enable them to do more.

Outreach services allow community members to access specialist services which they would otherwise have to go to a major town centre for. For example legal advice from a Community Legal Centre or immunization clinics. These services are vital for people, especially given the limited public transport options available.

Limited transport can impact on the capacity of young people to engage in sporting and social activities as well as limiting their access to employment opportunities. This is a recognized problem in the area especially for youth in outlying areas who are unable to rely on a family member to drive them. Young people may have difficulty getting to job interviews or being able to work outside of the hours the bus service operates.

The issues with transport need to be investigated and options such as increased public transport, safer pathways for walking or cycling as well as car pooling facilities need to be carefully considered.

We are committed to delivering solutions to the problems faced by people in the community who are severely restricted by the lack of transport - a dual approach of finding options to alleviate transport problems as well as increasing facilities to bring much needed services into the community centres.

We are determined to ensure that public assets belonging to Council and therefore to the people of the Hawkesbury should be managed in such a way that ensures they are well maintained and for those with income earning capacity that they are operating at a productive level.

Council carparks, reserves and other facilities must be regularly cleaned and maintained. Decisions on the future of particular assets should involve the community.

For example, the proposal to demolish the existing KFC building to replace it with a toilet block and increase the carparking capacity by 6 spaces has been questioned. The cost for this is $500,000 and the validity of doing this without considering a range of other options has lead to criticism. Why not build a facility which generates an income for Council and which is aesthetically pleasing - it is after all one of the first sights people see when entering Windsor on Macquarie Street.

A clean area generally deters people from dumping rubbish but to keep it clean requires sufficient waste disposal options. It is proven in studies that people are less likely to litter in a clean area but once there is a dumped mattress or piles of rubbish, many people simply add to it.

Pride in our surroundings is an essential element in building a happy and productive community and we aim to increase pride in the Hawkesbury.

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Vision for the Future

We have a vision for the future - and we hope you will allow us the chance to work towards reaching the goals which deliver this vision in years to come.

We believe it is necessary to clearly define the identity of the Hawkesbury and establish just exactly what sort of area the local people want it to be in the coming years.

There are two main options: Firstly, it can remain a stand alone area rich in history and natural beauty, offering a quality of life away from the city and yet close enough to access many of the benefits of city living, or it can be swallowed up by advancing urbanization and become part of the wider Sydney area.

We firmly believe the area has enormous potential to become even more special than it is now. The foundations are here and are contained within its history, heritage and natural landscapes ranging from the beautiful Hawkesbury River up to the amazing mountain areas.

We strongly support solidifying the community spirit so strong in areas of the Hawkesbury but on occasions fractured through controversial decisions and failure of decision-makers to fully consult and engage with the community. Unity within the community is essential to enable the potential to be reached.

We will work to listen to the community about what it wants the area to be like in years to come and to support these wishes through decisions made which impact on the area.

The unique natural environment needs protection - we have an abundance of native flora and fauna and an obligation to preserve this as much as possible.

The Hawkesbury area contains some of the earliest examples of early European life in Australia, with magnificent early colonial architecture in churches, houses, farm buildings. It is essential to preserve this for future generations to experience. There is magnificent potential to preserve and utilise the heritage aspects of the Hawkesbury to further its local economy and increase the enjoyment for visitors and locals alike.

The Hawkesbury is also the home of the Dharug people and recognition of their special sites and history is also an essential part of preservation measures which need to be taken.

Our vision can only materialize if we have the support and assistance of the community.

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Local Economy

We support initiatives to boost the local economy.

We support the major existing sectors of the economy which centre around agriculture, tourism and equine industries as well as the major facilities and operations of Richmond RAAF base and University of Western Sydney. We are committed to assisting these sectors to enhance their viability and recognize their valuable contribution to the local economy.

We also support incentives for new businesses to move into the area which would increase local employment opportunities and broaden access to goods and services for the Hawkesbury population.

We identify limited parking as an issue in the major town centres. In particular we acknowledge the difficulties faced by some shopkeepers regarding parking and will propose a permit system whereby shopkeepers will be able to avoid regular and expensive fines if they have not been provided with a car space for their shop.

We believe all town centres should be provided with the necessary facilities to enable the centres to be kept safe and free. We have heard the call from some areas that they feel forgotten and neglected which has resulted in low morale which translates into the overall atmosphere of the precinct.

We envisage a future for the Hawkesbury with a vibrant local economy - the potential of the area is enormous and we look forward to contributing to this future transformation by encompassing existing treasures along with new and exciting ventures.

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Development, Employment, Infrastructure

We do not support any development without supporting infrastructure. We believe the community currently suffers chronic traffic congestion and poorly maintained roads. There are large sections of the Hawkesbury without reticulated water supply and sewerage connections. There is extreme pressure on the natural environment, particularly waterways from urbanization in the catchment.

We do not support development west of the Hawkesbury River as this would add more financial burden than benefit to our region.

With appropriate infrastructure we would favour low to medium density development in the five Macquarie Towns. Such medium density development would preserve the character of the area, utilize (if necessary upgrade) current local infrastructure and create a more cohesive community rather than encouraging or facilitating urban sprawl.

We will lobby for more efficient modes of public transport. We still do not have a dual railway link to Richmond. There needs to be available means for people to get from outlying areas to major centres to access the train line in a manner which is efficient and practical. There is a high level of car dependency in this area which needs to be reduced to assist traffic congestion issues.

We support community planning and transport groups to facilitate the process of working towards solutions in these areas.

We support creation of local employment opportunities and believe Council should offer incentives for businesses to relocate to the area to assist with this. There are many empty shops and commercial/industrial units available for use by businesses wishing to operate in our area.

We support initiatives to encourage people to shop locally and support local businesses.

We support local business and will listen to their needs. We understand the pressures they face and commit to ensuring improvements wherever possible; for example, introducing an annual car park permit for shopkeepers to alleviate current problems with time-limited parking.

We support and recognize the importance of the tourism industry, agriculture and the equine industry in the Hawkesbury. These valuable industries are the cornerstones of local history, the economy and the future of the Hawkesbury.

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