Thoughts, stories and ideas.

Hawkesbury borrowings rose from $1.3m to $54.8m. How much council debt is too much?

Hawkesbury City Council’s borrowings increased from $1.3 million in 2021 to $54.8 million by June 2025. The latest accounts show Council can comfortably service its existing loans, but the scale and speed of the increase, a major new pool project and higher rates sharpen a more important

Secret ballot delivers cross-faction leadership change at troubled NSW council

A secret ballot has produced an unexpected cross-faction leadership combination at Hawkesbury City Council, with Mary Lyons-Buckett elected Mayor and independent councillor Nathan Zamprogno becoming her deputy after a period of significant internal turmoil at the western Sydney council. Cr Lyons-Buckett defeated outgoing Mayor Les Sheather eight