Mayor's Column

Happy Easter!

I want to take the opportunity to wish everyone in our community a safe and happy Easter.

Whether you are catching up with family and friends, going to the Sydney Royal Easter Show, or heading off for the long weekend, please stay safe on the roads and remember that there are double demerits for the long weekend.

Once School is out, we will again be hosting our ever-popular school holiday workshops at The YARN on Gladesville Road.

For youngsters aged 4 to 10 years, there’s a free Puppet Craft session on Friday 19 April from 11am.

Children aged 10 to 17 who want to explore their creative side can join a free Craft workshop for Teens. The session runs from 2pm on Wednesday 17 April.

Kids aged 6 to 12 years can also exercise their imagination at a Dash Bot Discovery session on Friday 26 April from 11am.

All events are free. Go to www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events for more details.

While at The YARN, be sure to drop by for our regular free Storytime sessions for children aged 3 to 6 years. It will continue as usual, each Wednesday at 11am during the school holidays.

Youth Week 2024

Do you know a young person who would like to help us stage our 2024 NSW Youth Week event; Skate and Celebrate?

The event will be held at Gladesville Reserve skate park on Friday 12 April from 4.30pm to 8.30pm. It will feature skateboarding workshops, street art stations, interactive DJ sessions and more. There will also be a free BBQ and a prize giveaway for those that make it along.

Young people aged between 12-24 years old who are interested in getting involved in the designing, preparation and running of Skate and Celebrate can contact Council’s Communication and Events team at people@huntershill.nsw.gov.au.

See our website for more details of the event: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

Mark your calendars

Council has an exciting schedule of events for 2024- Start marking your calendars to make sure you don’t miss your favourite events. Dates and details for our community events for the year can be found at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

If you are interested in sponsoring one of our events, fill out the Sponsorship Expression of Interest Form at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/Community/Sponsorships.

Generous sponsorship from our event partners supports us in running our much-loved events year after year. It’s also a great way for businesses and organisations to get involved in the community. 

Community information session

Feedback on the NSW Government proposal to increase housing density across the state has now closed but we must keep the conversation going, to show the NSW Government that our community will continue to oppose it.

The proposed reforms will have a material detrimental effect on our neighbourhoods, allowing developers to bypass the planning rules that reflect our vision and protect the amenity and character and heritage of our municipality.

The Councillors and I will be holding a community meeting to discuss the impacts of allowing dual occupancy developments on low-density residential zoned land and work with the community to contest them. The meeting will take place on Wednesday 3 April from 7pm in the Town Hall. I urge all our residents to attend so we can work together as a community to fight these reforms.

What’s on this Sunday

The Hunters Hill Music Society will open its four-program series with the Tinalley String Quartet, an international award-winning group that will collaborate with distinguished actor and founder of the Bell Shakespeare Company, John Bell.

Hunters Hill Music Society has been contributing to the cultural enrichment of Hunters Hill for over 80 years through its high-calibre music concerts.

After a year's hiatus, the Society will return to the Hunters Hill Town Hall on Sunday 24 March from 2.30pm

If you're interested in attending the concert and viewing the full series program, visit www.huntershillmusic.com.au for more details and to buy tickets.

On the same day, we are holding a free interactive workshop on Sunday, March 24th, from 10am to 1pm at the Weil Park Scout Hall on Woolwich Road in Woolwich, with fieldwork conducted in the adjoining Kelly’s Bush. Attendees will have a chance to explore the area with expert guidance to get to know different plant species.

Geoff Bakewell, an experienced presenter, will lead this workshop and cover basic plant structures and keys to help attendees identify commonly mistaken plants and weeds.

This workshop is an excellent opportunity for nature enthusiasts, gardeners, and anyone interested in learning more about the local flora. Registration is required and can be made by emailing vollmerj@huntershill.nsw.gov.au.

Parks and open public spaces are an integral part of our environment here in Hunters Hill and something that makes our municipality so special - maintaining these places is essential to the preservation of our local biodiversity, providing habitat for many of our special flora and fauna.

Traffic Chaos- Have your Say 

A Parliamentary Inquiry has been announced by the NSW Legislative Council in response to major concerns about the impacts of the Rozelle Interchange on Victoria Road. 

I encourage everyone to have their say on the effect this has had on local traffic and the difficulties the Interchange and the intersection light timings have caused for commuters travelling from the Gladesville Bridge to the Anzac Bridge. Before the Interchange opened, it would take approximately 5 minutes to travel this section of the road and it now takes more than 30 minutes on average, according to data released by Transport for NSW. 

Submissions will be accepted until Sunday 17 March on the Parliament of New South Wales website. 

I have also written to the NSW Roads Minister requesting an immediate meeting to discuss potential solutions to improve the incredibly poor traffic situation that we now face as a community. 

We will keep you updated on our advocacy to the government to fix this problem urgently. 

Our international connection

For decades, Hunters Hill has enjoyed a valued sister city relationship with Le Vésinet, a town just outside of Paris that shares similarities in size, character, and history with our own area. 

Despite the distance, active committees in both cities continue to collaborate and maintain the relationship through various programs, in particular a student exchange program.

Since 1991, the Hunters Hill - Le Vésinet Friendship Committee has organised the exchange program that provides students with unique opportunities to experience the culture and lifestyle of the Parisian’s .

The program has been a resounding success, enabling students taking part to immerse themselves in the language, culture, and way of life of their counterparts in the other city.

Hunters Hill - Le Vésinet Friendship Committee is gearing up for another year of this valuable exchange, with applications now open for the 2024-25 cohort.

If you are interested in joining this exhilarating and scholarly six-week exchange program, visit www.huntershill-levesinet.org.au to learn more. Keep an eye out on their website for details on the 2024 information night.

The Hunters Hill - Le Vésinet Friendship Committee also host an annual international singing contest, known as MONDIOVESINION.

The competition invites singers from Le Vésinet’s European, American and Australian sister cities to showcase their talents on an international stage. 

Registration for the contest for 2024 is now open. 

To be eligible, Australian participants must be 16 years of age or older, and must either reside or study in the Hunters Hill local government area. 

Whether you're a seasoned performer or just starting out, this is a fantastic opportunity to share your passion for music.

Registrations can be made by email to mondiovesinion@gmail.com until Monday March 25, 2024. 

Celebrating With Our Seniors

In celebration of the 2024 NSW Seniors Festival, we are hosting a range of events designed exclusively for our local seniors.

To start we have a Seniors Community Road Safety workshop that will take place on Wednesday 20 March, from 10am to 1pm at the Hunters Hill Town Hall.  It will cover topics including risk factors for older drivers, low-risk driving strategies, road rules and assessments and new car technology.

This is a great opportunity for seniors who want to improve their driving skills and stay safe on the roads, so make sure to mark your calendars.

To attend the workshop, registrations are required, and can be made through our Road Safety Officers over the phone: 9911 3576 or via email: roadsafety@huntershill.nsw.gov.au.

Celebrations will continue with a morning of music, refreshments, and community bonding at our Music and Morning Tea event on Thursday 21 March.

This event offers seniors an opportunity to connect, make new friends and learn about activities and helpful local services from a wide range of special interest groups and support service providers.

The event is organised by Hunter’s Hill, Ryde and Lane Cove Councils in collaboration with Stryder Community Transport, Sydney Community Services and Presbyterian Aged Care.

It will be held in two sessions at the North Ryde School of Arts Hall, 201 Coxs Road, North Ryde. The first session begins at 9am and the second at 11.30am.

Places are limited and registrations are required. They can be made with Sydney Community Services by email: support@sydneycs.org or by phone: 9427 6425.

There is also transportation available upon request for attendees.

To read more about the event, visit Council’s website: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

Saturday: Car Seat Fitting and Checking Service

Book a free child car seat inspection and fitting service this Saturday 9 March, to make sure your little passenger is safe as you travel.

The event will take place at Lane Cove Council car park at 48 Longueville Road, Lane Cove from 9am to 1pm.

Bookings are required and can be made by phoning our Road Safety Officers on 9911 3576 or emailing roadsafety@huntershill.nsw.gov.au.

For more information, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

Clean Up Australia Day.

Next month our council-led bushcare team is hosting a community clean-up as part of Clean Up Australia Day.

The clean-up will be held at Gladesville Reserve on Sunday 3 March, from 9am to 11am.

It is a great opportunity for our community to come together to help preserve the health and natural beauty of our urban bushland, parks and reserves.

The meeting point will be at the Huntleys Point carpark, opposite Riverside Girls High.

No experience is required and Council will provide gloves, sunscreen, and rubbish bags. All you need to bring is a hat, water, suitable clothing and closed-in footwear (no thongs or sandals).

There are also clean-up events at Riverglade Reserve run by other community members and groups.

Register via huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events or just come along on the day.

Council is committed to preserving our bushland reserves and we are fortunate to have an active volunteer base to help us.

 Our volunteers are always happy to welcome new members. If you are interested in joining one of our dedicated teams, register by filling in the volunteer form at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/BushcareVolunteers. You can also view the full bushcare schedule and list of groups on this page.

Report tree vandalism

Council takes tree vandalism very seriously and has a strong track record of successfully prosecuting vandals when we have evidence available. 

I strongly encourage residents who witness an act of tree vandalism to record or photograph what is happening and report it to Council as soon as possible by calling 9879 9400 or emailing info@huntershill.nsw.gov.au. This gives us the best chance of prosecution.

We need your help to ensure our trees are thriving and we continue to grow our tree canopy cover in our municipality which currently sits at 35%, one of the highest of any LGA in metro Sydney.

Biodiversity video

We have collaborated with the NSW Government and Habitat Network to create a video that highlights the importance of our local biodiversity corridors. It is an important video and one I encourage everyone in our community to watch.

To view it and read more about our local biodiversity on our website, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/Environment/Biodiversity.

Get your sports gear ready!

I’m pleased to see significant progress on many of our major projects, as we deliver more new community facilities and public spaces than ever before.

Three new multi-purpose courts at Boronia Park are now open and ready for use, providing our community with state-of-the-art facilities to enjoy their favourite sports.

The two upgraded courts, which replaced the old netball courts, have new line markings to accommodate netball and pickleball. The height of the new netball hoops can also be adjusted to cater to all ages and abilities.

A third new multipurpose court also has line markings for basketball with a rotating hoop for different sporting codes.

With participation numbers in sporting groups growing in the past couple of years, we couldn't be more excited to open this space for our community to use for their competitions, training, matches and social use.

The courts are sure to be transformative for our sporting precinct at Boronia Park, with the new community and sports facility expected to open in the coming months.

This highly-anticipated project will deliver another outstanding place for our sporting clubs and the broader community to enjoy, providing the much-needed amenities and storage space for our district-level sports teams as well as recreational users of the park.

Figtree Park and Gladesville Reserve have also been upgraded and are anticipated to be back in action this year.

I’m excited that these significant projects will soon be delivered and available to the community.

To stay up to date with these projects, you can subscribe to the project pages on Connect Hunters Hill: connect.huntershill.nsw.gov.au.  

Field conditions

With the unpredictable weather, sports grounds may be closed to ensure the safety of users and the integrity of our playing surface.

Keep up-to-date with the status of our parks and sports grounds on our webpage: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/FieldConditions.

In the event of wet weather, the status of our sports grounds is updated by 2pm on weekdays. 

If grounds are closed at 2pm on a Friday, they will remain closed until the following Monday when they are reassessed.

Honouring our citizens

There are so many incredible people in our community that are willing to go above and beyond to make Hunters Hill a great place to live.

It is fitting that these individuals are recognised officially through the Australia Day 2024 Honours List.

Congratulations to Mr David William Hynes, who was among those on the 2024 list for achievements in their professional fields and community service.

David was appointed the Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to sports administration, and to baseball.

Thank you to David and all of our community members who continue to work for the betterment of our Municipality and its people.

For more information about the awards, visit www.gg.gov.au/australia-day-2024-honours-list.

Bike maintenance workshop

Riding a bike is not only a great way to stay healthy and active, but also a fun way to get around our beautiful municipality.

Before hitting the pedals, it’s important to make sure your bike is in good working condition.

Learn the basics of how to complete bicycle safety checks and to keep your bike in good condition at our free Bike Maintenance Workshop. The workshop will take place on Sunday 11 February from 10am to 1pm at the Lane Cove Council Car Park located at 48 Longueville Road, Lane Cove.

Whether you’re an experienced cyclist or just starting out, this workshop is a great way to improve your bike maintenance skills before you take off.

For more information and to register, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/Bike-Maintenance-Workshop.

Free child car seat restraint checks

Council is also working with Transport for NSW to ensure kids are safe on our roads by offering a free child car seat checking service for residents.

You can have your child car seats or booster seats checked, refitted or fully fitted by a designated local authorised restraint fitter at the Lane Cove Council car park at 48 Longueville Road, Lane Cove on Saturday 9 March between 9am to 1pm.

The service is free; however, bookings are required.

For more information and to book, contact our Road Safety Officers on 9911 3576 or email roadsafety@huntershill.nsw.gov.au.

Our local legends

Congratulations to the recipients of our Australia Day Awards for their outstanding achievements throughout the year. It was wonderful to see the contributions of so many worthwhile local candidates acknowledged and celebrated; including:

• Rob Fraser, Citizen of the Year
• Heather Armstrong, Environmental Citizen of the Year
• the Hunters Hill Unit of SES, Community Group of the Year
• the Hunters Hill Spring Garden and Open Garden Day, Community Event of the Year.

It was also a pleasure to preside over the Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony and to receive pledges from members of our community in their final step to becoming Australian Citizens.

Increase amenity before increasing density

Before Christmas, the NSW Government announced their proposal to increase housing density across the state by allowing dual occupancy on all low-density residential zoned land.

Manor houses, terraces and multi dwelling houses with a building height of up to 9.5m may also be permissible in some low-density residential zoned areas within ‘town centre precincts’ under the new proposal, along with residential flat buildings and shop top housing up to 21m within some medium density residential zone areas. 

The NSW Government have indicated they will introduce a State Environmental Planning Policy to apply the new rules this year, which will override our councils Local Environment Plan.

This will allow applicants to bypass the planning rules that councils have meticulously prepared to reflect their community’s vision, and to protect the amenity and character of their neighbourhoods.

Unduly increasing density will have an impact on our local road network, reduce tree canopy and put pressure on our services, schools and community facilities. It’s true, we need more housing in NSW, but it needs to be done in a thought-out process. The first step needs to be assessing and identifying the impact on these services and how this will be alleviated with any increase in density.

Council’s strategic planning methods have always ensured that our community grows at a capacity that matches the infrastructure and services in our area. This is the perfect opportunity for the State Government to create a plan that will first increase the amenity of the area rather than put pressure on our limited resources. Hunters Hill needs transport upgrades and better connectivity - this would be the best place to start before a proposal to increase density is considered.

The NSW Government is asking for feedback on their proposal and I encourage you all to have your say about how this will impact our community before it closes on Friday 23 February – visit huntershill.nsw.gov.au/nswplanningreforms for more information. 

Celebrate Australia Day!

Australian citizenship ceremonies are an important part of our annual Australia Day celebrations.

As Mayor, I’m honoured to preside over this ceremony and to receive pledges from members of our community in their final step to becoming an Australian Citizen.

On our national day, we also formally recognise the contributions and achievements of outstanding Australians nationally, in our state and importantly for us here in our local community through the Citizen of the Year Awards.

The ceremony will be held at the Hunters Hill Town Hall on Friday 26 January from 9:30am. The community is invited to join us as we celebrate some of our local legends and welcome our new citizens with their family and friends.

For more details, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

Improving our transport connections

At Council, we are committed to ensuring our transport networks are safe, accessible and functional for all in our community.

As part of our ongoing efforts, Council is collecting feedback on our local transport needs and issues to inform a draft Integrated Transport Strategy, covering all suburbs in our municipality.

The purpose of the Integrated Transport Strategy is to provide a framework for a holistic approach to transport planning for our local government area to ensure that the future growth meets the diverse needs of our residents, visitors, and workers.

Your feedback will provide a valuable insight into the community's current usage and barriers to transport and potential changes that can be made to improve local access experience.

Help inform the strategy by completing the short survey that can be found on the Integrated Transport Strategy Project Page on Connect Hunters Hill: connect.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/integrated-transport-strategy.

Submissions close Wednesday 31 January 2024.

In addition to this, Council has been working on a number of enhancements to our local infrastructure, including successfully getting Transport for NSW to install additional traffic light sensors on the Church Street overpass at the Durham Street intersection.

These new sensors can detect vehicles queued behind both the traffic light and the ‘keep clear’ area marked on the road; helping to streamline the light timings and avoid bank ups which often occurred at this pinch point for traffic exiting the peninsula.

These sensors are a great enhancement that will significantly improve commuting experiences and safety of residents and visitors alike.

Update: Montefiore planning proposal

Council has been advised that the Sir Moses Montefiore Jewish Home site will proceed to a Gateway determination, after evaluation by the Sydney North Planning Panel.

The proposal seeks to make amendments to the Hunters Hill Local Environment Plan (LEP) 2012, with the aim of allowing for increased housing density for seniors on the current site. 

Initially, the Planning Proposal was rejected by the Hunter's Hill Council in September 2023. 

However, the proponent, Urbis Pty Ltd acting on behalf of the Sir Moses Montefiore Jewish Home, requested an independent evaluation from the Planning Panel.

On their assessment, the Sydney North Planning Panel independently determined the strategic and site-specific merits of the proposal, and recommended for it to continue to the Gateway determination stage. 

As is their role under the review mechanism the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, the Planning Panel has now taken on the responsibility of the Planning Proposal Authority (PPA) which means they will now manage the application, and not Council. 

The PPA will now submit the proposal to the Department of Planning and Environment to seek the Gateway determination where it will be reviewed to see if it meets all the conditions specified to proceed to the public exhibition and consultation stage.

During the consultation stage, all feedback and comments will be handled by the PPA in collaboration with the Department of Planning and Environment.

We understand the importance of keeping you informed throughout this process, so we will continue to regularly update our website with detailed information on how and when you can provide your feedback. 

Stay tuned to our updates by subscribing to our Montefiore project page on Connect Hunters Hill: connect.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/Montefiore.

What’s on at The Yarn

As the school break continues, Council is offering free activities to keep the kids entertained at our library and community space, The YARN.

For youngsters aged 4 to 12 years there’s a free Cactus Craft session on this Friday 19 January from 11am, to explore their creative side.

While at The YARN, be sure to drop by for a regular free storytime sessions for children aged 3 to 6 years and their carers, which will continue each Wednesday at 11am during the school holidays.

Young readers can also sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge to help break the boredom and keep up their reading skills during the summer holidays.

All events are free. Go to www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events for more details.

Celebrating the season

With Christmas only days away, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all in our community a safe and happy holiday.

I would also like to thank our dedicated staff and volunteers for their efforts throughout 2023.

Without the involvement of all of these amazing people, we would not have been able to run our local events and projects so successfully.

We held our last Council Meeting for the year on Monday evening, and will now have a short break before returning in 2024 to continue delivering services, major projects and events to the Hunters Hill community.

Council offices will close at 12:00pm on Friday 22 December 2023 and reopen at 8.30am on Tuesday 2 January 2024.

Waste collection, as well as The Yarn trading hours will continue as normal during the holiday period excluding public holidays.

New year celebrations

New Year’s Eve is always a big occasion on the  Hunters Hill calendar and as per usual we are expecting many visitors to the peninsula to enjoy the festivities and fireworks display on our beautiful part of the harbor.

With a unique panoramic view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Clarke’s Point Reserve is an incredible vantage point for watching the world-famous pyrotechnic and light display.

Due to the geography of our Hunters Hill, Council is working closely with Police Officers from the Ryde Police Area Command to help ensure that New Year’s Eve is a safe and enjoyable experience for all.

Road closures and parking restrictions will be in place to ensure that the peninsula remains accessible for emergency services throughout the New Year’s Eve period.

A ‘park and ride’ special event car park will operate at Boronia Park Ovals, connecting people with bus services to Clarkes Point.

Whether you’re a resident or visitor to the area, please plan ahead to avoid any confusion on the night.

See the New Year’s Eve page on our website for more details: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/nye.

Outside of this exciting event, our beautiful local parks, reserves, waterways and walks are an excellent way to appreciate Hunters Hill and take advantage of some time off over the Christmas period.

From all of us at Hunter’s Hill Council, we wish all in our community an enjoyable break and prosperous New Year ahead.

Welcome to our new website!

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Council’s new website, which is now live.

This website marks a significant milestone in our commitment to transparency, accessibility, and effective communication.

With a major focus on the customer experience and meeting new accessibility standards, our updated Council website has been designed with the primary objective of serving as a hub for information on all council's initiatives, projects, and services.

The website's design ensures that all residents can effortlessly navigate its pages; to pay a bill, track development applications, book a community facility or view Council’s latest works updates. 

Our website features new  user-friendly tools that facilitate effective interaction and feedback, reinforcing the Council's commitment to collaboration and transparency.

Over the next few weeks, Council staff will be fine tuning the site content, links, and images.

Visitors to the website are encouraged to report any issues experienced so that these can be addressed quickly.

Visit the new website here: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au.

Connecting our community

Transportation plays a pivotal role in shaping the overall functionality of any suburb. 

It connects people, places, and opportunities, enabling our community to access essential services, as well as employment, entertainment and social activities.

With the evolving needs of our residents, it is crucial that our transport system can respond to change.

Our Council is in the process of preparing an Integrated Transport Strategy, covering all suburbs in the Hunter’s Hill Local Government Area.

The Strategy will deliver a set of objectives and actions needed to achieve the municipality’s vision of a connected, integrated, and sustainable transport network that is safe, efficient, and reliable.

It will also provide long-term direction in integrated transport and land-use planning. This will help Council make informed decisions about future investments, planning, and policy direction.

Your ideas and feedback are essential in shaping the future of our municipality’s transportation network and ensuring that our plans reflects the needs and aspirations of the community.

So, we seeking your feedback on our local transport needs and issues.

Submissions are currently open on our new website News Page.

Visit the News Page to find detailed information on the strategy and to play a part in the development of this beneficial strategy.

Celebrating our Community Champions

There is still time to submit your nominations for the Hunters Hill Citizen of the Year Awards.

Whether it is for volunteer work, well run local initiatives and programmes or significant sporting achievements; exceptional individuals and community groups who consistently go above and beyond to make a positive impact deserve recognition and the Citizen of the Year Awards are a great way to honour them.

This year, we will be presenting awards for six categories, including Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Sportsperson of the Year, Community Group of the Year, Community Project/Event of the Year and Environmental Citizen of the Year.

Nominations remain open on our website at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/participate.

I encourage you all to nominate worthwhile candidates and recognize and celebrate the efforts of those who make our community a much better place.

Progress this year 

Our Annual Report for 2022-23 has been published following our November Council meeting.

This report outlines the incredible progress our Council has made throughout the year, and I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished.

One of the highlights of this year has been the initiation of several major projects that have laid the foundation for improving public facilities and open space in our local government area.

The Boronia Park Sports and Community Club Project, the revitalisation of Figtree Park, and the field and lighting upgrade project at Gladesville Reserve are just a few examples of the impressive progress Council has made this year.

We also understand that essential infrastructure, such as roads and footpaths, is a top priority for our residents. In response to this, we have also made substantial investments through our Capital Works Program, enabling us to significantly improve and upgrade our local infrastructure.

These investments have resulted in a heightened level of asset renewal and maintenance in Hunters Hill ensuring we can deliver safer and more efficient travel in our LGA.

Preserving and maintaining our unique natural environment and heritage is another area where we have made progress. Our Sustainability Action Plan has guided our efforts, ensuring that we are actively working towards creating a sustainable future for Hunters Hill.

We look forward to continuing the important work we have been undertaking and delivering some of these incredible projects to completion on-time and on-budget in 2024.

If you are interested in viewing the 2022-23 Annual Report, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/annual-reports-financial-statements.

Christmas festivities are here!

The festive season will officially begin in Hunters Hill at 5.00pm this Sunday 4 December with our annual Carols in the Park event at the Boronia Ovals.

As well as some great music by local acts, roving performers, food trucks and market stalls, you can also enjoy a visit from Santa and his elves and our annual firework display – the finale to this long running Christmas event.

Carols in the Park is always a fun family-friendly evening, so be sure to come along.

See our website for more details: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/carols-in-the-park.

The spirit of giving

Hunters Hill is fortunate to have so many wonderful organisations that continue to do amazing to support our community.

Sydney Community Services (SCS) is one such local organisation that continues to make a huge difference to our municipality and region.

To assist those less fortunate this holiday season, SCS is seeking support to fill Christmas hampers for distribution to the needy.

Donations are being accepted until Tuesday 12 December and can be dropped off to SCS office at 46 Gladesville Road, to Tree of Joy in the Gladesville Shopping Village or the foyer of Hunters Hill Town Hall.

For information about how you can assist or what you can donate, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/christmas-food-drive.

Our partners at RecycleSmart will also be supporting community members this holiday season.

Commencing today, 29 November, RecycleSmart will be collecting packaged food from the doorsteps to contribute to OzHarvest.

This effort will help OzHarvest to prepare wholesome meals for Aussies facing hardship this Christmas.

For more information and to book a pick up, visit www.recyclesmart.com.au.

Bennelong and Phillip, A History Unravelled

If you’re looking for a last-minute Christmas gift, pick up a copy of Kate Fullagar’s latest book, ‘Bennelong and Phillip, A History Unravelled’.

The joint biography provides an insightful account of the lives of Bennelong and Governor Arthur Phillip, their family life and the relationship between the two men. The book also covers Phillip’s dedication to British expansion and Bennelong’s connection to Eora lifeways, place and kinship.

With its historical significance and unique perspective, this book is a thoughtful and engaging gift for someone interested in Australian (and some important local) history – so be sure to check it out.

Revamping our street signs

Street signs are an essential local amenity that we very seldom think about in our day-to-day lives.

Council has needed to update our signs for many years and I am happy to report we have now completed our Street Sign Renewal Project, with the installation of around 350 newly-designed street name blades.

Not only do the new black and white blades compliment existing public spaces, they also provide a fresh easy-to-read look, helping to enhance accessibility and wayfinding throughout Hunters Hill.

This project also helps to address any discrepancies or outdated signage, creating a visually appealing and consistent signage system.

With this initiative, residents and visitors can have a safer and more pleasant experience while on our local roads.

We look forward to delivering many more of these projects that improve and enhance our public spaces.

Save the Date for Carols

A perennial favourite and a staple in the Hunters Hill community’s calendar is around the corner – Carols in the Park!

Carols in the Park will again take place on the first Sunday in December, so set aside 3 December from 5pm at Boronia Park in your diaries.

There will be entertainment from local acts, live music, food trucks and market stalls on offer, as well as a visit from Santa and his helpers.

The night will be capped off with our fireworks display – the finale to this ever-popular community event.

Our Carols is always a great way to kick off the Christmas holidays and relax with family and friends.

So, make sure to save the date for this fun and family-friendly event!

Be Asbestos Ready

Exposure to asbestos poses serious health risks to both our community and natural environment.

Although not in use for many years, it is not uncommon to find the remnants of Asbestos in unlikely places around your property – walls, bathrooms, ceilings, floors, laundries, kitchens, roofs, fences gardens and garages.

National Asbestos Awareness Week, which is being held 20-26 November 2023 reminds tradespeople, home renovators and DIYers to Be Asbestos Ready when completing home renovations or maintenance, and provides vital information on how to safely manage asbestos.

If you’re intending to renovate or make repairs around the home, it is important to plan ahead and start by contacting a licensed asbestos professional to protect your health and the people around you.

For more information on managing asbestos safely, visit www.asbestossafety.gov.au.

Citizen of the Year Awards

Hunters Hill has an incredibly passionate community full of amazing local residents, many of whom  are willing to share their time and talents to make contributions to both Hunters Hill and broader Sydney.

The Hunters Hill Citizen of the Year Awards is a great way of acknowledging the efforts of these individuals and groups that go the extra mile for our community.

Nominations are open until 5:00pm on 8 December 2023 for all of our Citizen of the Year awards, and applications are available via our website.

This year we will be recognising a Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Sportsperson of the Year, Community Group of the Year and so many others that have contributed to our LGA.

So, show an amazing local person or community group how much you appreciate their hard work and the contribution they make to our municipality by nominating them for a Hunters Hill Citizen of the Year Award which are available at: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/participate.

Travelling safely around schools

Managing and maintaining our local roads and improving road safety, particularly around our local schools, remains a key focus for Council.

As part of our Road Safety Program, we have been working with local schools to implement a safe drop off initiative.

Schools get very busy around pick up and drop off times, and with so many kids out and about, it’s important to have designated zones to ensure the safety of children when arriving to and departing from school.

We have revamped the signage and messaging of bollards at the pick-up and drop-off zones outside each of our local high schools and provided additional bollards and replacements to our local primary schools.

These bollards are a visual reminder to drivers to be mindful of their surroundings and to take the utmost care in the around school zones.

As part of our efforts, we are also working with Transport for NSW to bring the latest in our series of ‘Teach a Learner Driver’ workshops to Hunters Hill residents.

The free online session, happening this month on Wednesday 22 November, from 6pm to 7.30pm, offers parents and supervisors of learner drivers practical advice around safe driving and positive learning experiences.

For more information and to register, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

Joeys Spring Fair 

The annual St Joseph’s College’s Spring Fair will be held this Sunday, 12 November from 11am to 4pm at St Joseph’s College.

With markets, food stalls, rides, live performances and more, Joey’s Spring Fair is an event that celebrates community spirit and is an opportunity for everyone in Hunters Hill to explore and enjoy what the college has on offer.

Be sure to join in the celebrations for a great day out this Sunday.

Emerging talents

From 10am tomorrow Thursday 9 November, the Hunters Hill Town Hall will be open to visitors for our annual Young in Art Exhibition.

This event will feature a range of locally-produced solo and group-created artworks from Kindergarten to Year 12 from schools in the Hunters Hill LGA.

It’s a great opportunity for students to showcase their talent as artists to a wider audience.

With so much to see and so many young artists to support, we are encouraging teachers, students, families and the Hunters Hill locals to come and enjoy this free exhibition.

Congratulations to all students with works submitted for Young in Art, and I encourage everyone to support our local school-aged artists at the exhibition.

Our recycling achievement

Next week is National Recycling Week, an annual initiative organised by Planet Ark, aimed at educating Australians on the significance of recycling and its impact on the environment.

Running from Monday 13 to Sunday 19 November, National Recycling Week provides an opportunity for residents and workplaces to reduce their footprint and prevent creating unnecessary waste.

Our Council is proud to offer a range of services to help our residents to conveniently, cost-effectively way and safely dispose of difficult-to-recycle products.

Among the services we provide is our local Community Recycling Centre, located at 8 Waltham Street in Artarmon and RecycleSmart; a household recycling collection service that picks up throughout Hunters Hill.

Residents have successfully recycled over 9000kgs waste with RecycleSmart, and over 500kgs recycled just in October – helping significantly to divert waste from landfill.

It’s a great community effort from our residents and local businesses and we are looking forward to our continuing work with all stakeholders to deliver in our sustainability goals.

To learn more about RecycleSmart and other ways to reduce, recycle and reuse waste this National Recycling Week, visit our website: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/reduce-recycle-reuse-waste.

Connecting with our community

Our Council works closely with the community to ensure that decisions we make improve our unique municipality and are informed by genuine consultation with our ratepayers.

We are continuing to engage with our community on the review of the Hunters Hill Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and Hunters Hill Development Control Plan (DCP).

At our latest Ordinary Meeting, we resolved to open the LEP Scoping Proposal for further community feedback, providing everyone with an opportunity to have their say in shaping this important planning document prior to it being sent to the NSW Planning Department for feedback.

These plans play a significant role in the management of land, built form and streetscapes in our local government area, so it is important that community input is considered during its review.

To ensure we receive your valuable feedback, the proposal will be open for a 14-day period, closing at 5pm on Tuesday, 7 November 2023.

If you would like to have your say on the document, email your comments and feedback to customerservice@huntershill.nsw.gov.au, with “LEP Scoping Proposal Feedback” in the subject line.

Please take the opportunity to provide your highly valued suggestions.

For further information on the proposed LEP and DCP review, visit, www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/proposed-lep-and-dcp-review.

Young in Art’s Free Exhibition

From next Thursday 9 November, we will be enjoying the artistic talents of students from all eight of our local schools through our Young in Art showcase.

Young in Art is a free-entry exhibition that celebrates the creativity and hard work of both teachers and their students in the Hunters Hill area.

I am always impressed by the level of talent demonstrated by our young artists and I have no doubt this year’s exhibition will bring enjoyment to all our visitors once again.

Make sure to save the date to show your support for our young artists.

Young in Art will be open to the public from Thursday 9 November until Sunday 12 November at Town Hall.

I look forward to seeing more amazing works on display at this year’s exhibition.

For more information about Young in Art, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/younginart.

Protecting Our Waterways

Local waterways are an integral part of our environment here in Hunters Hill and something that makes our municipality so special.

From boating, kayaking or trekking along one of our beautiful foreshores – it is something for all in our community to enjoy.

It is important that we are all doing our part to protect our waterways, rivers, creeks and their surrounding environments.

Sediment run-off can destroy habitats and smother native plants and animals.

‘Get the Site Right’ is a campaign, organised by local councils and catchment groups, of which our Council is a member, targeting erosion and sediment control on building and construction sites across NSW to prevent harmful run-off into waterways.

Get the Site Right 2023 also coincides with the work our Council is doing to control sediment run-off from polluting local waterways.

Our latest initiative is the Marine Structure Seawall Reconstruction project which is part of our 2023/24 Capital Works Program.

In response to a recent condition assessment on the marine structure, which is located on the foreshore of Hunters Hill High School, we have undergone works to prevent further damage and erosion to the integrity of the seawall by reconstructing the damaged section of the seawall.

This project aims to increase the safety of the foreshore pathways and our waterways.

It is a great initiative and we look forward to continuing to deliver more works to protect our beautiful waterways.

Get ready for your Christmas travels

With Christmas around the corner, it is important to ensure that your child car seats are safe and properly fastened.

This month, our Council is working with Transport for NSW to bring the latest of our series of child car seat checking services for residents via a voucher program.

The voucher entitles you to have a child car restraint checked, refitted or fully fitted by a designated local authorised restraint fitter at our new local fitting station, located at P1 Carpark of the Royal North Shore Hospital, off Reserve Rd, St. Leonards.

The latest round of vouchers are available until Wednesday 6 December 2023.

For more information, contact our Road Safety Officers on (02) 9911 3576 or email roadsafety@huntershill.nsw.gov.au.

Staying safe around schools

As our school community has now returned to its regular routine, making sure that we keep aware of pedestrian safety on our local roads is extra important.

Council has recently repainted the line markings for the pedestrian crossing on Mary Street near St Joseph’s College and Villa Maria Catholic Primary School in order to enhance safety of pedestrians and students as they cross the street.

We have also been working with local schools on a safe drop off initiative to make sure that there are no incidents on local roads.

In response to feedback from our local schools, we have revamped the imaging and messaging at the pick-up and drop-off zones outside each of the high schools.

These bollards are a visual reminder to drivers to be mindful of their surroundings and to take the utmost care in the around school zones.

It is all of our responsibility to ensure that our local roads are a safe place for students and other pedestrians – so it is important to work together to do their part by traveling safely around our municipality.

Art on show

The Hunters Hill Art Exhibition is back on at Town Hall.

With over 270 pieces on display, selected from more than 440 entries, this year’s exhibition boasts an exceptional showcase of curated works.

Following on from a successful opening night, the show will continue until Sunday, 22 October.

Be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to appreciate and acquire an original piece of art, by browsing the exhibition or the online gallery on Council’s website.

As well as being a showcase for artistic talent locally and regionally, this event demonstrates the strong support for the arts here in Hunters Hill.

Enthusiastic visitors, sponsors, volunteers and staff have all made a fantastic contribution.

Each year, local organisations generously provide the much-needed financial support for the production, promotion and presentation of the exhibition through sponsorships.

Special thanks to this year’s event sponsors; Hunters Hill Hotel, Hunters Hill Medical Practice and Maison Dental.

Our Arts Advisory Committee and volunteers have also had a big role to play in staging the show, contributing their time and efforts in making the event such a success.

The level of support from our community is admirable and it is something we should be proud of.

For more details on the event, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/hunters-hill-art-exhibition.

Drainage works nearing completion

Council is working to protect and maintain the quality and safety of our local parks and reserves for our community to enjoy, particularly from severe weather conditions.

As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance our natural turf fields, we have undertaken major works to install a new drainage system at one of our premier parks, Weil Park.

This upgrade will help get players back on the field faster after periods of heavy rain as it will minimise surface water ponding and help the grass to recover after heavy use.

It is a great addition to this important park – one which will help enhance the safety and use of this important open space without the need for major reconstruction.

The final stage of works, involving aeration of the turf, has also commenced.

We hope to have Weil Park ready and back in action for our local schools to enjoy this week.

New multi-sport facilities coming to Hunters Hill 

This month, we will be commencing further upgrades to our facilities at Boronia Park.

To cater for the fast-growing participation from our local netball, pickleball and basketball clubs, Boronia Park is set to enjoy substantial playing surface upgrades to the two existing netball courts as well as construction of a new multisport hard court.

This project will help us meet the growing needs of our broader sporting community with amenities to accommodate each sport.

We look forward to delivering this great project which we are anticipating will be completed in time for the 2024 sporting competitions.

This month is NSW Small Business Month

Our hairdressers, artists, cleaners, bakers and baristas are the heart of our local economy and NSW Small Business Month is about putting the spotlight on them.

Our village centres not only play an important role in our local economy, but also to our community – by creating much of the unique charm of Hunters Hill.

So, it is important we are supporting our local small businesses by shopping and eating out in our village centres.

Whether it’s a coffee, haircut or the weekly groceries, every visit can help protect the character and heritage our local shops here in Hunters Hill.

NSW Small Business Month is also an opportunity for small businesses to take the time to enhance and develop their own line of work.

If you have a small business or are thinking or creating one, join one of the great programs on offer to learn to develop your business at www.smallbusinessmonth.nsw.gov.au.

Open garden day this week! 

Showcasing the iconic private estate gardens of ‘Clifton House’ and ‘Millthorpe’, the scenic laneway nursery ‘Ivy Alley’ and the winning gardens from the 2023 Hunters Hill Spring Garden Competition, Hunters Hill’s Open Garden Day is this Sunday.

This exciting event, jointly presented by Council and the Rotary Club of Hunters Hill, is providing our community with a great platform to celebrate the hard work and creativity of our wonderful local gardeners and to raise funds for the maintenance and restoration of the historic Hillman Orchard, located in Alexandra Street.

Following the awarding of the Hunters Hill Spring Garden Competition winners this Friday 6 October, these amazing gardens will be on full display from 10:00am to 4:30pm on Sunday 8 October as part of the Open Day.

Commencing at the Hunters Hill Museum at Town Hall for check in, attendees will receive a program and wrist band which provides access to a free bus circulating around the Municipality.

Throughout the day, I will be running a community BBQ alongside the Rotary Club’s raffle at the Town Hall forecourt.

With intimate access to some seldom-seen private gardens and historic estates, the Hunters Hill Open Garden Day is sure to be a unique experience.

It is also a fantastic way to support the incredible talent of our local gardeners and get inspired for your own gardens, so be sure to grab your tickets now to join us on the day.

Tickets for the Open Garden Day are available through the Rotary Club of Hunters Hill via Eventbrite at bit.ly/hhopengardenday or available with the raffle tickets at the Town Hall forecourt on the day.

HSC exams begin next week

It’s the final week before HSC exams begin for our local Year 12 students on Wednesday 11 October.

Hunters Hill has four great high schools in our area – Hunters Hill High School, St Joseph’s College, Marist Sisters’ College, and Riverside Girls High School – each with passionate teachers and staff members who are committed to helping our students succeed.

As the cohort enter the final push in their secondary schooling next week, I would like to wish them all the best of luck as they sit their exams.

It can be an emotional time, as the changes that come after 13 years of schooling begin to sink in, but we have no doubt all their hard work will lead them to great successes in the future.

Good luck, and we’ll see you on the other side!

Hunters Hill Art Exhibition: Tickets available now

It’s almost that time of year when we celebrate the hard work of our incredible arts community with our long-running art show, the Hunters Hill Art Exhibition – and tickets are now on sale.

This exhibition is well known for its prestigious showcase of high-quality artworks and 2023 will be no different.

Attracting a mix of regional and local creatives, we are lucky to have received an impressive range works that are certain to peak the interest of our visitors once again.

The exhibition, featuring an array of paintings, sculptures, drawings, photography, pottery and craft from artists right across New South Wales, will be open from 10:00am to 4:00pm daily, from 14 – 22 October, at the Hunters Hill Town Hall.

All artworks exhibited will be for sale and available for purchase throughout the event.

For the keen collector wanting to get the first viewing, we will also be hosting a Buyer’s Preview on 12 October.

This will be followed by an Opening Night on 13 October.

So, whether you’re looking to take home an artwork or just appreciate the show, you can pre-purchase your tickets for the Buyer’s Preview, Opening Night, or the general exhibition at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/hunters-hill-art-exhibition.

Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door.

The exhibition is a fantastic opportunity to support local and emerging talent so I encourage everyone to once again join us at this year’s exhibition.

Bike maintenance workshop

As the days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer, now is the perfect time of year to enjoy get outdoors and enjoy everything spring has to offer.

Riding a bike is not only a great way to stay healthy and active, but also a fun way to get around our beautiful municipality.

Before hitting the pedals, it’s important to make sure your bike is in good working condition.

Learn the basics of how to complete regular bicycle safety checks and maintenance tasks at our free Bike Maintenance Workshop, taking place on Sunday 15 October from 10:00am to 1:00pm at the Lane Cove Council Car Park located at 48 Longueville Road, Lane Cove.

Whether you’re an experienced cyclist or just starting out, this workshop is a great way to improve your bike maintenance skills before you take off.

Spots are limited and registrations are essential.

Register now to participate in this useful workshop by emailing our Road Safety Officer at roadsafety@huntershill.nsw.gov.au.

Buffalo Creek slam dunk

If you’re looking for a playground to take the kids to these school holidays you’re not short of options in Hunters Hill.

We are fortunate to have so many parks, reserves and playgrounds available for our community to enjoy.

Just in time for these spring, Council’s refurbishment and upgrade of the basketball space at Buffalo Creek Reserve is complete; providing a new facility for our local kids to enjoy during their break.

The three-point hardstand court, which replaced the previous basketball space, provides practical location for players of all ages to train, get active and connect.

This project is part of the series of improvement works planned for Buffalo Creek Reserve, including renewing the footpaths, constructing a new cricket pitch, improving the existing flying fox and installing new LED lighting.

It is a wonderful addition to this well-loved park and just the beginning of the exciting sports infrastructure enhancements that we are working on for our community.

Play a part in art

Entries are now open for our annual Hunters Hill Art Exhibition – a favourite in the local art community.

The highly regarded show, known for attracting a curation of quality pieces, will once again be running in the Hunters Hill Town Hall from 13 to 22 October.

As well as being a showcase for artistic talent locally and regionally, the event demonstrates the strong support for the arts here in Hunters Hill, so it is a point of pride for our Council to bring this event back to Hunters Hill each year- and sponsorship partners play a key part in this.

This year, along with our art partners, Council is inviting art patrons to play a part in the much-loved Hunters Hill tradition – allowing contributions of as small as $50 to support the delivery of this great program for artists.

It is a great opportunity for residents to support our thriving arts community and get involved in this cultural event.

So, if you are interested in contributing to this great event as a patron or sponsor, visit our website for details:  www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/hunters-hill-art-exhibition.

Going solar 

Our Council are working to ensure our operations and services are efficient, cost-effective and in line with our communities objectives – including a commitment to a renewable energy target of 100 percent by 2030. 

The latest project that Council has undertaken towards achieving this goal is installing solar panels at Town Hall. 

Not only will it reduce our carbon footprint in line with our sustainability targets but it will also assist in achieving energy efficiency for the organisation. 

Solar panels are a great initiative for our municipality as it is projected to reduce our annual energy consumption by a quarter each year and in turn, result in important savings.  

By investing in projects like this one we are taking proactive steps to create a cleaner, more sustainable future for everyone in Hunters Hill. 

It’s an important step towards meeting our set targets and I look forward to continuing our efforts on reducing emissions and implementing other sustainability measures in the future.  

Celebrating our citizens 

This Sunday (17 September) is Australian Citizenship Day – a day of pride and celebration for those who have chosen to call the lucky country their home. 

In recognition of this special occasion, our Council will be welcoming new citizens to Australia through a Citizenship Ceremony this Sunday (17 September) on Australian Citizenship Day at 11am in the Town Hall. 

It is one of my greatest joys in the role as Mayor and remains an honour to preside over these ceremonies and receive pledges from members of our community in their final step to becoming an Australian Citizen. 

We welcome participants, their family and friends and the broader community to take part in the ceremony and in this year’s celebration of Australian Citizenship Day. 

Call for volunteers

In Hunters Hill, we are looking forward to our annual cultural events program and celebrations of all things art. 

From the highly anticipated Hunters Hill Art Exhibition to our amazing student-focused show, Young in Art, planning is well underway for several exciting upcoming events; and we are seeking to get more of our community involved.

The Hunters Hill Art Exhibition – a favourite among those in the Sydney art scene – is known for attracting a curation of high quality pieces from artists Australia-wide. 

This highly regarded show will once again be held at the Hunters Hill Town Hall from 13 – 22 October and provides locals and the wider Sydney art community with ample opportunities to be part of this special exhibition.

Whether you’re interested in working in event management, enjoy socialising with visitors or just like helping out, our Council is encouraging you to submit your expression of interest to volunteer.

Volunteers play an incredibly valuable role in making our local events so successful. 

Community members giving up their free time to lend a hand takes an event, especially a community one, from being a good one to being a great one. 

So, if you are interested in playing a part in these great cultural events, please make a submission on our website:  www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/participate.

For more information on the upcoming exhibitions please visit our website at:  www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/art 

Hunters Hill Quilt Show 2024

The Hunters Hill Quilters are a wonderful local group that has had a long history with our Council and our community. 

The group stitched together the incredible Bicentennial Quilt which they gifted to the Municipality in 1988 and is now proudly on display in the Museum. 

For many years, this group of talented women have gathered weekly to work on their story-telling quilts and patchwork in preparation for their Biennial Quilt Show in the Town Hall.

Continuing their tradition, the quilters have released the date for their next show, 1 to 4 August 2024. 

Our Council is a sponsor of this event and I encourage everyone to save the date to explore the beautiful exhibition space.

The group always does an excellent job at bringing the community together for these events, and I look forward to attending the Hunters Hill Quilt Show next year.

For more information about the group, including how to join, visit the Hunters Hill Quilters website at www.huntershillquilters.org.

Community Grants Now Open!

Hunters Hill is lucky to have so many organisations and volunteers that deliver valuable projects, programs and events that contribute to our community; our Council is proud to work in partnership with them to deliver for the LGA.

One of the ways that our Council supports these local groups to deliver and carry out projects is through our Community Grants Program, which is now open for applications.

Our grants program, which awards a total of $20,000 in funding annually, provides a ‘helping hand’ to individuals and local groups who undertake this important work for our community that otherwise would not be delivered.

Under the program, grants of $500, $1000 and $1500 are available in the Community Development category to fund equipment, events, activities, workshops and other projects that service the Hunters Hill area.

While grants of $150, $250 or $500 are available in the Community Assistance category to support individuals selected to compete at a recognised sporting or cultural competition outside the Sydney.

So, if your community group or not-for-profit organisation has a one-off event or project in mind, get your Community Grants Program applications in by 25 September to be considered: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/grants.

We look forward to helping deliver some of your inclusive and innovative programs to support our vibrant community.

Riverfest

Our local waterways are an integral part of the unique character of Hunters Hill and something that makes our municipality so special.

From boating, kayaking or taking a stroll along one of our beautiful foreshore walks – it is something that all in our community can enjoy.

It is important, therefore, that we are all doing our part to protect our waterways including our rivers, creeks and their surrounding environments.

Riverfest, which is an annual community event, offers a timely opportunity to do just that.

Riverfest is organised by the Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG), an alliance of councils, state government agencies and community groups, of which Council is a member, who are working together to clean up the Parramatta River and make it swimmable again by 2025.

Running this year from Saturday, 16 September (World Clean Up Day) to Sunday, 24 September (World Rivers Day), Riverfest highlights the great work that the PRCG is doing around our waterways and showcases some of the diverse and interesting ways that we can help make a difference.

Get involved this Riverfest by participating in some of the great activities on offer.

To view the Riverfest program of events, visit www.ourlivingriver.com.au/riverfest.

Exploring our pride of place

It’s almost the time of the year when we can enjoy the natural beauty of Hunters Hill, and this year the hard work of dedicated gardeners participating in Hunters Hill’s Spring Open Garden Day will be on full display – tickets are now on sale for the open gardens.

This event, jointly presented by Council and the Rotary Club of Hunters Hill, is on Sunday 8 October from 10am to 4:30pm.

Beginning at the Hunters Hill Club for check in, the Open Garden Day program will feature the well-known ‘Clifton House’, a property many may recognise as the backdrop in previous seasons of Channel Ten’s reality television series ‘The Bachelor’, as well as scenic laneway nursery, ‘Ivy Alley’ and winning gardens from the 2023 Hunters Hill Spring Garden Competition.

Not only is the Open Garden Day a chance to see some incredible local spaces but it is also an opportunity to connect and learn from other local gardeners – and all for a good cause – to raise funds for the maintenance of the historic Hillman Orchard, located in Alexandra Street.

I hope everyone gets the chance to join us on the day and explore these iconic gardens.

Tickets are available through the Rotary Club of Hunters Hill via Eventbrite at bit.ly/hhopengardenday.

Cat chat

Hunters Hill is home to some unique native wildlife, which can be vulnerable to popular pets, such as cats.

With the aim to keep both these well-loved species out of harm’s way, our neighbours at Lane Cove Council are hosting a talk, led by RSPCA NSW, on ‘Keeping Cats Safe and Happy at Home’.

The talk, held online via Zoom on Thursday 31 August from 7pm, will offer insights and advice on cat safety and enrichment to help extend and enhance the lives of cats, while reducing their impact on wildlife by sharing tips to keep pet cats happy, safe and healthy at home.

Bookings are required for this event and can be accessed through the Lane Cove Council website.

Road rules

With Road Rules Awareness Week (21- 27 August) underway, now is a perfect time to improve your knowledge of traffic laws, to ensure you are as safe as possible behind the wheel.

The week-long program is an initiative of Transport for NSW, to remind everyone that road safety is a shared responsibility -and knowing the road rules is one of the best ways to help keep yourself and others safe.

See the road rules page on the Transport for NSW website to refresh your knowledge; and please remember to take care and travel safely.

Maintaining our local roads

As a Council, we are committed to ensuring our roads are maintained to a high standard and that they are safe and functional for all in our community.

As part of our increasing efforts to maintain our road standards, we will be commencing a program of road repairs, which will cover more than 20 sections of local roadway, stretching from Ryde Road through to Franki Avenue, Woolwich.

The program is expected to run for around eight weeks.

This will involve heavy patching and crack sealing to repair our roads for the benefit of drivers, riders, cyclists and pedestrians.

To support our program of repairs and maintenance, the NSW Government has awarded our Council a grant of more than $500,000 under the NSW Regional and Local Roads Repair Program for the delivery of these essential items.

In addition to our roads program, our pavement rehabilitation works are set to commence next week, along sections of Boronia Avenue, Collingwood Street and Windeyer Avenue.

This will help us improve the safety of cycling and vehicle travel across our municipality.

Council has also undertaken work to help improve road and pedestrian safety around school campuses.

These include new line markings for the pedestrian crossing on Mary Street near St Joseph’s College and Villa Maria Catholic Primary School.

Council knows that improving the conditions of roads is a high priority for our community, and is pleased to be delivering these critical improvement programs.

Sporting facility upgrades kick off

A project to improve recreational facilities at Buffalo Creek Reserve has kicked off with upgrades to its sporting infrastructure.

As part of the upgrade, we are transforming the existing basketball space to a three-point hardstand court, which will provide a new and exciting dimension for games and an important training facility for local players.

The upgraded basketball court will provide a safe, modern and practical space for players of all ages to boost utilisation of the reserve.

Works are expected to be completed by the end of August.

Stay tuned to the notifications page on our website to stay up-to-date with works happening across our municipality: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/notifications.

Delivering for Hunters Hill 

I am pleased to report that Council was presented a progress update of our service delivery so far this year and it is great see our programs and projects tracking so well.

We are well along the way to delivering the objectives identified in our program of works and in our Operational Plan.

Our community has told us that road infrastructure is a key priority. Council has assessed roads, footpaths, kerbs and gutters to build on our Asset Management Plan to help ensure critical infrastructure is well maintained now and in to the future.

Our capital works program for footpaths was completed in full, as part of our aim to support and encourage safe walking, cycling and vehicle travel across our municipality.

Projects to upgrade our local playgrounds and outdoor spaces have also delivered great results.

New shade cloth was installed over several of our playgrounds, and major works at three key sites, including Boronia Park, Gladesville Reserve and Figtree Park have progressed and are on track for delivery for our community to enjoy.

Our road safety program has received great community feedback and participation, through workshops and campaigns supporting schools, parents and carers of young children and supervisors of those learning to drive.

We look forward to delivering another ‘teach a learner driver’ online workshop on 23 August, and another round of free child car seat check vouchers, valid until 20 September.

At our Library and community space, The Yarn, we continue to provide services for all our residents, with 3750 loans in a six-month period and the continuing popularity of our regular children’s sessions, including ‘Baby Bounce’ on Fridays at 11am and ‘Story Time’ on Wednesdays from 11am.

Our bushland continues to be conserved and protected through the outstanding efforts involved in Bushcare programs. Volunteers put in 398 hours and planted 600 native plants across the local government area along with the community planting project that we held for National Tree Day as part of Moocooboola. 

The evolution of transport

Hunters Hill is well-known and much-loved for its history and our museum is one way we share the story of our municipality with the community.

Tomorrow evening (10 August) at 6pm I have the pleasure of opening the History of Hunters Hill Transport Exhibition, staged by the Hunters Hill Historical Society at the Museum.

The exhibition will feature rare and original photographs and memorabilia such as ferry lights and ticket operating machines from early Sydney when ferries were the only practical mode of transport in Hunters Hill.

Contact the Museum on 0417 067 511 regarding opening hours to come along to learn about the evolution of the transport links in our municipality.

Countdown is on for Moocooboola!

We’re now only days away from staging Hunters Hill’s favourite community festival, this year to be held back at Boronia Park. Moocooboola Festival is on this Sunday (6 August).

There is a lot going on across the Boronia Park Ovals for the festival this year.

We kick off at 10am with the market bazaar, offering a variety of foods, novelties, community displays from groups like the Historical Society, Happy Hens and Le Vésinet Friendship Committee as well as commercial stalls accompanied by stage performances from some great local acts.

Families will have plenty of activities to enjoy in the Kids Zone, featuring free children-friendly attractions, carnival games, an interactive circus playground, jumping castle and more.

Ticketed rides and carnival-style attractions will be on offer across Oval 2, alongside interactive displays of pickleball and croquet by local clubs, designed for the young, old and everyone in between.

Food trucks and stalls will have plenty on offer to satisfy your appetites, with a mix of sweet snacks including gelato, animal-shaped fairy floss and Dutch mini pancakes, plus savoury gozleme, dumplings, paella, seafood, chips on a stickand hot dogs.

The Dog Show – my personal favourite-  is also not to be missed. It is being held in the straw-bale-lined arena on Oval 2 at 12pm.

We’re also keen for festival goers willing to lend a hand to join a community planting project, scheduled for 10am to 11.30am, in recognition of National Tree Day.

Moocooboola will have something for everyone, so be sure to join us on 6 August from 10am to 4pm to enjoy all the festival has to offer.

Find more information about Moocooboola at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/moocooboola.

Showcasing green thumbs

Hunters Hill’s inaugural Spring Garden Competition is coming soon.  Entries are open until 18 August, ahead of an open garden weekend in early October.

The competition is jointly presented by our Council and the Rotary Club of Hunters Hill.

This is a great opportunity to contribute to the beauty of our garden suburb and showcase our pride-of-place to the community – all while being in the running for some great prizes and helping to raise funds for maintenance and restoration of the historic Hillman Orchard.

With five categories on offer ranging from the best overall garden through to the best small balcony/courtyard garden and the most improved public space, there is sure to be something that matches your garden.

Find more information about the competition and registrations at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/garden.

Plant a tree with us

In celebration of National Tree Day, our Council will be holding a community planting at this year’s Moocooboola Festival to contribute to planting one million trees across Australia.

The festival is happening on Sunday 6 August at Boronia Park Ovals from 10am to 4pm, with the planting scheduled for 10am to 11:30am.

Drop by our Council tent for directions and to collect your trowels and gloves. No experience is necessary and all equipment will be provided.

While you’re at the Council stall, you can also pick up a free native plant and a reusable bag made from leftover council street flags as part of councils continuing commitment to local sustainability.

The giveaway will be running all day, so you can pick up some material after enjoying the rides, amusements, markets and food at Moocooboola.

To learn more and register for the planting, visit treeday.planetark.org or join us on the day at the Council tent.

Diversity of services

Local Government Week, running this year from Monday 31 July to Sunday 6 August, is a great opportunity for communities across NSW to reflect on the role the Council plays in the delivering essential services.

Roads, rates and rubbish remain our core focus, but it’s not all we do.

We work to improve community infrastructure and facilities to protect our special heritage items, organise community events, hold a range of regular activities at our library space, and support local community groups that contribute to the wellbeing and culture of Hunters Hill through our Community Grants Programs.

We will continue to seek to improve our area by delivering new services and initiatives to support our residents and help makes sure Hunters Hill is as safe and enjoyable as possible for the community we love.

Recycling made easy

Among the services we will continue to provide is our local Community Recycling Centre, located at 8 Waltham Street in Artarmon.

We work with our neighbouring councils to provide this free, easy and convenient way for residents to safely dispose of difficult-to-recycle waste such as old smoke detectors, paint, gas bottles, car and household batteries and motor and cooking oil.

The Community Recycling Centre helps residents make a difference in our municipality by diverting problem waste from our landfill and converting them into reusable material.

There are many other beneficial services our Council offers in this space, including our textiles drop off and of course the Return and Earn recycling facility at Henley Community Centre – find more on Council’s website: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au.

Four-Leg Frenzy at Moocooboola!

Registrations are now open for my Moocooboola favourite – the Dog Show!

This year’s Moocooboola Festival will be held on Sunday 6 August at Boronia Park Ovals from 10am to 4pm, with the Dog Show scheduled for 12pm at the ring that will being set up on Oval 2.

The show annually draws crowds of spectators to enjoy the exhibition of four-legged flair; Gladesville Veterinary Hospital, which has a long association with Moocooboola, will once again be hosting the event.

I am excited to once again be part of the judging team and look forward to seeing the full deft of talent on the day, a great opportunity for owners to showcase their canine companions and compete for the numerous prizes. With a range of categories to enter, there is a chance for every pup to shine.

Register now to make your dog part of the festival or stop by the Gladesville Veterinary Hospital tent to join the show on the day.

For more information and to register, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/moocooboola.

Off Leash Areas

Hunters Hill is known as a dog-friendly area and you’ll often see our residents out and about enjoying outdoor spaces with their pets, especially in our designated off leash areas in selected reserves around the municipality.

We want everyone to enjoy our open spaces, so while you’re out with your doggos, please be aware of the time restrictions in place for dogs to be off their leash – these are signposted around the reserves – and to pick up after your dogs to ensure open spaces are tidy for everyone in the community to enjoy.

Find all our designated off leash areas here: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/off-leash-areas.

Pawgust

Pawgust is an annual fundraiser in August for Guide Dogs Australia that goes towards breeding, raising and training support dogs to help enhance the mobility and independence of people with vision impairments.

The Pawgust challenge encourages people and their pooches to brave the cold for walks or runs totalling at least 60 kilometres across the month.

So, if you get the chance this August, be sure to go for a run with your furry friends to participate in this great cause.

Moocooboola on its way! 

We can’t wait to bring our community back together for a day of food, festivities and entertainment at the 2023 Moocooboola Festival.

While its less than a month away, there is still time to get involved as a sponsor, stallholder, performer or participant – registering your four-legged friends for the dog show or joining the National Tree Day planting project are great ways to get involved.

It’s all happening from 10am to 4pm on Sunday 6 August at Boronia Park Ovals.

Come along to enjoy the array of carnival attractions, rides, performances, entertainment, the market bazaar, kids’ zone and food trucks and stalls.

The festival includes a mix of free and ticketed activities.

Register now to play your part in this much-loved local event and save the date in your family calendar.

You can access all the registration forms for sponsorship, stalls, performances and the dog show on our website, and read more to plan your visit: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/moocooboola.

Our delivery plan

As a Council, we are working to deliver services to support our community and provide safe and inclusive places for our residents.

Each year, our Council allocates funds for our Capital Works Program to deliver projects in our community.

At our June meeting, Council endorsed the Operational Plan for 2023-2024, following public exhibition and feedback, which features a Capital Works Program valued at more than $15 million.

With our key goal in mind – to deliver in areas the community has asked us to prioritise – we included in our program road and footpath works across the LGA, implementation of traffic management and traffic calming devices, works and maintenance on local parks, sports fields and open spaces as well as community buildings and other council facilities.

Other projects will provide connected and accessible infrastructure, protect and sustain our outdoor spaces, and help our neighbourhoods and village centres thrive.

We look forward to delivering on these priorities  in the financial year ahead to making sure Hunters Hill is as safe and enjoyable as possible for our community.

Supporting our community groups

Every year, Council awards grants to assist community groups and not-for-profit organisations financially to provide projects, events and services that benefit the broader Hunters Hill community.

These grants will help contribute to local programs, infrastructure and the arts.

Applications for our 2023-24 Community Grants Program will open in the second half of this year.

Stay tuned to our social media channels and website for updates and key dates.

New water stations

Our Council recently installed four new Sydney Water bottle refill stations at Riverglade Reserve and Weil Park.

The stations provide drinking water to help locals to avoid the purchase and use of single use plastic water bottles, particularly as we enter Plastic Free July.

At our recent Waste Wise festival, Sydney Water refill units were used by patrons to fill bottles, with data showing a huge amount of plastic water bottles were saved from being purchased, and kilos of plastic was saved from going to landfill.

Keep things going while Plastic Free July is underway by bringing your reusable water bottle and refilling it with fresh water at one of our new water stations. These stations also work as drinking fountains.

Cultural exchange program

Our 35-year friendship pact with Le Vésinet has once again been marked by welcoming the most recent cohort of students to experience the unique character of Hunters Hill.

I had the pleasure of welcoming several of the French students from the 2023-2024 exchange program during a reception last week at Town Hall.

The students were excited to have the opportunity to explore their sister city and for the first time some exchange students will be treading in the footsteps of their parents, a milestone for the long-running exchange and cultural program.

At our recent Council meeting, Councillor Richard Quinn highlighted that one of the students in this year’s cohort has a parent who visited Hunters Hill as part of the first delegation of exchange participants from Le Vésinet in the 1990s.

This is a demonstration of the value of our long-standing friendship with Le Vésinet and the success of this exchange program in providing students with special memories and life-long connections.

We look forward to hosting these students for the next six weeks and hope they get to enjoy all that Hunters Hill has to offer.

Hunters Hill Spring Garden Competition 

It’s time for local gardeners and green thumbs to get the gloves on and showcase their work for the 2023 Hunters Hill Spring Garden Competition – entries open this Saturday (1 July).

This exciting event, jointly presented by our Council and the Rotary Club of Hunters Hill, is providing a great platform for Hunters Hill to celebrate its standing as Australia’s oldest garden suburb.

The competition will showcase our amazing local gardens, native habitats, balconies and courtyards, streetscapes and public spaces and help raise funds for the maintenance and restoration of the historic Hillman Orchard, located beside Vienna Cottage on Alexandra Street.

Entries are free to all residents living in the Hunters Hill local government area and will be open until 18 August. So, there’s plenty of time to perfect your plots!

Judging will take place in Spring with finalists to be announced at a Gala evening in October 2023. The community will be able to enjoy the splendour of select entrants gardens during an open garden weekend.

This is a great opportunity to contribute to the beauty of our suburb and showcase our pride-of-place to our community – all while being in the running for some great prizes.

For more information about the competition and registrations, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/garden.

Free kids holiday activities

Our library and community space, The YARN, hosts a variety of free workshops and activities for kids each school holidays.

During the July break, we are offering several workshops for primary and high school-aged participants.

A ‘sticker by numbers’ session, on Wednesday 5 July from 2pm, will encourage teens to release their inner artist.

To celebrate the culture of our First Nations people this NAIDOC Week, we are offering a themed craft session for youngsters aged 4 to 10 years on Friday 7 July from 11am.

Children aged 5 to 10 years are invited to play a range of engaging and educational games at an Osmo Playspace coding session on Friday July 14 from 11am.

All events are free but registrations are required. Go to www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events for more details.

While at The YARN, be sure to drop by for our regular free storytime sessions for children aged 3 to 6 years and their carers, which will continue each Wednesday at 11am during the school holidays.

 Red Shield Appeal

The Red Shield Appeal’s annual fundraiser has for many years now assisted some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

This weekend, The Salvation Army will be out in the Hunters Hill Village (Saturday 25 June and Sunday 26 June), collecting donations for the Red Shield Appeal.

All funds raised locally will be used by the Salvation Army to support networks of social and community services and programs in our area.

Any and all support from the community can make an enormous impact to the lives of vulnerable people and help them out of crisis and to help them recover in times of need.

I would like to thank the Salvos for their ongoing efforts to make out community a better place to live. To find out more about the Red Shield Appeal, including how you can help, go to: www.salvationarmy.org.au.

Join the challenge

Our Council is actively involved in supporting residents to take simple actions to improve recycling habits and reduce waste through councils local services, programs and events.

Whether recycling with our partners RecycleSmart, running our sustainability events or disposing of plastic water bottles in the Return and Earn vending machine at the Henley Community Centre, taking small, practical steps is an easy way to be a part of the solution; and this makes a big difference to our environment here in Hunters Hill.

Next month is Plastic Free July, a global movement aimed at taking action to reduce plastic waste in our streets, oceans and green spaces.

The Plastic Free July challenge provides resources and ideas to help participants reduce single-use plastic waste every day at home, work, school and in the community.

Join the challenge to go plastic free this July to be part of the solution to reduce our footprint and help preserve our municipality – it can be as easy as picking one single-use plastic item to avoid or swap for a reusable alternative.

We can all do our part to help reduce waste.

For more information about Plastic Free July and how you can get involved, visit www.plasticfreejuly.org.

Reminder: Waste Wise

The Waste Wise Festival of Sustainability is just around the corner – it’s on this Saturday.

The festival is opening at 10am in the Hunters Hill Town Hall precinct and will be offering a range of fun, free demonstrations and workshops, market stalls and giveaways to assist the community to reuse, repurpose and recycle in the ongoing goal to live sustainably.

There is something for everyone- from bicycle repair workshops, kids’ activities, toy and clothing swaps and composting workshops, to upcycling, trendy mending and cooking demonstrations.

Events are filling up quickly, so make sure you secure a spot for activities that require bookings. To view the program of activities for Waste Wise, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/wastewise.

Refugee Week

Refugee Week is an annual celebration of the diversity and culture that refugees bring to our community and a great opportunity to recognise their resilience and the significant contribution refugees have made, and continue to make, to Australia.

As part of Refugee Week (18 to 24 June), our Council will be holding a Citizenship Ceremony at Town Hall.

As Mayor it is a privilege for me to preside over these ceremonies and to receive pledges from members of our community in their final step to becoming an Australian.

The ceremony will be held on Tuesday 20 June at 6:30pm.

We welcome participants, their family and friends and the broader community to take part in the ceremony and in this year’s celebration of Refugee Week.

Community bushcare

Our natural environment here in Hunters Hill is an integral part of our urban landscape, providing habitat for many of our native flora and fauna and is a wonderful space for our community to enjoy.

Hunters Hill is incredibly fortunate to have bushcare volunteer groups who dedicate their time and effort to ensuring these areas are carefully managed and conserved.

If you are interested in helping protect and enhance our urban bushland or would like to learn more about the bushcare program, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/bushcare-volunteers or email Michael on shilmanm@huntershill.nsw.gov.au.

All ages are welcome and no experience is required as Council will provide all of the training and tools you will need.

Free Festival of Sustainability

Our Council is delivering services and initiatives to support our community to lessen our footprint and make more sustainable choices to help protect our local environment.

As part of our ongoing efforts to improve and encourage sustainability in Hunters Hill – and with aid from the NSW Environment Protection Authority’s Waste Less, Recycle More initiative – we are staging a new event, “Waste Wise.”

Join us on Saturday, 17 June to explore what’s on offer at the Hunters Hill Town Hall precinct and neighbouring sites between 10am and 3pm and learn more about being waste wise at home. We will have a range of free hands-on demonstrations and workshops, market stalls and giveaways.

The festival of sustainability will offer tips and tricks in to practically reduce your footprint – from sustainable gardening, to reducing general waste and recycling smarter.

Upcycling, trendy mending and cooking demonstrations will be running on the day as well as plant giveaways and toy and clothing swaps.

There is something for everyone – so be sure to book for a free workshop or just come along on the day to enjoy the demonstrations, stalls, food and entertainment.

Go to the Waste Wise page on our website to view the full program of activities and secure yourself a spot for activities that require bookings: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/wastewise.

Textile Recovery Results

It was great to see our community doing its part to promote the circular economy by donating household textile items at our community drop-off event at Clarkes Point on Saturday 27 May.

With assistance from the NSW Environment Protection Authority, textiles recovery business BlockTexx and Vinnies, we successfully diverted 1100 kilograms of linens and towels from landfill and diverted wearable clothing, bags and shoes to op shops.

We appreciate the great efforts of everyone involved in the event and look forward to continuing to support the community to keep resources in circulation and out of landfill.

Major projects progressing

We are excited to see progress on major projects providing new community facilities and public spaces; with commencement of works at two key sites.

At our May Council meeting, a tender was awarded for an upgrade to Gladesville Reserve for the delivery of a high-quality field and lighting upgrade.

During the week, fencing was installed in preparation for these works which are stage one of a major upgrade to the field and the reserve.

It’s fantastic to see this long-awaited project commence and we look forward to delivering new facilities that will improve the safety and experience for our sporting clubs, schools, community groups and residents that use the field.

The reserve will be available for use in early 2024.

Stay up-to-date by subscribing to the project page on our website: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/gladesvillereserve.

Site establishment is also underway at Boronia Park, where the new sports and community facility is being built between ovals 1 and 2.

The highly-anticipated project will deliver an outstanding place for our sporting clubs, recreational users and the broader community to enjoy, providing the much-needed amenities for our district-level sports teams as well as recreational and passive users of the park.

Boronia Park facilities, excluding the car park, will remain accessible for use during building construction and works, which are also expected to be completed in early 2024.

For more information go to: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/boroniapark.

We are very excited that these are significant projects will soon be delivered for our community.

Moocooboola: play your part

Council likes to encourage partnerships to connect with the community and collaborate to host major events in Hunters Hill.

This year’s Moocooboola Festival is now inviting expressions of interest from potential sponsorship partners for 2023 which will be held at the Boronia Park Ovals on 6 August.

These sponsorship partners help council to stage Moocooboola each and every year, their generosity and partnership is always appreciated in bringing this much-loved festival to our community.

Sponsorship submissions close on 18 June 2023.

To find out more about the partnership packages and complete the sponsorship proposal form, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/moocooboola.

Celebrating 35 years of friendship

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the friendship pact between Hunters Hill and Le Vésinet, our sister city located just outside of Paris.

An event, known as Fête de la Marguerite and Le Vésinet’s equivalent of our Moocooboola Festival, will be held from 16 to 19 June and will this year feature a special acknowledgement of the friendship pact.

Two of our Hunters Hill councillors will be attending the celebrations representing our community in support of the long running ‘’twinning” of our municipalities.

This anniversary is a significant milestone and a representation of the time, effort and commitment both cities have dedicated to the relationship and its successful programs, in particular the student exchange.

Since 1991, our pact of friendship with Le Vésinet and the work of the Hunters Hill Le Vésinet Friendship Committee has organised an exchange program that offers delegations of students opportunities to experience the unique culture and lifestyle of Hunters Hill and Le Vésinet.

For decades this program has helped bring our communities closer together and provided hundreds of students with unique cultural experiences, special memories and life-long connections.

Hunters Hill Le Vésinet Friendship Committee is gearing up for another year of this valuable exchange, with students in Hunters Hill and neighbouring suburbs gathering this week for an information night on the program.

Applications remain open for the Christmas 2023-24 cohort.

For more information visit www.huntershill-levesinet.org.au.

Get Waste Wise

Save the date for our new event, ‘Waste Wise: a festival of sustainability’, being held on Saturday 17 June.

Festival visitors will have an opportunity to explore the Hunters Hill Town Hall precinct and neighbouring sites between 10am and 3pm to learn tips and tricks on how to be waste wise at home and in the community, through hands-on demonstrations and workshops, market stalls and giveaways.

There will also be kids’ activities, toy and clothes swaps, bike repairs, and plenty more to get everyone involved in recycling and reducing waste and to inspire a more sustainable future.

Stay tuned to the Hunter’s Hill Council website and social media channels for updates on Waste Wise.

Vintage fair

New life will be given to old treasures at the Hunters Hill Vintage, Antique and Homewares Fair, coming to Hunters Hill Town Hall on Friday the 26^th and Saturday the 27^th May.

The fair will be hosted by a group of Hunters Hill Locals who are all friends who have lived in or grown up in Hunters Hill. The event will be an opportunity to peruse a number of stalls that will be selling vintage items, homewares, art, antiques, bric-a-brac and up-cycled clothing and is a great opportunity to help build on our local circular economy.

It’s happening at Town Hall on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 May, from 10am to 4pm.

For more information contact Heather Kitson on 0422 273 250 or heather@indianjane.com.

Recycle your textiles

Waste management and recycling is a core focus for our Council and is something we will continue to work on improving for our local environment and community.

Council is committed to delivering services to help residents safely and sustainably dispose of their waste to reduce our footprint.

As part of our efforts to enhance sustainability in Hunters Hill, we conducted Textiles in Kerbside Waste Audit to get a better understanding of the amount and types of textile waste in Hunters Hill and potential options to divert items from landfill.

The audit identified that across the Hunters Hill local government area, an estimated 87 tonnes of textiles waste, including wearable clothing, carpet, linens and towels, is generated each year.

Following the recommendations from the audit, Council is exploring opportunities to increase textile recycling and resource recovery of textile items.

As part of this project, we are holding a free textiles drop-off day on 27 May, from 10am to 3pm in the car park at Clarkes Point.

Our Council will be partnering with Vinnies and textile recovery business BlockTexx for this event.

BlockTexx will collect unwanted clean household linen, including sheets, towels, pillowcases and covers to be remanufactured into recycled raw materials that can be used to create new products.

Vinnies will collect wearable clothing, bags and footwear for sale in the charity’s op shops.

For more information on what will be accepted, see our website and social media or else feel free to contact council at (02) 9879 9400.

Keeping Our Local Roads Safe

As many in our community have now returned to their school routine following the recent holiday break National Road Safety Week (14 to 21 May) acts as a timely reminder to take care on local streets, particularly in and around our schools and villages.

The week-long program is an initiative of the Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group, supported by Transport for NSW, to raise awareness of road safety across the country.

National Road Safety Week 2023 also coincides with the work our Council is doing to help promote road safety within our municipality.

One of these initiatives is the latest round of our free child car seat safety check vouchers.

Vouchers entitle recipients to have car seat inspections and adjustments conducted by an authorised restraint fitter, with a mobile service now available. You can contact our Road Safety Officer via roadsafety@huntershill.nsw.gov.au or (02) 9911 3536, to access a voucher, which is valid until 14 June.

For those residents responsible for teaching learner drivers how to safely get behind the wheel, we are hosting a free online workshop at 6pm on 18 May.

The session aims to support parents and supervisors of learner drivers to be confident and effective teachers.

The workshop will cover information about licence conditions for learner and P-plate drivers, tips for using the learner driver log book, a refresher on road rules and the importance of providing constructive feedback.

Registrations are available through Eventbrite: teachingyourlearnerdriver.eventbrite.com.au.

Walk Safely to School Day (19 May), which promotes health and pedestrian safety messages to children, their parents and carers, will be followed by Fatality Free Friday on 26 May, a campaign that aims to have a fatality free Friday on Australian roads and to encourage long-term community change.

All these campaigns – at local, state and national levels – also serve to remind us that road safety is a shared responsibility; please remember to take care and travel safely.

King’s Coronation

The Coronation of King Charles III is a truly significant moment for our Commonwealth, marking the first new Monarch to be crowned in living memory and the first King to be crowned since King George VI’s Coronation in 1937.

The coronation ceremony set for Saturday (6 May) and will see King Charles III crowned alongside The Queen Consort, Camilla, in a ceremony conducted at Westminster Abbey presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

While Royal celebrations will be beamed around the world (the televised Coronation Ceremony will commence at 8:15pm AEST), here at home significant buildings and monuments around Australia will be illuminated in Royal purple to celebrate the Coronation.

I look forward to joining people all over the world in celebrating the reign of our new monarch, King Charles III. Long live the King.

Your vision for Henley

Council is committed to giving the community a prominent voice in the decisions we make to improve our unique municipality.

As part of our commitment to engaging on important local issues, Council is constantly gathering feedback from residents and ratepayers to guide our major projects and improve our services.

At Council’s April meeting, plans to proceed in developing a Henley Precinct Masterplan were endorsed.

This decision was informed by the valuable feedback we got from locals at a community meeting held in March to hear views and key priorities of residents in order to prioritise future upgrades of the Henley Precinct.

It was great to see passionate locals participate in this meeting and share their suggestions for the development of a Masterplan which will be drafted and publicly exhibited.

The meeting provided great representation of the needs of the broader community and feedback from key interlocutors who use the precinct.

We will continue to work with residents as Council scopes the preliminary details of the plan, providing everyone with an opportunity to play a part in shaping the vision for Henley.

We look forward to improving our local facilities in Henley to ensure they are functional and suit the needs of everyone in Hunters Hill – both now and into the future.

To learn more about the next steps for the Henley Precinct, visit the project page: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/henley-precinct.

Moocooboola Festival:  Get Involved

Moocooboola Festival is the decades-long tradition in Hunters Hill that brings community members together for a day of fun, food and entertainment.

Our local festival attracts thousands of attendees with its wide range of attractions including live performances, rides, games, stalls, activities, displays and workshops.

This year, we look forward to staging our premier community festival back at Boronia Park Ovals on Sunday 6 August which will be held from 10am to 4pm.

Council is now seeking expressions of interest from food and beverage traders, community groups and organisations, general stall holders and performers interested in being part of our 2023 Moocooboola Festival.

Submissions through our online expression of interest form will be accepted until Wednesday 31 May- see Council’s website for more details at: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/participate.

Returning to Boronia this year will allow council to stage the Moocooboola that we know and love; with greater representation from community groups and local stallholders and performers.

The temporary relocation to the Town Hall Precinct last year- where the Festival first started several decades ago – was organised in order to ensure the festival could continue after severe weather conditions affected our use of the Boronia Park Ovals, also allowing a staged return to this major event following the pandemic.

The community support and success of our village festival event last year was fantastic to see and we look forward to hosting other major events at Town Hall in the near future.

More importantly we look forward to seeing you all back at Boronia for Moocooboola Festival 2023, so make sure you get in locked into your family calendar.

Community connections

We recognise and appreciate the efforts of Sydney Community Services in providing our local residents with a range of regular activities, events and workshops to support community participation, boost health and well-being, and provide an opportunity to meet new people in Hunters Hill.

Sydney Community Services is offering monthly events for seniors including art workshops, exercise and wellness programs, culturally and linguistically diverse social groups, weekly outings and disability-inclusive activities.

To find more information and view all upcoming events in our local area, visit www.sydneycs.org or phone 9427 6425.

Lest We Forget

ANZAC Day, recognised every year on 25 April, marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by the Australian and New Zealand army forces during World War I.

This day of national significance gives Australians the opportunity to reflect on the enduring contribution of our Country’s current and former defence forces personnel and a time to commemorate those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in our Country’s name during all conflicts, wars and peacekeeping operations.

In the spirit of remembrance, Hunters Hill residents traditionally observe commemorative services on or close to the eve of ANZAC Day in Hunters Hill.

This year, significantly, marks the 100^th year of Combined ANZAC Memorial observances hosted by the Hunters Hill RSL Sub-Branch and Hunter’s Hill Council for our local community.

The service will be held on Friday, 21 April, commencing with a short wreath laying service at 6.30pm at the RSL Memorial Hall, 56 Alexandra Street.

A march will begin at 6.45pm outside the RSL Memorial Hall and culminate at the Town Hall, 22 Alexandra Street, for the main service at 7pm.

In attendance to commemorate this special event will be distinguished guests including the Governor of NSW, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, and the Keynote Speaker, General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK AC (Mil) CVO MC (Retd) and Lady Lynne Cosgrove.

This is a community event, and anyone wishing to pay their respects is encouraged to join us for this notable service.

We are so fortunate to have a safe and peaceful home in Hunters Hill, hard-fought for by those who came before us and made safer by the ongoing commitment of our servicemen and women.

Their sacrifice continues to give meaning to our sense of national identity.

Lest we forget.

Light the Dawn

Hunters Hill residents are also welcome to pay their respects at an additional service on ANZAC Day.

This special Dawn Service is held annually by the Anglican Parish of Hunters Hill.

The service will commence at All Saints’ Church with a bell toll at 5:55am to greet the dawn on ANZAC Day.

A short service will begin at 6am at the World War I Memorial, on the Corner of Ambrose and Ferry Streets, which will include the Last Post and Reveille, and the opportunity to place a flower, wreath or candle in thanksgiving and remembrance.

For more information, visit www.aphh.com.au/events/.

Connecting with our local youth

April is a time to celebrate the role that young people play in shaping our community.

In support of 2023 NSW Youth Week and its theme to ‘Connect. Participate. Celebrate’ we are collaborating with local organisations and young people to present a new youth event ‘Skate and Celebrate’.

The event will be held at Gladesville Reserve skate park on 28 April from 4:30pm to 8:30pm.

The 1st Boronia Venturer Youth Unit will be running the barbeque and ZuReal DJ School is providing entertainment and other interactive sessions.

Participants can also take part in a skating workshop with Skate Now instructors and watch a skating demo from a home-grown pro skater.

It’s a drop-in event, but registrations are required for the free interactive skate and DJ sessions.

See our website for details: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

School holiday fun

With school holidays here, we are again offering free activities to keep the kids entertained at our library and community space The YARN.

For youngsters aged 4 to 10 years there’s a free Easter Friends Craft session on Friday 14 April from 11am.

Children aged 10 to 17 are invited to join a free Canvas Painting for Teens workshop from 2pm on Wednesday 19 April, to explore their creative side.

Kids aged 6 to 10 years can also exercise their imagination and artistic abilities at a Dreamcatchers craft session on Friday 21 April from 11am.

All events are free but registrations are required. Go to www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events for more details.

While at The YARN, be sure to drop by for our regular free storytime sessions for children aged 3 to 6 years and their carers, which will continue each Wednesday at 11am during the school holidays.

Revitalising Figtree Park

Hunters Hill is incredibly fortunate to have so many wonderful parks, reserves and playgrounds available for our community to enjoy; with passive recreation spaces for reflection and relaxation, and other spaces for sports and connection.

These spaces are a critical feature of our close knit community, contributing to Hunters Hill’s unique character and sense of belonging.

Council is committed to preserving our natural environment and ensuring our parks are functional, fit for purpose and suit the needs of everyone in Hunters Hill – both now and into the future.

Figtree Park is one of these important spaces. It is a beautifully-portioned public space at the heart of our local government area and acts as an impressive ‘bookend’ to the Hunters Hill Village; allowing local businesses and essential services like Meals on Wheels and Sydney Community Services to have an accessible green space on their doorstep. 

Figtree Park is, rightly, well-loved by our residents – including myself, a 27-year neighbour of the park. 

So, it gives me great pleasure to share with the community that plans for the revitalisation of Figtree Park have progressed through Council and we are now set to deliver this exciting project.

Figtree Park is going to benefit from increased public open space and better accessibility, the installation of an inclusive playspace, an amenity block, substantial improvements to drainage, better pathways and lighting throughout the park. All of these improvements have been carefully considered to enable everyone in the community to get the most out of this treasured space.

This important project aims to add crucial facilities to the Park – connecting our village to this important public amenity and promoting its use for reflection, recreation and active living. 

We look forward to delivering this beautiful space and revitalising Figtree Park; delivering a wonderful outcome for users old and new, and importantly providing visitors a safe and enjoyable experience in the park at the heart of Hunters Hill. 

Save the date

We’re pleased to announce ‘save the dates’ for several of our popular annual events.

Moocooboola Festival will return to Boronia Park in 2023 to be held on Sunday 6 August. 

We’re expecting plenty of activities for the festival, with a wide range of food and entertainment options including live music, rides, games, stalls, displays, food trucks and workshops. 

Also returning for 2023, is the ever-popular Hunters Hill Art exhibition, set to run at Town Hall from 13 October to 22 October, as well as our Young in Art exhibition of works by local school students, scheduled for Thursday 9 November until Sunday 12 November at Town Hall.

Save these dates and keep an eye on our website for all the details to come: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

Recycling Smarter 

Hunters Hill Council is aiming to work with our residents to improve recycling habits and to make sure a greater focus is placed on sustainability both at home and within our local businesses.

With this in mind, Council is committed to delivering and improving our waste and recycling collection services, with more insights into how we treat and process what we collect.

We want to ensure our residents can manage their waste as easily as possible, ensuring that it is both cost-effective and good for our local environment.

As part of our well-established partnership with RecycleSmart, managing waste for Hunters Hill residents has become much easier.

This service is free when you have a subscription or else it costs just $5 a bag; either way, you can have your hard-to-recycle waste and ‘non-bin’ items collected from your doorstep.

RecycleSmart has proven to be a very popular household collection service in our local government area.

Hunters Hill residents have successfully kept 5300kgs of resources in circulation, we have had 1250kgs of e-waste sent to recycling and 2500kg of clothes donated to local charities- helping significantly to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

It’s a great community effort from our residents and local businesses and we are looking forward to our continuing work with stakeholders all over Hunters Hill to boost our sustainability credentials and deliver our vision for a cleaner future.

RecycleSmart is also assisting Council in renewing our soft plastics collection in Hunters Hill. The collection of soft plastics has now thankfully resumed following the pause in national soft plastic recycling late last year.

Along with these plastics, clothes and e-waste, residents can now also have white polystyrene collected from their doorsteps, as part of a collaboration with Foamex, an expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycler.

To learn more about RecycleSmart and other ways to reduce, recycle and reuse waste, visit our website: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/reduce-recycle-reuse-waste.

Learn about clean energy

Our Council will be among organisations taking part in a Clean Energy Community Fair on Sunday (2 April) aimed at informing and educating residents of North Sydney.

The event will include information stalls and panel discussions aimed at helping residents to lower electricity and fuel costs, reduce carbon emissions and make the switch to cleaner energy.

The event will be held at Norths, 12 Abbott Street, Cammeray, on Sunday, from 10am to 3pm for this educational, family-friendly event.

For more information and to register, visit events.humanitix.com/clean-energy-community-fair.

Our 100th Combined Anzac Memorial Service

Every year in Hunters Hill we commemorate ANZAC Day with a service to honour the courage and sacrifices of all who have served and continue to serve our country in military service and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

This year importantly marks the 100th year of continuous ANZAC observances hosted by the Hunters Hill RSL Sub-Branch and Hunter’s Hill Council for our community.

Preparation is underway for this special event, with the service to be held on Friday, 21 April, commencing with a short wreath laying service at 6.30pm at the RSL Memorial Wall, at 56 Alexandra Street, followed by a march to Hunters Hill Town Hall for the main service at 7pm.

We encourage the community to reflect on the bravery of our veterans and defence force personnel in the lead up to ANZAC Day and hope to see you all at this very special event.

Getting around Hunters Hill

One of our key aims is to ensure residents are able to travel around Hunters Hill and complete essential activities with ease.

With this in mind we have worked with the NSW Department of Customer Service on an accessible parking trial.

Parking sensors were recently installed in mobility spaces across the local government area.

The new sensor technology has made accessible spaces in Hunters Hill easily identifiable via a Park’nPay app, along with the real-time availability and location of these spaces.

It follows Council’s adoption of our Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) for 2022-2026.

The DIAP details the actions to be taken over this four-year period to build strong communities that are inclusive of people with disability.

Council is committed to working with residents, carers and service providers to complete the initiatives within the plan to support people living with disability to feel included and participate fully in community life.

Scouts celebrate Earth Hour

1st Boronia Scouts is encouraging our community to participate in an Earth Hour community celebration on 25 March, from 5:30pm to 9:30pm at its hall at 21C Farnell St, Hunters Hill.

The event will include workshops and activities to allow people to meet, learn and share sustainable living skills around a warm campfire.

Food, including paella, soup, sausages and marshmallows to roast, will be available for purchase or visitors are welcome to bring their own picnic.

Registrations are required for this event and can be accessed on Eventbrite. Go to www.eventbrite.com.au and search for 1st Boronia Scouts.

Preserving Our Natural Species

Our natural environment here in Hunters Hill is an integral part of the biodiversity of our urban landscape, providing habitat for many of our special native flora and fauna.

As part of our ongoing efforts to preserve our bushland, Council is working hard to ensure our environment is carefully managed and our community is aware of these special places.

Birds are an important barometer for nature, and we are lucky to host some special species in our backyards to enjoy and admire.

Our Council is partnering with the Habitat Network to hold a workshop on Sunday, 26 March from 1pm to 3pm at The Anglican Parish of Hunters Hill, to educate participants about small bird habitat and corridors and demonstrate how they can be planted in residential gardens.

Register now for this valuable workshop and attend to receive a free native plant by emailing vollmerj@huntershill.nsw.gov.au.

Riverglade Reserve had provided important linkages in habitat corridors as it is home to many small birds such as Fairy wrens, Silvereyes, Red-browed finches and White-browed scrub wrens.

Join us at this habitat corridor for a community planting event on Friday, 31 March at 9 am to help enhance this area by planting native grasses and groundcovers.

Harmony Week

Harmony Week is an annual celebration that recognises inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians.

This year, as part of Harmony Week (20 to 26 March) our Council will be hosting a very important citizenship ceremony.

It is a great honour for me to preside over these ceremonies and to receive pledges from members of our community in their final step to becoming an Australian.

During Harmony Week it is especially important for us to focus on how these new citizens enrich our community through the diversity of the backgrounds of the people who reside here. We welcome all of them and the broader community to participate in the ceremony and in this year’s celebration of Harmony Week.

Engaging with community

One of the most important parts of our role as council is the direct connection we have to our community. We want to ensure that council gives locals a more prominent voice in the decisions we make to govern and improve our unique municipality.

As part of our ongoing program of community engagement, Council aims to gather feedback from locals to guide projects and services so that we ensure we are meeting the needs of our residents.

In 2022, Council adopted the Henley Precinct Plan of Management, which sets out short and long-term management objectives, providing an overview of how the precinct will be used and improved.

We are working towards an upgrade of the playing surface of Gladesville Reserve, which has been made possible thanks to a $2 million grant from the NSW Government. Stage two of this local project will include other major works, including a new amenities block, club space and relocation of the existing children’s playground.

There are additional needs that we will be considering and scoping for works in the reserve, including accessibility, bushcare, passive recreation upgrades, planning for the future of the Henley Community Centre as well as improved carparking and signage.

We are holding a community meeting to brainstorm concepts, ideas and these future needs. This session will be open to anyone who has an interest in the Henley Precinct, whether you walk your dog through the Reserve, use the Community Centre, volunteer at the Happy Hens Community Garden, or use any of the sporting facilities.

So, please take the opportunity to join us on 23 March at 6pm in the Henley Community Centre Green Room to provide your highly valued suggestions.

Registrations can be accessed via: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/participate.

Our French connection

Since 1991, our pact of friendship with Le Vésinet and the work of the Hunters Hill Le Vésinet Friendship Committee has offered delegations of students a great opportunity to become a participant of an exchange program for six weeks between Hunters Hill and Le Vésinet , a municipality of similar size, character and history to ours and located just outside of Paris.

This fantastic exchange program has provided hundreds of students with some great memories. I had the pleasure of meeting some of last year’s cohort of students from France and hearing about their great experiences during their visit to Hunters Hill.

Planning for the next program of this valuable exchange is currently underway, with applications open for the 2023-24 students in Hunters Hill and neighbouring suburbs interested in participating.

If you are interested in joining this exhilarating, yet scholarly exchange program, visit www.huntershill-levesinet.org.au to learn more.

Delivery program on track

Our Council has taken the opportunity to review half-yearly highlights for 2022-23, and it is great to see that delivery of services, projects and programs is already yielding great results.

The progress report gives us a snapshot of how we are tracking on objectives and actions identified in our Delivery Program and Operational Plan, which are informed by the community’s feedback.

Our capital works program for footpaths has been completed ahead of schedule, as part of our objective to support and encourage safe walking, cycling and vehicle travel across our municipality.

Our residents have told us that street sweeping is a priority, and the report shows that sweeping is occurring on a three-weekly cycle, with the schedule increased when required, due mainly to inclement weather.

We’ve received great community feedback and participation in our road safety program, through workshops and campaigns supporting schools, and parents and carers of young children in car seats and those learning to drive.

Our bushland continues to be conserved and protected through the outstanding efforts involved in Bushcare programs. Volunteers planted 1188 native plants in a six-month period.

Council has completed thermal heat mapping of trees, providing valuable information about canopy cover in our local government area, and a new walking track project was delivered at Kelly’s Bush.

To support the work of community groups and not-for-profit organisations, our Council awarded $20,000 in grants for recipients to provide innovative and inclusive programs, events and projects in our local government area. We awarded grants of $1000 and $1500 to 16 organisations to fund equipment, events, activities, workshops and other projects.

Skate and Celebrate

Council is seeking local youth members interested in helping plan and host a 2023 Youth Week ‘Skate and Celebrate’ event in April.
Participating provides an opportunity to develop valuable event management experience and an insight into career pathways in the events industry.
Young people aged 12 to 25 who have an interest in getting involved in our community and event management are encouraged to submit an expression of interest.

See Council’s website for details and register by 9 March: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/participate.

Connecting through sports

Hunters Hill is fortunate to have a number of well-loved and well-utilised community facilities available to our residents, providing a great base to bring people together around shared passions for competitive sport.

Our outdoor staff strive to maintain our local fields to the highest standards, and as a Council we want to provide accessible facilities that are fit-for-purpose and support regular community use; with interaction between organised sport and more passive recreational activities.

Council has continued to actively pursue partnerships and funding to develop these wonderful facilities and accommodate our whole community.

I’m pleased to announce that Council has secured $260,000 in NSW Government funding to upgrade sports field lighting at Gladesville Reserve in addition to a $2million grant from the NSW Office of Sport for the reserve’s playing surface improvements.

These funds will enable us to deliver a high-quality reserve upgrade to both the field and its lighting, helping to improve the safety of players and spectators on and off the field during night matches, training and other activities. This will also work to bring this community facility to the highest competition standard.

Council aims to begin work on this exciting development to Gladesville Reserve in the months to come.

Road works ahead

In more good news, Council has been awarded more than $500,000 in NSW Government funding under the Regional and Local Roads Repair Program to support additional efforts in the repair of potholes and significant road repairs.

This additional funding boost will help us maintain and improve our road standard to the benefit of everyday journeys for our community.

Council knows that improving the conditions of our roads, particularly following major weather events, was a high priority identified in our last Community Survey, and are working hard to deliver a much-improved program of road repairs in the coming weeks and months.

Seniors celebrate together

February is a time to celebrate our senior citizens and the valuable contribution they make to our community. In support of the 2023 NSW Seniors Festival and its theme ‘Celebrate Together’ we are collaborating with councils and organisations across Hunters Hill, Ryde and Lane Cove to present some great events for our seniors this month. From sports groups to social clubs and information sessions, there are events to suit the various interests and abilities of community members.

Beginning next week’s seniors’ events is the popular Henley Garden Party. Register now for next Thursday (23 February) to grab a bite to eat and enjoy the music from the live orchestra at the free event. It will be held at Henley Community Green from 10am to 1pm. There will also be a free Stryder shuttle bus available to transport attendees to the event.

Don’t miss out on the great opportunity to gather with friends, meet new people, discover different activities and learn about the local services within Hunters Hill, Ryde and Lane Cove. To read more about the event and how to register, visit our website: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

Have a passion for art?

Hunters Hill Seniors Art Group is seeking new members to express their artistic talents at Gladesville Road Community Centre.

The friendly atmosphere encourages creativity, with weekly meetings on Friday from 2pm to 4pm.

Artists of all skill levels are welcome to work on any forms of art, from projects to paintings and drawings.

To participate in fun, art-based activities in a friendly, social setting with the group, contact Kerry on 0419 127 175.

Interested in a game of croquet?

Next on the program for Seniors Festival is the Hunters Hill Croquet Club Open Day.

Connect with your local seniors’ community through an enjoyable game of croquet, hosted by the club, at 1 Matthew St, Hunters Hill, on Saturday (18 February) between 10am and 2pm.

For more information go to: www.huntershillcroquet.org/events.

Back to school

With school now back in session for 2023, our local roads are once again busier at drop-off and pick-up times around primary and secondary campuses.

This affects the peninsula in particular, as well as other locations such as Mary Street and Earl Street.

Our Council works closely with school principals, through our road safety program and our School Principals Liaison Committee, to promote education for road users.

We have received positive feedback from our schools, and ongoing consultation between our Council, schools and the community is key to helping ensure the safety of our students.

At times, you may see Council rangers out and about around schools; please be mindful that education and, where necessary, enforcement, play a vital role in helping keep children safe.

Key tips for keeping children safe around roads will also feature in the upcoming NSW Government ‘Be Bus Aware’ campaign for Bus Safety Week (20 to 26 February), which aims to raise awareness for all road users about how to stay safe on and around buses.

Lights flash on buses to warn motorists that buses are picking up and dropping off children. Drivers must slow down to 40km/h when overtaking or passing a bus displaying flashing lights, unless a lower speed limit applies.

Free kids’ story sessions

Baby Bounce has returned to library and community space The YARN, on Fridays at 11am, now that the school term has resumed.

The free sessions are designed to engage youngsters aged 0 to 3 years in stories, songs and rhymes.

Parents and carers are welcome to drop in with their little ones on the day – bookings are not required.

The YARN also hosts free Story Time sessions, aimed at preschool-aged children, every Wednesday from 11am.

The YARN is open to the public from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. So, bring a friend and come and enjoy some quiet reading time or use the workspaces and free Wi-Fi.

Cooling playgrounds

We have some great outdoor spaces and playgrounds in our Municipality and recent works have added some new shade structures in timing with summer.

Shade sails were replaced at Weil Park in Woolwich, while preparatory works are well under way to install a new shade sail at Harding Memorial Playground in Gladesville.

The shade is being added in response to public feedback expressed during previous community consultation.

Our outstanding citizens

Hunters Hill has a proud and passionate community, with a diverse range of residents, many of whom are willing to share their time and talents to make important contributions to our Local Government Area.

Each year we take the opportunity to formally recognise outstanding achievements, through our Citizen of the Year Awards.

The process is organised by our Council, but most importantly the nominations come from members of the public in recognition of others.

Over the years, Hunter’s Hill Council has highlighted individuals and groups in areas ranging from education to sport, music, community advocacy, aged care, history and heritage.

I would again like to congratulate our most recent recipients, who received their awards on Australia Day.

John Reading was named our Citizen of the Year, for his outstanding contribution as a senior leader in education. He is well-known to many through his association of more than 45 years with St Joseph’s College, where the legacy of his contribution is felt through classrooms, sporting fields and in the boarding school.

Rohan Stannage, a competitive sailor whose skills have been called on more than once to assist in on-water rescues, was named Young Citizen of the Year.

Sam Newton, a home-grown talent with a distinguished sailing career – complete with world championship titles and Sydney to Hobart line honours – was named Sportsperson of the Year.

Hunters Hill Rugby Union Football Club was awarded Community Group of the Year, for the on-field experience it provides to a diverse group of players across men’s, women’s, juniors and ‘golden oldies’ competitions, and for its referees and supporters, as well as for charity work the club carries out.

It was my pleasure to personally thank these people and groups for their contributions and I again congratulate them all on these well-deserved honours.

Australia Day at Bedlam Bay

A reminder that our free Australia Day community event will be taking place on 26 January at Bedlam Bay.

Attractions including lawn games, face painting, a mobile climbing wall, bungee trampoline and inflatable slide and amusements will be on offer, as well as music from roving entertainers.

It will be on from 12pm to 4pm, so pack a picnic or grab your lunch from some of the food stalls on the day. We hope you can get along to enjoy the view and atmosphere and enjoy a day when we celebrate everything that it means to be an Australian.

For more information, go to: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/australiaday.

Waste less, recycle more

Waste collection and recycling is a core Council service and, working alongside fellow councils and the State Government, is an area in which we continue to work towards improving for our local environment and the community.

As part of our well-established partnership with contractor United Resource Management (URM) we are pleased to announce the addition of new collection trucks servicing properties throughout Hunters Hill.

Three new vehicles hit the road at the end of last year, with two more to come early this year.

Technology will help reduce vehicle emissions and better monitor waste and recyclable material collected. This will help us reduce our environmental impact and enhance service delivery and community waste education.

Our Council provides waste and recycling collection services to more than 4700 dwellings, and we welcome all opportunities to improve these services.

It’s also great to see residents taking up the household collection services available through our partnership with RecycleSmart, which takes ‘non-bin’ items such as e-waste and clothing for free for subscribers, or for a small fee.

In the past year, more than 3960 kilograms of material has been collected, helping to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

The Return and Earn reverse vending machine at Henley Community Centre has also been well utilised, with a NSW Government report showing that 3,287,301 containers (about 234 tonnes) were collected since the vending machine opening in March 2021 and up to November 2022.

See our website for more details on waste and recycling, including through organisations such as The Bower, which collects donated household goods to give to people in need or resells to the community at low cost.

You can also book Council household clean-ups online, or by phoning 1300 136 460, with four free collections available each calendar year. Check our website for all the details.

Celebrating Australia Day

As Mayor it is a privilege for me to preside over ceremonies that recognise and celebrate the contribution that individuals and groups make to our community.

Our Council is grateful for the work of volunteers, service providers, clubs and so many others.

On 26 January, we will formally recognise these outstanding contributions through our annual Citizen of the Year Awards.

A citizen, young citizen, sportsperson and community group will be named from the nominations received through public submissions.

On this occasion, we will also welcome new citizens to Hunters Hill in our Australia Day Ceremony.

Australia Day is a time to celebrate what it means to be an Australian.

We will be holding a free community event at Bedlam Bay, from 12pm to 4pm, for our community to enjoy a relaxed family-friendly afternoon of food and fun, through stalls, activities and performers.

In hosting this ‘Australia Day at the Bay’ event we are assisted by the Australian Government through the National Australia Day Council.

Check our website for more details: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

Action on inclusion 

In Hunters Hill, one in nine people live with a disability. We also have a rapidly ageing population.

Making our area a more accessible and fairer place for people living with a disability is a constantly evolving process, assisted by a Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP).

A draft of our renewed DIAP is on public exhibition until 31 January.

The plan outlines our Council’s commitment over the next four years to making our local area a better place to live, work and visit for people living with a disability or health condition.

Representatives of service providers, people living with disabilities, carers, interest groups and staff from our Council provided valuable input into the creation of the draft plan.

To view the plan and find out how to share your feedback, visit our website www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/diap or phone our Customer Service team on 9879 9400.

A year of progress

With 2023 now under way, I would like to wish everyone in the community a Happy New Year. We are all looking forward to an exciting year ahead in Hunters Hill.

I hope everyone enjoyed a well-earned break over the festive season and has come back refreshed for what 2023 will bring.

Our Council ended 2022 very positively, laying the groundwork to deliver projects for our local area that will enhance Council facilities and improve community use.

Following extensive community consultation on a number of these projects we can now look forward to taking important next steps.

For Gladesville Reserve, we heard feedback about the delivery for an upgrade to the playing surface, using a $2million grant from the NSW Office of Sport.

At our last meeting for 2022, Council endorsed a concept plan for stage one works that include an upgraded natural turf playing surface that will be sized to include a community soccer field and two training areas.

It is expected that construction will be complete in late 2023, with the field available for use in 2024.

We are also looking ahead to other future works such as expansion of the field, a new amenities building and playground, a lighting upgrade, and accessible paths and parking, which would be dependent on sourcing funding, community feedback and the Henley Precinct Plan of Management that takes in Gladesville Reserve.

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the water, so it’s fitting that we are also now proceeding with a detailed design and tendering for a new swim site project at Bedlam Bay.

This project has been made possible thanks to a ‘Places to Swim’ grant of $560,475 from the NSW Government.

The NSW Government, the Parramatta River Catchment Group and Hunter’s Hill Council, through the ‘Our Living River’ mission (to make the Parramatta River swimmable again by 2025) have worked towards delivering this important project.

Another swim site opened recently at Bayview Park, Concord, in the City of Canada Bay, and others are planned at McIlwaine Park, Rhodes, and Putney Park in the City of Ryde.

We look forward in working with our neighbouring councils and other agencies in making these great locations along the Parramatta River incredible new places for recreational swimmers.

The facilities at Boronia Park are also set for a significant upgrades with the construction of the new Sports and Community Facility in the centre of the park now that next steps have received Council endorsement.

This will address the significant deficiencies in existing facilities and provide amenities our community and sporting clubs desperately need and deserve.

With plans already in train, I look forward to working with our community throughout 2023 to deliver these significant projects for all to enjoy.