Mayor's Column

Merry Christmas Hunters Hill!

With Christmas less then a week away, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone in our community a safe and happy holiday season.

I would also like to express my gratitude to our dedicated staff and volunteers for their hard work throughout 2024.

Without the involvement 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 2025 to continue delivering our great services, projects and events for the community.

Council offices will close at 12pm on Tuesday 24 December 2024 and reopen at 8.30am on Thursday 2 January 2024.

Waste collection will continue as normal during the holiday period excluding public holidays. The Yarn will close from 4pm on Monday 23 December and will reopen on Friday 3 January at 10am with a series of school holiday activities. For more information, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

A new year ahead

New Year’s Eve is always a major event on the Hunters Hill calendar, and we expect many visitors to the peninsula to enjoy the festivities and fireworks display over our beautiful harbour.

With a unique panoramic view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Clarke’s Point Reserve is an incredible local vantage point. This year, fireworks will take place at 9pm and 12am.

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone, Council is working closely with Police Officers from the Ryde Police Area Command for New Year’s Eve. Road closures and parking restrictions will be in place in Hunters Hill and Woolwich from Tuesday 31 December to early Wednesday 1 January 2025 to ensure that the peninsula remains accessible for emergency services.

A limited ‘park and ride’ special event car park will operate at Boronia Park Ovals, connecting people with bus services to Clarkes Point. I encourage everyone to plan ahead to avoid any confusion on the night. See the New Year’s Eve webpage for more details: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/nye.

I wish everyone in our community an enjoyable break and a prosperous New Year ahead.

Spirit of Christmas

It's been a magnificent start to the festive season, with our annual Carols in the Park taking place last Sunday. It was wonderful to see the community come together to celebrate this Christmas season.

There is still lots to do. Don’t forget to pop by The Yarn to pick up your free Christmas Craft Bag and to borrow a book to go in the draw to win a Library Christmas hamper. There are also some special Christmas beetle-themed activities running today.

Keep an eye out on huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events for more school holiday events coming up this January. Sessions will include Stained Glass Art, Ozobot Mazes, Paper Straw Craft, Felt Creature Craft and an Osmo Playspace.

Connecting with our community

Council has an ongoing commitment for community engagement and to consult with all our residents as broadly as we can - this ensures that our strategic plans and delivery program align with our community’s expectations.

As part of this ongoing effort, Council is surveying residents in our LGA to better inform our service delivery and budget allocation. This project will be run via an online survey.

Earlier in September, Council engaged a contractor to undertake a random telephone survey where 98% of residents reported a high quality of life in our area. We are keen to build on this positive feedback and get a greater understanding of the needs and partialities of our residents through this online survey.

I encourage everyone to participate; your feedback is invaluable and will help us assess the community's overall satisfaction with our performance and service delivery, as well as gather information on preferred methods of communication. 

The survey will remain open until Friday 7 February 2025.

In addition to this, we currently have the Draft Hunters Hill Community Engagement Strategy & Community Participation Plan on public exhibition.

This document is designed to enhance Council’s ability to make well-informed decisions backed by community support.

It is important that your input is considered so please review the draft document and share your thoughts.

Feedback will be received up until 5pm on 3 February 2025 via an online form.

Visit connect.huntershill.nsw.gov.au to participate in the survey and to view and provide feedback on the draft Community Engagement Strategy & Community Participation Plan.

Christmas is calling

The best time of the year is almost here, and there’s so many things happening in our area to get you into the festive spirit!

Our highly anticipated annual Carols in the Park event is being held on 8 December at Boronia Park. It will feature live entertainment from local musicians and school students, food and market stalls, and a visit from Santa and his helpers. The night will be capped off with a spectacular fireworks display. Make sure to save the date for this family-friendly event!

On Sunday December 15, the Hunters Hill Music Society is holding their final concert for the year, Joyeux Noel with renowned tenor Andrew Goodwin. You’re invited to join the musicians for a glass of wine and mince tarts following the performance. Buy tickets online: huntershillmusic.com.au.

From December 1, every time you borrow a book from The Yarn, you’ll go in the draw to win a Library Christmas hamper. The winner will be drawn on 18 December.

On 11 December, The Yarn will host a Christmas Beetle Storytime session from 11am, and a creative Christmas beetle craft session from 3pm. No registration is required. You can also pick up a free Mystery Christmas Craft Bag throughout December.

Indigenous workshop

Learn about native heritage in our free Indigenous weaving workshop on Thursday 12 December from 10am to 12pm at the Hunters Hill Town Hall.

Using raffia, feathers and beads, you can create a bracelet, cord or bookmark using traditional techniques.  Bookings are required on Council’s website so get in quick to reserve your spot! Workshops are suitable for adults and kids 8 years or older, supervised by a parent or guardian.

Summer Reading Challenge

School is almost out for our young citizens, but you can keep up their reading skills with the Summer Reading challenge, starting 1 December.
Library members aged 3 to 17 years old can collect a lucky dip prize from The Yarn for every two hours of reading logged in the Beanstack App or on a special bookmark. It’s a maximum of one lucky dip prize per day but each time a prize is collected, you will receive an entry for the summer prize draw!

Season of giving

The Christmas season has officially begun in Hunters Hill, with our popular Carols in the Park event around the corner and our beautiful Christmas tree is now standing brightly in the Town Hall foyer.

Our Council is once again embracing Christmas by supporting the Sydney Community Services’ donation drive.

Council has set up a donation station under our Christmas Tree to collect food and personal items to create hampers for families in need during the festive season.

Donations are being accepted until Wednesday 11 December. The collected items will be packaged and distributed to those in need by Sydney Community Services.

For information about how you can assist or what you can donate, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/news.

Senior drivers’ workshop

Council will be presenting another Senior Drivers Road Safety workshop, following the great turnout at our first event. This informative workshop will take place on Wednesday 4 December, from 10am to 1pm at the Hunters Hill Town Hall.

The session will delve into various topics essential for enhancing road safety for older drivers, including risk factors, low-risk driving strategies, road rules and assessments and new car technology.

This workshop is a great opportunity for seniors looking to refresh their driving skills and stay safe on the roads. I encourage all seniors to participate in this valuable workshop.

Registrations are required to attend and can be accessed at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

Call for community and youth representatives

I would like to remind everyone that there is still time to express your interest in joining one of our Council committees and advisory groups. We are seeking both community and youth representatives. These committees play a crucial role in guiding discussions on important matters within our local government area. They are also a great way to engage with Council to help shape the future of our local government area.

The focus areas of these committees include bushcare management, conservation, culture, arts/events, sport/recreation and sustainability.

Nominations close on Friday 29 November 2024.

For more information and to apply, go to connect.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/council-committees.

Recognising exceptional community members

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

If you know an individual or community groups who consistently go above and beyond to make a positive impact, the Awards are a great way to recognise their efforts.

Nominate a selfless volunteer, an individual who has helped preserve our area’s unique character and heritage, a well-run local community initiative or a significant sporting achievement.

This year, we will be presenting awards for five categories, including Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Outstanding Sporting Achievement, Community Excellence and Environmental Excellence.

Nominations will remain open until next Monday 18 November at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/Citizen-of-the-Year.

I encourage you all to nominate a deserving member of our community.

Teach a learner driver

As part of our Council’s Road Safety Program, we work with Transport for NSW to offer a series of ‘Teach a Learner Drivers’ workshops each year.

The next session is taking place next Wednesday 20 November from 6pm, online via Teams.

This free online workshop is specifically designed for parents and supervisors of learner drivers and offers valuable advice around safe driving, road rules and positive learning experiences.

Registration is required and can be accessed at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

Save the date for Young in Art!

From next Thursday 21 November, the Town Hall will once again be filled with innovative work from local artists. This time, the artwork will feature the creations of students from all eight of our local schools for 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 21 November until Sunday 24 November at Town Hall.

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

Citizens of the Year Awards

The Hunters Hill Citizen of the Year Awards are a fantastic way of acknowledging the efforts of individuals and groups that go the extra mile for our LGA.

This year we will be recognising a Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Outstanding Sporting Achievement, Community Excellence and Environmental Excellence.

I encourage you all to nominate an amazing local person or community group to show them how much you appreciate their hard work and the contribution they make to our municipality.

Nominations can be made until Monday 18 November 2024 at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/Citizen-of-the-Year.

Remembrance Day

This Friday, the Hunter’s Hill RSL Sub-Branch will be holding a Remembrance Day service to honour all those who have served and continue to serve our country in military service, and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

It will be conducted by Reverend Michael Armstrong at the Hunter’s Hill RSL Sub-Branch Memorial Wall at 56 Alexandra Street, Hunters Hill from 10.45am. There will be a One Minute Silence at 11am.

Anyone wishing to pay their respects is welcome to attend. A light morning tea will be served.

C A Fairland Hall public hearing

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

We are continuing to engage with our community on the proposal to reclassify C A Fairland Hall from community to operational land.

A public hearing will be held on Wednesday, 13 November from 6pm in the Council Chambers. The hearing will be facilitated by independent chairperson and Director of Parkland Planners, Sandy Hoy on behalf of Council.

This is an opportunity for community members to have their say in a public forum. The feedback will be reported back to Council for consideration.

To register to attend and to request to address the public hearing, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

Vale Greg Turner

I wish to extend my sincere condolences with the news of the passing of the late Greg Turner.

Greg was a dedicated long-serving journalist for TWT and worked closely with our Council.

He made a huge contribution to the Hunters Hill Community, keeping everyone informed, connected and engaged through the stories he covered and told so well.

He will be sorely missed by us and many others. Vale

Art on show

We have had incredible community interest for our Hunters Hill Art Exhibition since opening late last week.
 
If you haven’t already, make sure to stop by the Town Hall this week to see the Art Exhibition, before it closes on Sunday, 3 November.
 
Exhibition doors are open daily from 10am – 4pm to browse the curated display or purchase an original artwork through Council’s online gallery at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/gallery. All artworks on display will be listed for sale.
 
Whether you prefer contemporary or classic art, abstract paintings, sculptures or mixed media installations, the exhibition has something to appeal to everyone. 
 
While you are there, make sure to put your votes in for the Kids’ Choice and People’s Choice Awards, which will be announced at the close of the Art Exhibition.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/art.

NSW Small Business Month

Our local businesses are the heart of our local economy and NSW Small Business Month is about putting the spotlight on them. Our village centres create much of the unique charm of Hunters Hill.

We are excited to be supporting the Connect & Collaborate Business event in celebration of NSW Small Business Month and the local businesses in Hunters Hill.

The event will take place today, 30 October from 6pm at the brand-new Boronia Park Sports and Community Facility and will be facilitated by two speakers; Wendy Lloyd Curley and Therese Tarlinton, who will provide valuable tips on marketing, raising business returns and collaborating with others businesses who have a similar customer base.

This event is a great opportunity for local business owners to connect and learn from each other.

Registrations are required to attend and can be accessed at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

On Monday night, the newly elected Hunters Hill councillors were sworn in and took their Oath of Office at our first meeting. I am incredibly humbled to be re-elected as Mayor alongside a group of dedicated local Councillors. The opportunity to serve our municipality once again is a great responsibility which I know all councillors will enjoy over the coming four year term.

I’d like to congratulate our new Deputy Mayor Cr Julia Preiston and look forward to working closely with her.

While we faced challenges that tested our resilience in the last three years, we were able to deliver more public infrastructure than any other term of Council and remain financially fit.

A testament of our hard work was the official opening of the New Boronia Park Sports and Community Facility which took place on Sunday. This momentous occasion was celebrated widely,  speaking volumes on the support we have from the Hunters Hill community, with residents, sporting groups and local organisations attending the event.

Our annual Moocooboola Festival took place alongside the opening on Sunday, with thousands of people enjoying the family-friendly atmosphere. The dog show was a  big hit and I’m told the Dog of Show winner, Tuxedo Yap the Pomeranian, was excited to share his accolade with the whole neighbourhood. 

I hope you’re all looking forward to the 2024 Hunters Hill Art Exhibition which opens next Friday 25 October. There will be more than 250 artworks on display in the Town Hall including paintings, prints, photographs, drawings and sculptures.

I love that we have a series of events on offer during the year, and I look forward to seeing more exciting times in our municipality to add to the overall vibrancy and cultural makeup of Hunters Hill.

As we begin this new chapter, let me say one very important thing to our community – your voice matters. I am committed to listening to your concerns and ensuring we deliver services that align with our community’s needs. 

This new Council will remain focussed on transparency, accountability and inclusivity. I’m proud of what we have accomplished so far but there’s still much more work to be done. Some of our first orders of business will including opening the new Bedlam Bay swim site, delivering a state-of-the-art multi-purpose facility at Gladesville Reserve and introducing AFL games at Buffalo Creek.

Thank you for your trust and support. Let’s make the next chapter of our municipality’s story the best one yet.

Our successful term of Council

The NSW Local Government elections will be held on Saturday 14 September. On Monday we held our last meeting for this term of Council and the agenda reflected our last few years of delivery perfectly – busy, ambitious, challenging, community-focused and fulfilling.

As we draw closer to our last orders of business, I want to take this opportunity to thank all the staff at Hunter’s Hill Council for seeing our vision and helping us bring it to life. We’ve been committed to making improvements across the municipality whether that was through major projects, enhancing our service standards or advocating on behalf of our community.

We have had many successes this term, some of the more noticeable of them being the significant upgrades to Figtree Park, the upgrade of Gladesville Reserve Playing surfaces, installation of multi-sport courts at Boronia Park as well as the imminent delivery of the new Sports and Community Facility. We have upgraded boardwalks at Kelly’s Bush and Riverglade Reserve, installed AFL goalposts at Buffalo Creek and upgraded the basketball courts and lighting onsite.

We have also been able to make inroads in the operations of council, delivering a budget this financial year with a significant net operating surplus of $1.9 million. We have installed new street signs throughout the municipality and started to address the backlog of roads and footpath maintenance works. We’ve progressed strategic planning for our Sustainability Action Plan, Henley Precinct Masterplan, draft Net Zero Implementation plan, draft Integrated Transport Strategy and draft Gladesville Masterplan.

And even then, we have more to do. Council pro-actively supported All Saints Football Club to successful obtain a further $1.9 million funding from the NSW Government to build new changerooms at Gladesville Reserve, with construction to start later this year and will be project managed by Council. We are committed to delivering a new swim space at Bedlam Bay, building the toilet block in Figtree Park and continuing to upgrade and promote our villages and reserves.

It makes me proud to say we have achieved much of what we set out to do during our term of Council – most importantly, making a difference in the community.

While Council will soon be entering into caretaker period in the lead up to the election, there will still be some great events and community engagement opportunities coming up.

The annual Hunters Hill Quilters Show also returns to Town Hall from Friday 2 August to Sunday 4 August. The needlework and talent in these storytelling quilts and patchwork art are truly incredible so I encourage you all to make time to visit the exhibition.

Council will also be running some online focus groups for our draft Net Zero Strategy in August and September. Following the community surveys undertaken earlier in the year, residents are invited to attended one of three sessions to help Council further explore what actions we can take to support the community in reducing their emissions at home. Participants will have a chance to win a $100 Harris Farm gift card. All feedback will be considered for the development of Council’s draft Net Zero Implementation Plan.

Keep an eye on Council’s website and social media channels to stay up to date with what is happening in the area. 

Hunters Hill Day

Anyone who has had the pleasure of living, working or spending leisure time in Hunters Hill will no doubt have felt the strong sense of community in our local area.

Hunters Hill Day, celebrated on 31 July is a time to reflect on this sense of place and community spirit.

Next Wednesday marks the seventh Hunters Hill Day, and we would encourage you to take a stroll through our village to reflect on and appreciate all that is great about Hunters Hill. While you are out, make sure to look out for our Hunter’s Hill selfie frames that Council staff will be carrying around Garibaldi Village Square, Figtree Park, Boronia Park Shops and the Gladesville Shopping Village with some surprise giveaways. Post your selfies on social media and use the #celebratingHuntersHill or #huntershill to show your support. In the lead up to the day, we’ll be profiling some locals on our facebook and Instagram pages, telling us what they love about Hunters Hill. Be sure to follow us!

Save the new date for Moocooboola!

As you will all be well aware, the recent bad weather has affected the fields of many of our local sporting grounds, particularly the Boronia Park Ovals.

The prolonged and frequent rain has left the fields waterlogged, making it necessary for us to make changes to the schedule for the upcoming Moocooboola Festival.

Moocooboola is one of Hunters Hill’s favourite community events, consistently drawing thousands of attendees with its large offering of attractions, live performances, market bazaar, delicious food and the crowd favourite dog show.

This year, to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all attendees, we will be moving the Moocooboola Festival to Sunday 13 October. 

This will allow us to still deliver the Festival that we all know and love, with its full range of entertainment and activities and with a great representation from community groups and local stallholders and performers without compromising safety, the field and the quality of the event. 

We are looking forward to bringing our community together for this year's Festival in Spring and encourage everyone to mark the new date in their family calendars. For more information about Moocooboola Festival 2024, visit www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/moocooboola.

National Tree Day

Join our Council in celebrating National Tree Day by taking part in our community planting event.

The team will be planting 300 trees, shrubs and native grasses to provide groundcover along the Lane Cove River, creating a new biodiversity corridor. This will provide essential foraging resource for many of our native bird species.

The planting will take place on Sunday 28 July 2024 from 9.30am to 11.30am from the corner of Park Road and High Street, Hunters Hill at Boronia Park.

No experience is necessary and all tools and gloves will be provided.

It is a fantastic opportunity for our community to come together and make a tangible impact on our environment.

Registrations are required and can be made by emailing vollmerj@huntershill.nsw.gov.au.

Delivering a Surplus Budget for 2024-25

As we embark on the 2024-25 fiscal year, Council's top priority continues to be improving essential services and improvements to or local spaces that cater to the needs of the whole community.

Anticipating a budget income of nearly $25 million and an expenditure of around $23 million, Council is committed to utilising these funds to support our programs throughout the year whilst also delivering a surplus budget.

Central to Council’s plan is the implementation of our Public Works Program, which is the blueprint for the projects and maintenance items that is scheduled for the upcoming financial year. Following public exhibition and feedback, Council endorsed the Operational Plan for 2024-2025, featuring increased capital works valued at nearly $6 million.

In line with Council’s duty to address the needs of our community, the budget will deliver on an array of essential projects. These include road and footpath works across Hunters Hill as well as general maintenance and enhancements of local parks, sports fields, open spaces, lighting, community buildings, and other council facilities.

During the June Council meeting, the Henley Precinct Masterplan was also adopted. This is an important document that will guide the future use of the precinct; detailing how Council can improve access and connectivity in alignment with the community’s vision.  It also includes a number of the exciting projects that Council is planning to undertake in the year, including accessible pathways and a new playground. The next stage of this masterplan will be to deliver on accessible change and storage facilities for Gladesville Reserve thanks to grant funding from the NSW Department of Sport.

I look forward to working with the community on these exciting projects in the year to come.

Hunters Hill Music Society concert

Don’t miss the Hunters Hill Music Society’s second concert for the year on Sunday 14 July. Featuring the Goldner String Quartet, the concert will take place in the Hunters Hill Town Hall from 2.30pm. Revered as one of Australia’s finest ensembles, this year marks the 30^th and final concert season for the Goldners. 

They will perform a movement of Rachmaninoff’s 1st Quartet and two hallmarks of the string quartet repertory: Shostakovich’s 8th Quartet; and the second work of Beethoven’s Opus 59, ‘Razumovsky.’ 

Following the performance, attendees will be able to join the artists and fellow music lovers for a complimentary glass of wine provided by Savannah Estate.

These high-calibre music concerts are always remarkable events which contribute to the cultural enrichment of our area. 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.

Walking on Country

Council is excited to participate in NAIDOC week to honour and celebrate the important history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

To commemorate this occasion, we are inviting the community to join us for a Walk on Country on Wednesday 10 July from 2pm to 3.30pm.

The walk will depart from the Henley Community Centre Carpark and continue through the Gladesville Reserve bushland. The facilitator of the walk will be Susan Moylan-Coombs, a respected member of the Woolwonga and Gurindji communities in the Northern Territory. Her expertise and deep connection to the Indigenous culture and history makes the walk an enriching experience, having done it myself some months ago for the Henley Masterplan.

Everyone is welcome to attend. It's an opportunity to gain insight into the traditions and heritage of the Wallamattagal people and the local land.

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

School holiday activities

If you’re looking for school holiday activities for your kids, The Yarn is hosting three great sessions.

For children aged 4 to 10 years old, there will be a Rainbow Craft session taking place next Wednesday 10 July from 2pm to 3pm as well as a Foam Craft session on Friday 12 July from 11am to 12pm.

There will also be a fun Ozobot Mazes session for children ages 6 to 12 being held on Friday 19 July from 11am to 12pm.

Registrations are not required but space is limited on a first come basis.

Join the challenge

Our Council is committed to supporting residents in adopting better recycling practices and minimising waste through our local services, programs and events.

Whether recycling with our partners RecycleSmart, participating in sustainability events, utilising the weekly tips in our eNews or disposing of your plastic water bottles at the Return and Earn vending machine near the Henley Community Centre, we're committed to making it easier for everyone to contribute to a cleaner environment in Hunters Hill.

As we approach Plastic Free July, we encourage everyone to participate and take 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 in their daily lives - at home, work, school and in the community. 

By taking part in Plastic Free July, we can collectively work towards cutting down our plastic footprint in our local area. Joining the challenge is as simple as picking a single-use plastic item to avoid or replace with a reusable alternative. Every small change can make a meaningful impact.

Working together, we can all play a role in waste reduction. To learn more about Plastic Free July and how you can join in, visit www.plasticfreejuly.org.

School holidays activities guide

During the upcoming July school holidays, our library The YARN, is hosting a range of engaging and free workshops to keep the kids entertained.

The workshops kick off on Wednesday 10 July at 2pm with a Rainbow Craft session. This session is specifically designed for children between the ages of 4 and 10 and will focus on creating themed crafts using recyclable materials.

Youngsters can also get creative at the Foam Craft session taking place on Friday 12 July from 11am.

The older kids aged 6 to 12 years can learn to code maze tracks at an Ozobots Mazes session on Friday, 19 July from 11am.

All events are free and no booking is 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.

Figtree Park is reopened!

Despite the inclement weather, we were thrilled to reopen Figtree Park last week and deliver a much-improved asset back to the community. The park has undergone a range of significant upgrades, enhancing its accessibility and functionality.

Highlights of the Figtree Park revitalisation project include a state-of-the-art inclusive playground, garden beds, a new spacious plaza accessible via Gladesville Road, upgraded pathways, as well as vastly improved lighting, drainage, seating, and overall amenity.

It gives me great pleasure to reopen this beautiful space in the heart of Hunters Hill. The improvements have made the park more user-friendly and in line with the needs of our community, while also contributing to better connectivity throughout the village.

Welcoming new citizens

As Mayor, it is a privilege to preside over Citizenship Ceremonies and to receive pledges from members of our community in their final step to becoming an Australian Citizen.

This evening’s Citizenship Ceremony falls within Refugee Week, a time to acknowledge the significant contributions refugees make to Australia and our thriving multicultural community.

It is always a wonderful and moving moment to share with the conferees, as they take the final step in their journey, declaring their loyalty to Australia and its people.

I offer my warmest congratulations to all the new citizens and best wishes as they share in our shared future. 

Red Shield Appeal

This weekend on Saturday 22 June and Sunday 23 June, The Salvation Army will be out in the Hunters Hill Village between 9.30am and 3.30pm, collecting donations for their annual fundraiser, 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.

All support from the community can make an enormous impact to the lives of vulnerable people to help them out of crisis and into recover during their time of need.

To find out more about the Red Shield Appeal, including how you can help, go to: www.salvationarmy.org.au.

Have your say

There is still time to contribute to the development of our draft Urban Forest Strategy via our survey.

Your input is crucial in this endeavour. Please take a moment to share your valuable feedback by this Friday, 21 June at connect.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/urban-forest-strategy and help us protect and expand our urban forest.

Saturday: Figtree Park Reopening! 

Join our celebrations of the incredible work that has been done to upgrade Figtree Park, making it more accessible, functional and community-friendly. The grand reopening is being held this Saturday; the event will start at 10.30am with official proceedings, including a ribbon cutting and plaque unveiling. This will be followed by a picnic in the park, opening of the new play-space, with free face painting, giant bubbles and live music by King Olav. There will also be special offers at local shops in the village as part of the event for visitors to enjoy.

I hope to see you all there for this special and highly anticipated moment.

Get Involved in Moocooboola Festival

Council is seeking stallholders and performers to delight crowds at our 2024 Moocooboola Festival held at Boronia Park Ovals on Sunday 4 August.

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

Our local festival draws in thousands of attendees each year with its wide range of attractions including live performances, amusement rides and games, a market bazaar, show bags, displays, and my personal favourite - the Dog Show.

This year, along with our event partner Optus, we look forward to making our premier community festival even bigger and better than ever.

If you are interested in being part of the fun at the festival, fill out our online expression of interest form at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/moocooboola.

Applications will be accepted until Sunday 23 June.

Preserving our urban forest

Our municipality has one of the highest percentages of tree canopy in Sydney at 35%, and we want to make sure that we stay on this trajectory. As part of our efforts, Council is developing a draft Urban Forest Strategy. 

To shape the draft strategy, we have launched a survey to explore various aspects related to our urban forest including awareness, current engagement patterns, priorities for improvement and community interest for involvement in future initiatives. 

Our trees play an important part in both our heritage and character and add enormous value in providing increased biodiversity, urban shading, amenity and corridors. With a rise in tree vandalism, arboriculture impacts and other detrimental tree practices, we want to plan ahead to ensure that our trees, vegetation and plants are preserved and continue to thrive.

Hunters Hill is renowned for its iconic tree-lined streets, its leafy family-friendly parks and its green bushland area - in line with our position as Australia’s oldest garden suburb. 

Help us protect and grow our urban forest by sharing your feedback by Friday 21 June 2024 at connect.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/urban-forest-strategy.

Optus to Present the 2024 Moocooboola Festival!

We are ready for another fantastic Moocooboola Festival and this year I am thrilled to announce that Optus will be joining us as our major sponsor. 

This year, the Moocooboola Festival will take place on Sunday 4 August from 10am to 4pm at Boronia Park Ovals, promising a day packed with food, rides and entertainment, and top-notch stalls from local businesses and community groups.

We are all looking forward to all our old favourites including rides, amusement games, showbags, displays, entertainment and my personal favourite- the Dog Show! 

We are thrilled that Optus support us in bring this well-loved community event to life for another year.

The generous support of our sponsors plays a crucial role in helping us deliver our events to the community.

If you or your company are interested in being an additional sponsor at Moocooboola or one of our other events, fill out the Sponsorship Expression of Interest Form at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/sponsor.

We look forward to welcoming more sponsors onboard soon.

Figtree Park Grand Re-opening

We are also excited to deliver the most significant park upgrade in decades, with a multitude of upgrades made to this well loved public space for all of our community to enjoy.

Mark your calendars for the grand reopening of Figtree Park, taking place on Saturday 15 June at 10.30am. 

The event will kick off with official proceedings, including a ribbon cutting and plaque unveiling. This will be followed by a picnic in the park day, with free face painting, giant bubbles and live music by King Olav. 

It gives me great pleasure to reopen this beautiful space in the heart of Hunters Hill. The enhancements have made the park more functional, fit-for-purpose and suitable for all users, both old and new. It also aids in improving connectivity around the village.

The highlights of the Figtree Park revitalisation project include a new inclusive playground, garden beds, a new plaza space with an entrance on Gladesville Road, new accessible pathways and hugely improved lighting, drainage, seating and amenity.

Save the date to see the revitalised space for yourself. 

The works were funded by the NSW Government Public Spaces Legacy Program.

Car seat checks

There is still time to grab a voucher for a free child car seat safety check.

The voucher entitles you to have your child car seat checked, refitted or fully fitted at our new local fitting station, located in the P1 Carpark at the Royal North Shore Hospital, off Reserve Rd, St Leonards. 

Applications for the latest round of vouchers is open to all residents in the Hunters Hill Local Government Area and available for this Friday 7 June.

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

Proposed Joubert St traffic changes

Transport for NSW is proposing to make traffic changes at the intersection of Gladesville Road and Joubert St, Hunters Hill. The proposal will remove the ability for vehicles to turn right out of Joubert Street (south) and has the capacity to significantly impact traffic flows on Howard Place, Gladesville Road and onto the overpass.

This is a Transport for NSW proposal. And whilst I acknowledge it's important that we address the safety and congestion concerns in this area, we need to make sure the works that are being proposed don't create additional traffic issues.

I encourage everyone to share their feedback by filling out the survey on Transport for NSW's website - yoursay.transport.nsw.gov.au/joubert-st-hunters-hill.

Our journey towards reconciliation

I'm thrilled to share that we have officially launched our very first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

Our RAP which was endorsed by Reconciliation Australia, lays the foundations for our commitment to our Indigenous Australians, priming the workplace for future reconciliation initiatives and movements.

This is a significant milestone for our Council, marking the beginning of a meaningful journey toward reconciliation.

I encourage everyone to take the time to read through this important document, as it outlines our commitment to our First Nations People and our plans for the future. The RAP can be found at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/RAP.

Have your say

We have several important policies and plans currently on public exhibition. Visit Connect Hunters Hill at Connect.huntershill.nsw.gov.au to read through these documents and share your feedback with us.

One of the important documents on exhibition is the Draft Henley Precinct Masterplan. This is a vital document that incorporates our community’s vision of making the precinct safer, more inclusive, and user-friendly for existing and future use of the precinct. The Masterplan is on exhibition until next Monday, 3 June.

We are also preparing our Draft Net Zero Implementation Plan, detailing how we can achieve net-zero emissions as a community.

We are conducting a survey until Sunday 16 June to help guide our actions. By participating in the survey, you will not only help us to inform the Plan, but you will also have the chance to win a $100 Harris Farm gift card.

Additionally, we have our draft Stormwater Management Policy and Watercraft Storage on Foreshore and Public Lands Policy on exhibition until Next Wednesday, 5 June 2024. Lastly, our draft 2024-25 Operational Plan, Budget and Fees & Charges and Outdoor Sport and Recreation Plan is open for feedback until Monday 17 June 2024.

I encourage you to provide your valuable feedback to contribute to the development of these important documents.

Massive Funding Boost for Gladesville Reserve

I am delighted to report that All Saints Hunters Hill Soccer Club have secured almost $2 million of grant funding from the NSW Office of Sport through the Level the Playing Field grant program to continue improvements at Gladesville Reserve.

The funding will form part of Council's Capital Works Program for 2024/2025 and will enable Council to deliver high-quality essential infrastructure for the Reserve. This includes a new accessible multi-sport facility with much-needed toilet and change facilities for women’s sports. It will also have ample storage space for Council’s maintenance equipment and for our local teams to store their sports gear.

The design of this facility purposefully aligns with our proposed Gladesville Reserve Masterplan and is just the beginning of the significant plans we have for the precinct.

We are thrilled to receive this funding and to begin work on this exciting development at Gladesville Reserve for our whole community.

Towards Net Zero Emissions

We are committed to protecting our environment and ensuring that future generations can enjoy our beautiful surroundings just as we do today.

As part of our ongoing efforts to promote sustainability in Hunters Hill, our Council is in the process of preparing a Net Zero Implementation Plan. The Plan will act as a practical roadmap, setting out how the area can reach net zero for both community and council emissions.

We want to ensure that our municipality is engaged in every step of this process. We have launched a survey on Connect Hunters Hill to help guide our actions towards these goals.

By participating in the survey, you will not only help us to inform the Plan's actions, but you will also have the chance to win a $100 Harris Farm gift card.

The survey will be available until Sunday 16 June at connect.huntershill.nsw.gov.au, so be sure to have your say and help us shape a sustainable future for Hunters Hill.

Introduction to Bushcare workshop

Join us at our free Introduction to Bushcare Workshop on Sunday week.

This informative workshop will consist of discussions, presentations, and a short field trip in the nearby Blackman Park where you can observe and learn firsthand about bush regeneration practices and weed identification. The workshop will take place on Sunday 26 May, from 9am at the Lane Cove Council Depot located in Lloyd Rees Drive, Lane Cove West. It will be led by Bushcare Coordinators from both Lane Cove and Hunter’s Hill Councils.

Morning tea will also be provided.

Register now to participate! Registrations can be made at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

Aligning our work with your vision

I am thrilled that Council unanimously endorsed the public exhibition of the Draft Henley Precinct Masterplan at our latest Council Meeting.

This is an important document that will guide the future use of the precinct; detailing how Council can improve access and management in alignment with our community’s vision. The masterplan includes Gladesville Reserve, the Henley Community Centre, Riverside Preschool, Henley Cottage, Huntleys Point Ferry Wharf and the adjoining bushland.

Council has consulted extensively with key stakeholders about existing and future use of the area, as well as understanding the need to address issues of connectivity, accessibility, maintenance, and infrastructure.

The data collected has been included in the plans as well as an implementation strategy, which highlights the necessary steps Council must take to get the projects described to the construction and completion stage.

The Masterplan will be on exhibition until Monday 3 June so I would encourage you all to read through the important strategy and share your feedback on the concepts outlined in our online survey at: connect.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/henley-precinct

All feedback will be considered and reported back to Council for the final Masterplan to be adopted.

Enhancing our sports facilities

I am immensely proud council continues to deliver on a wide range of major projects and key infrastructure upgrades.

Excitingly, we have installed the first-ever public AFL goalpost in our local area at Buffalo Creek Reserve. We are thrilled to be able to offer this new facility to our community. We hope it will help to promote the sport of AFL and encourage more people to participate in this great national game.

Another project that we've recently completed is the upgrade of Gladesville Reserve, which included a comprehensive overhaul of the existing site and the construction and installation of new sporting infrastructure. To ensure that the field remains in top condition, we have developed a comprehensive maintenance program to ensure that the field stays game-ready and continues to be a great place for locals to enjoy.

In addition to the maintenance program, we have also installed new goalposts at Weil Park and Gladesville Reserve. These goalposts will help to provide an improved experience for players and enhance the quality of the games during this winter sports season.

We look forward to continuing to deliver these significant projects, especially our new Sports and Community Facility at Boronia Park and the major upgrades at Figtree Park, which are expected to be completed in the coming months.

National Road Safety Week

As many in our community have now returned to their daily school routine following the school break, it is especially important that we take care on local roads.

National Road Safety Awareness Week, which runs from this Sunday 5 May to Sunday 12 May, is a timely reminder of the shared responsibility we have on the road and to always ‘Drive So Others Survive.’

This year's National Road Safety Week coincides with the work that our Council is doing to promote road safety within our municipality. 

We are working with Transport for NSW to offer residents another round of free Child Car Seat Check vouchers with an authorised restraint fitter.

Our local fitting station is located at P1 Carpark of the Royal North Shore Hospital, off Reserve Road, St. Leonards. The vouchers are valid every Friday from 9am to 4pm until 8 June. To apply for a voucher, contact our Road Safety Officer at roadsafety@huntershill.nsw.gov.au or 9911 3536.

For those residents responsible for teaching our newest drivers how to safely get behind the wheel, we are hosting a free online workshop at 6pm on Thursday 23 May. The session aims to support parents and supervisors of learner drivers to be confident and effective teachers. Registrations are available through Eventbrite: saferdrivers.eventbrite.com.au. 

Walk Safely to School Day also falls within National Road Safety Week, on 10 May. Council has distributed bright coloured shoe laces to our local primary schools to promote this initiative among students.

Council has also been working on targeting road safety issues captured in our Road Safety Audit to ensure our school zones, footpaths and crossings are safe for our community.

All these initiatives, serve to remind us to travel safely to protect everyone on the road.

Free exhibition

Renowned artist and iconographer Michael Galovic is currently hosting an exhibition of icons and artworks at Anglican Parish of Hunters Hill.

If you haven’t got a chance to visit the exhibition yet, there is still time to drop by. It will remain open until this Saturday 4 May, from 10am to 2pm daily.

Additionally, there will also be an evening opening on Friday, 3 May, from 5pm to 7pm, to give visitors a chance to explore the newly restored All Saints’ Church.

The exhibition is a must-visit for anyone who is interested in art and culture.

All original work including A3 size posters are also available for sale, giving art enthusiasts the chance to own an original piece of art.

Entry to the exhibition is free. For more information, visit www.aphh.com.au/events.

ANZAC commemorations in Hunters Hill

It was wonderful to see our community come together yesterday at our 101st Combined ANZAC Memorial Service, held in collaboration with the Hunters Hill RSL Sub-Branch.

The service was a moving occasion, allowing our community to come together to pause and reflect on the importance of this day and to honour those who have served, those who are currently serving, and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Lest we forget.

Community members can also pay their respects on ANZAC Day during a Dawn Service held by the Anglican Parish of Hunters Hill.

The service will commence at All Saints’ Church at 6am to greet the dawn and will include the Last Post and the opportunity to place a flower, wreath or candle in thanksgiving and remembrance.

For more information, visit the Anglican Parish of Hunters Hill's website: www.aphh.com.au/events/anzac-dawn.

Community Information Session: Update

Council continues to oppose the NSW Government’s proposed housing reforms to ensure our community’s concerns are heard and the character of our neighbourhood is protected from poor decision-making on local planning matters.

All feedback has been collated from our Community Information Session on Wednesday 3 April, outlining our disappointment in the proposal. It will be submitted to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. 

You can read the discussion notes on Council’s website: connect.huntershill.nsw.gov.au.

The well-attended meeting was a clear demonstration of our shared commitment to preserving the amenity and character of our neighbourhoods and ensuring our community grows at capacity, matching the infrastructure and other essential services.

Maintaining our local roads

As part of our increased efforts to ensure our road are maintained to a high standard, we have reinstated the ‘Keep Clear’ markings and road markings at the corner of Church Street and Mount Street, Hunters Hill.

We have also installed a new pedestrian island at the intersection of Crown Street and Sherwin Street, Henley.

The island was installed as part of our Capital Works Program to help improve accessibility and pedestrian safety.

Please be aware of the new traffic conditions in place and be mindful when driving in the area.

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

Countdown is on for the Gladesville Reserve reopening!

We’re now only days away from the reopening of Gladesville Reserve.

Join us this Saturday 20 April to celebrate the significant upgrades to this important community asset.

The works included improvements to the ground surface and upgraded lighting to increase the playing capacity at Gladesville Reserve. This means the sportsfield can be used for more hours each week, all year round, as well as providing a higher quality playing surface for players as well as an improved surface for active and passive users of the park. We’ve also installed a new state-of the-art cricket net which I’m sure will also be a hit.

The official opening will commence at 10.45am, with a ribbon cutting and plaque unveiling.

All Saints Hunters Hill FC will also be holding a Gala Day in conjunction with the reopening.

Kicking off at 8am, the Gala Day will include a Hero Shot penalty shoot-out tournament with an inflatable goal for players aged 6 – 14 years old. There will also be delicious food, refreshments and prize giveaways.

Registrations are required to enter the tournament and can be made at herosocks.com.au/pages/hero-shot.

I’ll be jumping into the goals on the day so you can try and get one past me (which shouldn’t be too hard).

 I hope to see you all there.

Lest we forget

We are so fortunate to live safely and peacefully here in the Hunters Hill Municipality. This was a peace hard-fought for by those who came before us and made safer by the ongoing commitment of our servicemen and women.

ANZAC Day is a day of remembrance to reflect on the enduring contribution of our service people and a time to commemorate those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our Country.

In Hunters Hill, we traditionally hold a commemorative service on the eve of ANZAC Day. This allows local veterans and personnel to attend a service here before marking the occasion on 25 April with their compatriots from the armed services in the Sydney CBD or the nation's capital, Canberra.

This year, significantly, marks the 101st year of continuous ANZAC observances hosted by the Hunters Hill RSL Sub-Branch and Hunter’s Hill Council.

The service will be held on Tuesday 23 April, commencing with a short wreath laying service at 6.30pm at the RSL Memorial Hall, 56 Alexandra Street, Hunters Hill.

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

Lieutenant Commander Jennifer Neuhaus will be the guest speaker for this year’s ceremony. Steven Mitchell, President of the Hunters Hill RSL Sub-Branch will also be joining us for the proceedings.

This is a community event and anyone wishing to pay their respects is welcome to join.

Save the date: Anzac Day

Preparations are underway for our 101^st combined ANZAC Memorial Service in Hunters Hill, jointly presented by our Council and the Hunters Hill RSL Sub Branch.

This year’s ceremony and march will take place on Tuesday 23 April.

The service will commence with a short wreath laying service at 6.30pm at the RSL Memorial Wall, at 56 Alexandra Street, followed by a march from 6.45pm to the Hunters Hill Town Hall for the main Service of Remembrance at 7pm.

Save the date to commemorate this important day and reflect on the bravery of our veterans and defence force personnel.

Connecting with youth

NSW Youth Week is an annual celebration of the significant contribution that young people make in shaping our community. In line with this year's theme of ‘Express. Empower. Get Loud.’, we are collaborating with local young people to bring back our Skate and Celebrate youth event. 

The event will take place this Friday 12 April, from 4.30pm to 8.30pm at Gladesville skate park. 

During the event, the 1st Boronia Venturer Youth Unit (Scouts NSW) will be running a barbeque, while ZuReal DJ School will provide their signature Be The DJ workshops that will keep everyone engaged and entertained. 

Participants will also have the opportunity to take part in a skateboarding workshop with professional instructors. With a clinic for young children, as well as an open ages and skate ramp basics workshop, there will be something for all skill levels to enjoy and take their riding to the next level. There will also be a prize giveaway.

No experience is necessary and all equipment, helmets, and protective pads will be provided.

Registrations are required for the skate workshops and can be made at www.skate-now.com.au/book-now under ‘Council FREE Clinics’.

We invite everyone to come and join us for this exciting event. For more information, visit our website at www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/events.

Skate and Celebrate is proudly funded by the NSW Government as part of NSW Youth Week.

Stay tuned

Stay informed and in the loop with all of our latest news, events, programs, public exhibitions, works and projects by subscribing to our weekly eNewsletter. 

You'll receive regular updates delivered straight to your inbox allowing you to stay up-to-date on everything happening in our local government area.

You can also read previous editions of our eNewsletter on our website: www.huntershill.nsw.gov.au/eNewsletters.

Gladesville Reserve official opening and gala day

We are incredibly excited to deliver yet another facility upgrade to our local parks, providing more space for our community to enjoy their favourite sport, friendly matches and general use.

Mark your calendars for the official reopening of Gladesville Reserve that will take place on Saturday 20 April.

Official proceedings will commence at 10.45am, with a ribbon cutting and plaque unveiling.

It’s fantastic to see this long-awaited project completed. The newly resurfaced field and the new state-of-the-art cricket nets will improve the experience for our sporting clubs, schools, community groups and residents that use the field.

All Saints Hunters Hill FC will also be staging a Gala Day in conjunction with the official reopening commencing at 8am.

The Gala Day will consist of a Hero Shot penalty shoot-out tournament with an inflatable goal for players aged 6 – 14 years old, delicious food and refreshments and prize giveaways. I will also be putting my goalie skills to the test on the day so make sure to drop by and see if you can score one against the Mayor.

Registrations are required to enter the tournament and can be made at herosocks.com.au/pages/hero-shot.

The Gladesville Reserve Upgrade was funded by the NSW Government Sport Election Commitments Program.

Community planting day

Our bushcare volunteers are dedicated to preserving our local vegetation here in Hunters Hill. As part of their efforts, the team will be holding a community planting day to plant 300 native grasses and groundcovers to enhance the habitat corridor running along the lower Parramatta River.

The planting will take place on Friday 12 April 2024 from 9am to 11am from the Manning Road entrance of Riverglade Reserve.

No experience is necessary and all tools and gloves will be provided.

Registrations are required and can be made by emailing vollmerj@huntershill.nsw.gov.au.

Car seat checks

Following the success of our child car seat checking clinic, we are offering more free inspections by a Transport for NSW Authorised Restraint Fitter via a voucher program.

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

Applications for the latest round of vouchers is now open to all residents in the Hunters Hill Local Government Area and are valid on any Friday until 8 June.

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

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.