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NEWS IN BRIEF
Do your councillors turn up ?
Cr Nathan Zamprogno has called for an attendance report card to be created for Hawkesbury City Council meetings to improve accountability of our elected representatives .
“ You ’ re entitled to expect that your elected councillors turn up to as many meetings as they can . It ’ s a critical part of our job ,” Cr Zamprogno said in his newsletter .
Councillors can only be censured if they miss multiple formal chamber meetings he said , which accounts for onethird of their work .
“ Data is either not collected , or not summarised relating to attendance at briefings , workshops , committee meetings and community consultation sessions ,” he said .
From now on , a formal attendance report will be publicly available annually and prior to elections . Another report will also detail councillor expenses and proof that value and knowledge was shared from any councillor attended conferences .
First home buyers 5 % deposit
With 50,000 new places now available , Liberal candidate for Macquarie Sarah Richards is urging Hawkesbury first home buyers to take up the government ’ s Home Guarantee Scheme .
The scheme supports eligible homebuyers to purchase a new or existing home with a deposit as low as five per cent .
“ People can cut years off the time they ’ d need to save a deposit for a home because of this program . Saving to buy a house has always been hard work and as prices have increased it ’ s been getting harder ,” Ms Richards said .
Increasing the price caps for homes available under the scheme allows more
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buyers to have more options when purchasing a home , with new caps increasing to $ 900,000 ( regional centres ) and $ 750,000 ( metropolitan ) from 1 July .
Extra $ 1.04m for crisis accommodation
Shadow Assistant Minister for Communities and the Prevention of Family Violence , Senator Jenny McAllister , announced an Albanese Labor Government would provide $ 1.04 million in additional funding for frontline organisations supporting women and children fleeing violence if elected in May .
Announced at the Women ’ s Cottage in Richmond with Macquarie MP Susan Templeman last week ( 28 April ), the funding could help as many as 94 women and children to find refuge , and provide nine extra case workers in the Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains .
“ Victim-survivors are being left to fend for themselves or worse – are forced to return to an abusive partner ,” Ms Templeman said .
“ Resources have been severely stretched in our region due to fires and floods on top of COVID , all of which have increased need .”
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Lower Portland Ferry restricted hours
The Lower Portland Ferry will be operating from 6-10am and 2-10pm until further notice .
Impacts of COVID-19 have unfortunately changed the operating hours , which means no access across the river at this crossing is available between 10am to 2pm at this time .
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Putty Road works
Emergency stabilisation works have enabled both lanes of Putty Road , near McDougall Drive , Colo , to reopen to traffic .
NSW Roads reports critical repairs were required due to the recent wet weather and to remove a single lane closure which was in place due to the risk of boulders falling onto the road .
Unstable boulders at the top of the slope and other loose material were removed , rock bolts and a step ( flat area ) were installed to improve slope stability and reduce further rockfalls .
Other slopes on Putty Road are being investigated , including one south of Wheelbarrow Ridge Road and to the north of the original work site , where a single lane closure will remain in place while repairs are undertaken .
Pre-poll voting Pre-poll voting begins on 9 May . To find out where your venues are , visit aec . gov . au , or call 13 23 26 .
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