HAWKESBURY • HILLS • BLACKTOWN
Julie Ryan 0421 574 093 OWNER / EDITOR / PUBLISHER info @ hdinews . com . au PO Box 16 WINDSOR NSW 2756
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
EDITOR
SUB EDITOR
SENIOR JOURNALIST
JOURNALIST
FREELANCE WRITER
CONTRIBUTORS
SOCIAL MEDIA
PHOTOGRAPHY
ADVERTISING SALES
production @ hdinews . com . au
Julie Ryan 0421 574 093 julie @ hdinews . com . au
Lorraine Clifford 0488 025 533 lorraine @ hdinews . com . au
Greg Martin 0420 655 524 greg @ hdinews . com . au
Maryann Jenkins 0427 442 452 maryann @ hdinews . com . au
Lorna Gordon 0402 596 244 lorna @ hdinews . com . au
Siena Piggott Lachlan Turner John Macdonald
Haley De Martin 0408 634 583 haley @ hdinews . com . au
Kathryn Johnston 0422 404 366 kath @ hdinews . com . au
Myee Lallyette 0413 305 578 myee @ hdinews . com . au
David Burnet 0412 448 883 david @ hdinews . com . au
Susan Bird 0415 202 380 susan @ hdinews . com . au
Disclaimer : The comments of columnists and contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Independent magazine group . The Independent nor any person acting on their behalf , may be held responsible for the use to which the information contained in this publication may be put , or for any errors which , despite careful preparation and checking , may appear .
NEWS IN BRIEF
Hawkesbury Community Hubs – see you again in 2023 !
The Hawkesbury Community Hubs in Wilberforce , Colo Heights and St Albans will finish for 2022 on Friday , 16 December and start again on Wednesday , 1 February 2023 .
Would you like to stay up to date on what ’ s going on at Hawkesbury Community Hubs in 2023 ? Register here for updates www . yourhawkesburyyoursay . com . au / hch / survey _ tools / updates .
The Community Hubs team is planning the Hawkesbury Community Hubs program for next year . Your feedback , suggestions and ideas are welcome ! Complete the survey at www . yourhawkesbury-yoursay . com . au / hc / survey _ tools / community-hubs-survey
Want to find out more about the Hubs ? Visit our website www . yourhawkesbury-yoursay . com . au / hch
The Community Hubs are a Bushfire Community Recovery and Resilience Fund project through the joint Commonwealth / State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements .
Cooee Mittigar – free exhibition
Artwork from the award-winning picture book ‘ Cooee Mittigar ’ will be on display at Hawkesbury Central Library , 300 George Street , Windsor until 31 January 2023 . It ’ s a free exhibition , no bookings required .
Have you ever wondered what goes into the making of a picture book ? A selection of panels will be on display from the stunning picture book ‘ Cooee Mittigar ’ by Jasmine Seymour and Leanne Mulgo Watson . Presented by WestWords , the exhibition takes the viewer behind the scenes for a look at the process of creating a picture book .
Cooee Mittigar , meaning ‘ come here friend ’ is an invitation to yana ( walk ) on Darug country . Cooee Mitigar . Tread softly on our lands . Know that this dreaming was here . Is still here . Will be forever . Walk with the creators and see the ongoing connection to Nura , and continued strength of the Darug Mob .
Greeted by Mulgo , the black swan , readers are welcomed to Nura ( country ). Journeying through the seasons , Mulgo describes the land , skyscape , birds , animals , and totems . It is a gentle guide to how Darug people read the seasons and is also an appeal to remember , while offering new ways of seeing and reading the lands of the surrounding Sydney region .
For details on regular library events and library hours , visit www . hawkesbury . nsw . gov . au / library and connect with Hawkesbury Library Service at www . facebook . com / HawkesburyLibrary .
New planning rules to boost farm businesses from 1 December
New planning rules designed to make it easier for farmers to set up agritourism businesses came into effect on 1 December 2022 . Agritourism is a growing sector for both the Australian and NSW economies and is expected to be worth $ 18.6 billion nationally by 2030 . Agritourism opportunities can include farm stays , cafes , cellar doors , retreats , roadside stalls , fruit picking or small wedding venues .
The changes to planning rules include :
• Simplifying planning terms to make it easier for farmers to know how they can use their land for new income streams .
• New planning pathways to allow activities to be either fast-tracked for approval or exempted from approval requirements .
• Landowners will be able to rebuild farm buildings destroyed by natural disasters without planning approval .
For more information visit www . planning . nsw . gov . au / agritourism
Hawkesbury City Council is working in partnership with State and Federal government agencies , business groups , charities and others to inform and support local businesses . Find out more at the Hawkesbury Business Hub at www . hawkesbury . nsw . gov . au / for-business / hawkesbury-business-hub .
FIRE PUMPS ...
DON ’ T PAY TOO MUCH
AUSSIE FIRE CHIEF
* Best pump * Best performance * Best value * 5 year warranty
$ 880 inc GST
Don ’ t compromise on safety FREE Bushfire Survival Guide FREE summer catalogue
QP205SE / GX160
Call for your local dealer 8865 3500 aussiepumps . com . au
4 ISSUE 151 // DECEMBER 2022 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT