with Susan Templeman MP

I always find life is too busy at the end of a year to stop and reflect , but , for me , January is the chance to think about what difference I ’ ve been able to help make to the Hawkesbury and what more needs to be done .

Clearly , it ’ s tough economic times here and around the world , with higher costs for necessities like mortgages and rents , electricity , groceries , fuel and insurance , making things difficult for many people .

Our cost-of-living relief measures have aimed to provide some support no matter what your personal circumstances .

If you ’ re employed , you ’ ve had a tax cut ; if you pay your electricity bill ,

you ’ ll have seen $ 150 off it since a July with another $ 150 to come ; if you need medicine , we ’ ve reduced the cost of scripts and we ’ ve paid GPs more to bulk-bill .

If you ’ ve got children in childcare , we ’ ve provided greater subsidies for fees ; if you receive social services benefits , pensions are up and rent assistance has had the biggest rise in 30 years .

If you ’ re a self-funded retiree , we ’ ve made it easier to get the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card by lifting the income limits to $ 158,440 for couples which means access to bulk-billing and cheaper medicines .

If you need mental health support , there are now free services locally at the Richmond Medicare Mental Health Service

and Headspace . If you work in aged care or childcare there have been significant wage rises , and overall , we ’ re seeing wages moving up for the first time in a decade .

If you have student debt , it ’ s just been cut so your repayments should reduce , and we ’ re committed to cutting it by a further 20 percent this year .

If you do the grocery shopping , we ’ ve made the laws stronger so we can act when supermarkets are doing dodgy things , and we ’ re putting downward pressure on prices with free access for everyone to the Choice survey showing who ’ s cheapest . ( Here ’ s a tip - it ’ s been Aldi the last two surveys ). And we ’ ve boosted funding for emergency and food relief and financial

support services by $ 138 million because we know how tough it can be to feed a family .

In their conversations with me , people tell me they ’ ve benefited from one or more of these things , but I know it doesn ’ t balance the household budget ledger .

So I ’ ll continue to work every day , as part of an Albanese government , to get costs down for families , wages up for workers and inflation back to where it should be .

We have more to do and I ’ ll start 2025 as I always do , working hard every day , as part of an Albanese government , to get costs down for families , wages up for workers and inflation back to where it should be .

with Hawkesbury City Mayor Les Sheather

Happy New Year Hawkesbury ! I hope that everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas season , and that 2025 is a prosperous year for you , your loved ones and the Hawkesbury as a whole .

January is always a great time in the Hawkesbury . The weather is warm and there is plenty to do and explore . If you have schoolaged children , check out our libraries , gallery and museum for a full schedule of school holiday

activities at www . hawkesbury . nsw . gov . au / library / whats-on .

If you ’ re looking for a day trip , a weekend escape , or even a spot of apple-picking , our Visitor Information Centre has you covered ! Check out www . discoverthehawkebury . com . au for ideas , maps and itineraries .

If you ’ re looking to cool off , Hawkesbury Oasis Aquatic and Fitness Centre and Richmond Swimming Centre are the best places to swim .

Rivers can have submerged objects , deceptively fast currents

and be prone to sudden changes in depth and water quality during rain .

If you are out on a boat , please wear a lifejacket . Our awardwinning river safety campaign is helping spread this message throughout the Hawkesbury and neighbouring LGAs .

Australia Day is coming up . This is always a special day where we recognise the hard work of locals with our Australia Day Awards , confer citizenship on new citizens and of course gather to celebrate what makes our country

and city great at Australia Day on the Hawkesbury at Governor Phillip Park . Please join us from 5pm to 9pm for food , live entertainment , emergency service displays , carnival rides , thongthrowing competition and the ever-popular fireworks finale .

Council is always looking to connect with our residents about the future and direction of our City . There are plenty of important face-to-face and online opportunities to have your say coming soon , so stay tuned for more details .