HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT IND 180 May 2025 | Page 4

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LOCAL LIFE

Susan Templeman retains

Macquarie with stronger margin

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Susan Templeman has secured a fourth term as the Member for Macquarie, achieving a significant boost in voter support during the 2025 federal election. The Labor MP increased her margin to 8.5 %, a substantial rise from the razor-thin 371-vote victory she claimed in 2019.
Her re-election reflects strong community support across the diverse Macquarie electorate, which spans the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury regions.
Throughout the campaign, Templeman focused on key local concerns such as the rising cost of living, improved infrastructure, and disaster preparedness. She has remained a vocal advocate for flood and bushfire mitigation— issues especially relevant to a community that has faced repeated natural disasters in recent years.
The electorate saw a competitive race, with six candidates vying for the seat: Matthew Jacobson( One Nation), Mike Creed( Liberal), Joaquim De Lima( Libertarian), Terry Morgan( The Greens), Roger Gerard( Family First), and incumbent Susan Templeman. Ultimately, her consistent visibility and hands-on engagement with residents helped secure a convincing result.
Templeman has represented Macquarie since 2016 and is well known for her leadership during critical events such as the Black Summer bushfires and major Hawkesbury floods. Her work in coordinating relief efforts and addressing gaps in emergency communications has strengthened her standing as a responsive and community-focused representative.
In her role within the Albanese Government, Templeman has
supported national initiatives around cost-of-living relief, healthcare improvements, and the transition to clean energy. With her re-election, she reaffirms her commitment to ensuring that local voices are heard in Canberra.
As she enters her fourth term, Templeman remains focused on delivering practical outcomes for the people of Macquarie— continuing her efforts to build a resilient, connected, and forward-looking community.

It’ s show time again: The 138th Hawkesbury Show is on!

The 138th Hawkesbury Show is set to be a must-visit event this year, with plans well underway for an exciting weekend on 9th, 10th, and 11th May. Taking place over the Mother’ s Day weekend, it’ s the perfect outing for the whole family.
Your admission ticket grants access to a wide range of free activities and entertainment, including entry to all pavilions, the main arena’ s spectacular performances, commercial displays, stage entertainment, and livestock sheds.
A popular attraction for visitors of all ages, the combined Emergency Services display— featuring the RAAF and Hawkesbury City Council— will once again be a key highlight. Meanwhile, the“ Taste of Hawkesbury Marquee” will showcase local producers offering samples of their finest goods.
For those with a competitive streak, the district’ s butchers will battle it out for bragging rights in the Sausage and Burger Competitions, which take place on Friday. Non-Stop Entertainment Throughout the day, the showgrounds will be buzzing with entertainment, including sheep-shearing demonstrations, yard dog displays, and the ever-popular
racing pigs. The tabletop express show will also delight audiences, while the entertainment stage will feature an array of dancers and performers across all three days.
The Ultimate Crown Showdown competition will take centre stage on Friday and Saturday nights, with talented contestants vying for the grand prize. And don’ t miss the spectacular fireworks displays on both nights, as well as the jawdropping motorbike stunts performed by
Airtime FMX.
Laughter is guaranteed with the Chicken Run comedy team, while the Hot Wheels Stunt Team will leave the crowd in awe. The Rooftop Express Show, showcasing impressive horsemanship and bison demonstrations, will also take place in the main arena.
Woodchopping fans can enjoy thrilling competitions on both Friday and Saturday nights, with a dramatic treefelling relay event set to steal the spotlight on Friday. A Showcase of the Best Saturday will bring even more action to the Woodchop Arena, with various handicap, boys’, ladies’, and championship chopping events. Two standout competitions— the State Title Butchers Block and the Australian 375mm
Underhand Championship— will attract top axemen from across the country.
Animals play a huge role in the Hawkesbury Show, with a fantastic display of poultry, cats, rabbits, dogs, alpacas, donkeys, cattle, sheep, goats, ducks, and horses. The Hawkesbury Pavilion will house alpacas and sheep, alongside demonstrations of spinning, weaving, felting, and shearing. If you’ ve ever wanted to walk an alpaca, this pavilion is the place to be on Sunday.
This year’ s revamped sheep competition will feature the Suffolk breed as the main display, alongside several rare breeds. Creative Displays and Family Fun The Lego section continues to grow in popularity, with themed categories including Mother’ s Day, Space, and Build a Family Home, as well as a team-building competition.
In the Philip Charley Pavilion, visitors can admire an impressive variety of exhibits, from lapidary and paper craft to woodwork, orchids, decorated cakes, knitting, honey, patchwork, cacti, jams, agriculture, wool, and cross-stitch. This vibrant showcase of art, craft, horticulture, and agriculture truly captures the spirit
of the Hawkesbury. The Auxiliary will also be selling tickets for their annual raffle, with this year’ s major prize featuring a gardening theme.
For those looking for an adrenaline rush, Side Show Alley will offer thrilling rides, an array of delicious food, and showbags to satisfy every sweet tooth. The Ferris wheel remains a favourite spot for romantic proposals— how many will we see this year? Supporting the Community This year’ s Community Corner will be home to volunteers from the Hope4U Foundation. Please take a moment to support this incredible local charity, dedicated to helping vulnerable people within the community.
The official show opening will take place on Saturday at 1pm, followed by the Grand Parade, a spectacular showcase of the district’ s finest products and businesses. Getting There Public transport is included with your event ticket, covering trains, metro, and light rail services. Simply present your ticket to staff when boarding. For more information and to plan your trip, visit transportnsw. info.
4 ISSUE 180 // MAY 2025 theindependentmagazine. com. au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT