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with Robyn Preston MP Member for Hawkesbury
Well, it’ s 2026 and as we welcome in a new year, it is often a time of reflection- to look around our community and focus on what truly matters.
For me, the spirit of peace and kindness sits at the heart of what makes Hawkesbury such a remarkable place. In moments of challenge and in moments of celebration, it is the way we look after one another that defines us.
Our region has always shown extraordinary resilience and that resilience is strengthened each day by simple acts of generosity. Whether it is checking in on a neighbour, lending a hand during tough times, or offering a warm greeting at a local
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café, these gestures remind us that peace is not just an ideal- it is something we can practise through kindness.
As we begin 2026, I encourage everyone to embrace those small actions that help build a stronger, more compassionate Hawkesbury.
Supporting our local businesses and producers is another powerful way we can show kindness. The Hawkesbury region is blessed with hardworking small business owners, farmers, artisans and creators who form the backbone of our local economy. Their commitment enriches our community and sustains the character of our region.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the villages along Bells Line of Road. From Kurrajong to Bilpin, each village offers something unique- orchards with fresh
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produce, family-run cafés, local beverage manufacturers, boutique stores, nurseries and roadside stalls, that reflect the very best of Hawkesbury ingenuity. These operators have weathered significant challenges in recent years yet continue to greet locals and visitors alike with warmth and optimism.
When you choose to buy a jar of locally made honey, enjoy a meal at your local, choose a handcrafted item or pick your own fruit, you are doing more than making a purchase- you are investing directly into our community’ s future. These small decisions have a significant impact, supporting local jobs, strengthening families and ensuring our villages continue to thrive.
The Macquarie Towns of Richmond
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and Windsor are steeped in history and are worthy of your attention too, so make the time to enjoy a stroll through the mall at Windsor or take in the street scape of beautiful Richmond. These places can be a real tonic for your mental health and wellbeing.
As you move through this year, may you carry with you, a renewed commitment to peace and kindness. Let’ s continue to uplift one another, celebrate what makes our region so special and stand proudly behind our local businesses and primary producers.
I wish you all a safe, joyful and peaceful start to 2026 and I look forward to continuing to serve our wonderful Hawkesbury community throughout this new year.
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with Susan Templeman MP Federal Member for Macquarie
Do you remember 2004?
Our own Aussie Mary became a Princess after she married Frederick, Crown Prince of Denmark, in Copenhagen; Funniest Home Videos was on tv; Australia brought home 50 medals from the Athens Olympics, and Shannon Noll topped the charts with“ What about me”.
And 2004 was also when prescriptions at the chemist cost $ 25.
The good news for 2026 is that we’ ve turned back the clock. And no, you’ re not suddenly 22 years younger, but when you head to the pharmacy for a PBS script, the most it will cost is $ 25- down from $ 31.60.
This is the next stage of our important cost of living measures, with the Albanese
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Government continuing the focus on reducing health costs wherever we can.
If you previously filled one prescription a month at the $ 31.60 price, you’ ll now save $ 79.20 a year. Families filling 4 prescriptions a month will save as much as $ 316.80 a year. Plus, if any of those medicines are eligible for a 60 day prescription and are prescribed as such, you’ ll save a further $ 150 a year. If you’ re on regular medication, ask your GP about 60 day script.
This builds on the work we’ ve done to increase bulk billing, with an incentive for GPs to bulk bill each patient, and an additional incentive to become a 100 % bulk billing practice. This means more people are avoiding an out of pocket gap payment when they visit their GP.
We will also be getting our own Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in the
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Hawkesbury region, open 7 days per week and extended hours, for urgent but not life-threatening situations, so you don’ t have to go to the hospital for things like sporting injuries, minor burns, or insect bites or stings.
Our efforts to bring down the cost of medical treatment are all based on a simple idea – when you’ re sick, you shouldn’ t need a credit card. We want your Medicare card to be all you need.
There are improvements coming for childcare as well. From 5 January 2026, the weekly 3 Day Guarantee of subsidised care starts.
And later in January, the next round of the Housing Australia Future Fund opens inviting community housing providers and state and territory governments to deliver new social and affordable homes to ease housing costs for the most
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vulnerable people. Fee-Free TAFE continues in 2026 helping to build the skilled workforce for construction and essential trades, as well as in the care economy for aged care and childcare.
In 2026 we will also see more work on the New Richmond Bridge project, with Stage 1 works already underway around The Driftway to improve those key intersections, ahead of Stage 2, the bridge itself. Like many others, I’ m really looking forward to that!
I’ d like to again thank our emergency services, our hospital and health system workers, our carers, retail staff and small businesses who have kept working over the Christmas and New Year season to keep us safe, take care of us, and keep the essential services running while the rest of us are taking a little bit of down time.
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