COUNCILLOR MITCHELL BLUE
The Hills Shire Plan
At a recent meeting of Council, The Hills Shire Plan was adopted. As I set out in my last monthly update, there are a number of significant projects included for North Ward, particularly sporting fields and key intersection upgrades. I look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition in the not-too-distant future.
Platypus
Early in June I was invited to attend a Platypus Spotting event organised by Cattai Hills Environment Network, The Environment Centre at Annangrove and Dr. Michelle Ryan from Western Sydney University. Since 2020, CHEN and WSU have partnered together to bring awareness to the community about the existence of platypus living within the creeks of The Hills Shire using non evasive environmental DNA. At the spotting event, we split into groups and headed out to different locations. We monitored conditions, looked out for platypus and noted our findings. Unfortunately, on this occasion we didn’t spot any.
Flood Recovery
During the floods in March, a number of roads along the Hawkesbury River suffered a significant amount of damage. River Rd was impacted heavily. Now that temporary repairs have been carried out, the road has been opened to one lane with a 3T limit. Council are investigating options for the permanent restoration of River Rd. There is a large amount of work to be done on this road to have it fully repaired and in some areas, rebuilt. I look forward to seeing these works progress.
Several roads in Sackville North were damaged by either floods or heavy rains earlier this year. Parts of Pages Wharf Rd were washed into the river, Mud Island Rd suffered damage and Chapel Hill Rd has been impacted by heavy scouring. I met with residents of Sackville North and Maroota to discuss their issues and look for a way forward.
Driving along Old Northern Rd between Glenorie and Wisemans Ferry, I have noticed a significant number of potholes that are causing serious issues for motorists. Temporary repairs were carried out during the rain events however these now require permanent repair. As Old Northern Rd is a State road, not Council, I have passed on correspondence to Transport for NSW to get some movement on this.
Progress Association Meetings
This month I attended Glenorie and Box Hill/Nelson Progress Association meetings. These meetings are a great way for residents to raise concerns. I always enjoy these meetings as it is a way to hear what matters most for residents.
At the Glenorie meeting, we discussed the development application for a new service station in Glenorie along with their Koala project. It’s great to see the new footpath from Glenorie Village to Les Shore Oval almost complete. This will link the two sites together and provide a safe and accessible path for pedestrians.
At Box Hill we discussed traffic, intersection upgrades and the delivery of new parks. A number of projects that address intersection upgrades are included in The Hills Shire Plan, so I am looking forward to seeing them commenced. As for the delivery of parks to the Box Hill area, it is clear that the residents require more. I will be pushing for this wherever I can and am hoping to have more on this soon.
Waves
The final touches are being made to the Waves Pool redevelopment at Baulkham Hills, with the centre expected to be open in the coming months (weather permitting). This facility will be world class with a number of pools and a state-of-the-art fitness centre. The facility is looking fantastic, and I can’t wait to see it opened to the community.
Glenorie Rural Fire Brigade
Glenorie Brigade have celebrated their 75th anniversary. This is no small feat. An extraordinary milestone recognising the important role that the brigade play in providing fire protection to Glenorie, The Hills, the state and country. I no doubt speak for many in thanking the volunteers of Glenorie Brigade, both past and present, for their sustained efforts over 75 years.
If there is anything I can be of assistance with, please send me an email or give me a call. I am more than happy to assist where I can. Until next time.
Councillor Mitchell Blue [email protected] 0400 449 324
COUNCILLOR VIRGINIA ELLIS
WestInvest Community Project Fund WestInvest program will help fund and deliver transformation projects that will enhance communities and help create jobs throughout Western Sydney.
The $5 billion funding will be administered in two ways:
$2 billion for the Community Project Grants
Local Government Allocation is approximately $400 million directly allocated to 15 eligible local councils in Western Sydney whilst the Competitive Round is approximately $1.6 billion in a competitive community grants program.
A further $3 billion is available to NSW Government agencies to deliver transformational projects of benefit to local communities.
It is pleasing to see that several groups have applied for possible funding to help with starting new projects and others that are looking at supplementing previously completed projects which will benefit from additional monies. All in all, I believe that those that have applied have the potential to deliver transformational change for the wider community and for the advantage of all residents living in the Hills Shire.
Road Works
Intersection of Edwards Rd and Annangrove has for months been a safety issue for drivers travelling towards Windsor Rd. Those of us that had the unfortunate need to overtake vehicles turning right into Edwards Rd by moving across to the shoulder found themselves falling into a crevasse that resulted in many having a tyre blow out. Finally, the problem has been solved and council have laid asphalt on the shoulder allowing for vehicles to pass on the left safely.
Our next target is to have council address the issue with the state of Boundary Rd. We are currently seeking a response and explanation from Council as to why the road work is taking an extraordinary amount of time to complete. Not only has it reduced the highly trafficked road to one lane, but it has also meant that the lane available is full of significant potholes.
Please reach out if you have issues I can help with or if you have come across ‘good news stories’ you may want to share.
Stay safe Councillor Virginia Ellis clr.[email protected] 0400 552 041
