Councillor Mitchell Blue
0400 449 324 | [email protected]
Well, the rain just doesn’t seem to stop. Great progress is being made on the Pages Wharf Rd repair at Sackville North. Stone retaining walls are being constructed and road stabilisation works being undertaken. Hopefully works are completed soon and then attention can turn to Chapel Hill Rd. Repair works to River Rd have commenced which is good to see, however given the damage caused, it may take some time. In Lower Portland, I am working with residents on flood evacuation routes and the ongoing clean-up of creeks, tributaries and drains following the flood. Hopefully, we have some movement on these issues shortly.
In late September, I attended a community day for disaster planning and recovery in Wisemans Ferry, organised by the Wisemans Ferry Rural Fire Brigade. Attendees heard from the RFS, SES, Police, Resilience NSW, Endeavour Energy along with Peppercorn Services. It was great day and really showed off the community spirit in The Hills. This was also Wisemans Ferry Brigades Get Ready Event. I would like to thank the Shire’s RFS Brigades for their successful Get Ready Events educating our residents on bushfire preparedness. I understand things may be wet now, which has increased vegetation growth, but when everything dries out, we need to be prepared.
The rain continues to cause significant impact to the road network in the Shire, particularly in North Ward. Temporary emergency repairs continue to be carried out to make safe with more permanent repairs, through heavy patching being carried out when weather and contractor availability permit. I thank residents for their patience and whilst I know the situation isn’t ideal, council staff and contractors are doing their best to get on top of these. Please continue to report potholes through council’s website.
As the NBN installation begins to make its way to our more rural properties in North Ward, several residents have contacted me advising that they are experiencing issues having their council approved secondary dwellings connected to the network. Although telecommunication is not a council responsibility, I will advocate on their behalf to find a resolution.
If there is anything I can be of assistance with, please send me an email or give me a call. I am here to advocate on your behalf and am more than happy to assist where I can.
Councillor Virginia Ellis
0400 552 041 | [email protected]
Spring again in the Hills Shire and time to celebrate the warming temperatures and flowers starting to blossom as well as what the Hills Shire is well known for- The Orange Blossom Festival. With numerous activities and family entertainment made available, many people including myself, were lucky enough to have attended a performance of Gustav Holst’s ‘The Planets’ performed by the Hills Shire Symphony Orchestra at the Pioneer theatre in Castle Hill.
Not only was I impressed with the quality of the performance, but the theatre lent itself to such a performance as the acoustics were incredible, and to be seated so close to the orchestra made it an amazing experience. It is times like this that I realise how lucky we are to have such a facility and such talent in the Hills Shire. I encourage everyone to keep an eye on what the next performances may be and take the opportunity to take advantage of this fantastic facility.
On a sadder note, it was devastating news to hear that Queen Elizabeth II had passed away. I certainly have not known any other Monarch during my lifetime, and I do not think there is anything that can be said other than that during her reign, she managed to bring all the Commonwealth Nations together without ever getting herself involved in issues outside of her realm. We now move on and hope that King Charles will be as exemplary a monarch as was his mother.
Stay safe and please do not hesitate to reach out if I can help in any way.
