Draft Thriving Hawkesbury: Beyond Resilience Strategy

Exhibition of Draft Thriving Hawkesbury: Beyond Resilience Strategy

Council is inviting community members to view and comment on Council’s Draft Thriving Hawkesbury: Beyond Resilience Strategy, which will be on public exhibition for a period of 42 days, from Friday 1 August 2025 to Thursday 11 September 2025.

The Draft Thriving Hawkesbury: Beyond Resilience Strategy provides a strategic framework and road map for strengthening our resilience together, building on the strengths and efforts of our community.

The draft Strategy has been informed from preparation of background research and community engagement.

Importantly, the draft Strategy builds on and consolidates the work that is already being delivered across our region, not just by Council but by volunteers, local community organisations, businesses, service providers and other agencies.

By consolidating existing knowledge, actions, and directions, this draft Strategy aims to provide strategic guidance for action towards progressing resilience in the Hawkesbury.

Thriving Hawkesbury: Beyond Resilience Strategy Vision:

“A strong, connected and prepared Hawkesbury that is empowered to endure, adapt and thrive.”

Thriving Hawkesbury: Beyond Resilience Strategy Strategic Directions:

The draft Strategy establishes five Strategic Directions to support and contribute towards Council’s vision of a more resilient Hawkesbury, including:

• Strategic Direction 1: Great Place to Live

The Hawkesbury should have the social assets it needs to thrive. The community should be able to live, work and play comfortably and have equitable access to social services, transport, housing, education and employment opportunities.

• Strategic Direction 2: Caring for Country

Caring for nature and living sustainably. Understanding that we are all a part of an ecosystem and must behave accordingly. Take care of Country and Country will take care of you.

• Strategic Direction 3: Connected for Strength

Our communities are connected. Hawkesbury residents from all walks of life are empowered to work together to prepare, adapt and recover in times of crisis.

• Strategic Direction 4: Prepared and Informed

Every member of our community understands the risks they face and is empowered to work together to prepare for and recover from shocks events.

• Strategic Direction 5: Our Hawkesbury

Strong partnerships between governments, service providers, community organisations, local businesses and residents form the foundation for capacity building, knowledge sharing and cooperation.

The Strategic Directions identify key priorities and actions and create a platform for collaboration and partnerships between the community, businesses, government agencies and non-government organisations.

Community Engagement:

Council has undertaken a range of stakeholder engagement activities for multiple overlapping strategic documents in recent years which have guided the development of this draft Strategy. In addition, over 500 community members were directly engaged in the development of the draft Strategy and provided feedback through the following methods:

• Online Survey
  • Helped us understand our community’s preparedness, knowledge of resilience and their priorities for the draft Strategy.
• Service Providers Meetings
  • Local service providers told us about their experiences working within the Hawkesbury, with a focus on strengths, challenges and ideas for resilience.
• Pop-Up Stalls In Windsor, Richmond, Bilpin & St Albans
  • We were out in our community to give people a chance to meet the project team, provide feedback and ask questions.
• Interviews With Community Leaders
  • Conversations with local community leaders helped us gain deeper insights into the shocks and stresses impacting our communities and priorities for the draft Strategy.
• Community Focus Groups
  • We hosted a face-to-face workshop where community members shared their stories and challenges of resilience. We also ran an independently recruited focus group online.
• Targeted Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islanders Engagement
  • We spoke to local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members to hear their stories of resilience and ideas for the future.
• Youth Engagement
  • During the development of the Hawkesbury Environmental Sustainability Strategy, Youth were engaged for a Youth Forum and Survey. Feedback from this engagement has been considered for this draft Strategy.

Thriving Hawkesbury: Beyond Resilience Strategy Desired Outcomes:

The priority investments into Desired Outcomes are:

• Embed first Nations knowledge and practices in land management
• Increase tree canopy and habitat
• Support electrification and energy transition
• Address Greater Sydney’s waste crisis
• Improve heat resilience of communities in Hawkesbury
• Better connect communities with Active and Public transport
• Facilitate inclusive access to social infrastructure
• Identify and engage community leaders in resilience and emergency planning and improve community leadership redundancy
• Provide up to date local data and information on website
• Strengthen the resilience of Council Assets.

The Draft Thriving Hawkesbury: Beyond Resilience Strategy is listed under the Documents tab on this page, or can be viewed at:

• Council’s Administration Building, 366 George Street, Windsor, Monday to Friday during opening hours, 9am to 4pm.

Council will receive submissions via the Survey Tab below, in writing addressed to the General Manager, by mail to Hawkesbury City Council, PO Box 146 Windsor NSW 2756, or by email to council@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au up to 11 September 2025.

Should you lodge a submission, it will be considered, along with any other submissions received and may be included in Council’s meeting business paper. Your submission, including any personal information is accessible by any person upon written application, subject to Council’s Privacy Management Plan and the Government Information (Public Access) Act, 2009. The inclusion of personal information in your submission is voluntary, however, if not provided, may affect consideration of the submission. The information will ultimately be stored in Council’s records system.

The last day for the receipt of submissions is 11 September 2025.

Should you have any enquiries with respect to this matter, please contact Jack Kensey, Council’s Environmental Sustainability Coordinator on (02) 4560 4444 or attention email enquiries to council@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au (External link) with reference to the Draft Thriving Hawkesbury: Beyond Resilience Strategy.