Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Updates for Hawkesbury Residents

Parks and sports grounds are open for the community to use for exercise only. Playgrounds, skate parks and BBQ facilities are closed as these areas are popular places for people to congregate. If you are attending a local park to exercise it must be in groups of 2 people only, unless you are with immediate family members.

Picnics are not exercise. The Public Health Order says to stay at home when you can.
The Public Health Order will be enforced by the NSW Police. To read the Public Health order go to https://bit.ly/2RlaL1z

The Companion Animal Shelter will be CLOSED to the general public from Friday, 10 April to Monday, 13 April due to the Coronovirus (COVID-19) crisis. We currently have a small amount of animals in our care which will still receive care over the weekend. Closing to the general public this long weekend will reduce the risk to our staff and ensure that we will be able to continue operating the Shelter which is in the best interest of the animals in our care.

For any urgent matters, please call 4560 4444

How to stay busy at home with the kids this Easter school holidays.

🥚🐰🥚🐰HAWKESBURY'S EASTER GUIDE 🐰🥚🐰🥚

We understand that this long weekend everyone will be looking for fun things to do with your families whilst staying at home. 🏠🏠

We have put together an a fun filled ‘Easter Guide’ for all families to enjoy.

The guide includes Easter arts, crafts, recipes, games, Winter vege gardening tips and walking/ cycling paths in the Hawkesbury. 🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️

We wish you all a happy and safe Easter.

👉 Check out the side tab to view our Easter Guide. Click here for the Ultimate Hawkesbury Easter Guide

The current Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has resulted in the closure of a number of service centres that offered access to showers for persons experiencing homelessness, including gyms and Hawkesbury Indoor Sports Stadium. To ensure people experiencing homelessness continue to have access to showers Council will open the shower facilities under Richmond and Windsor Grandstands.

These shower facilities will be open Monday - Friday from 6.30am to 9am and 6.30am to 8.30am on weekends.

Council continues to provide its normal waste bin collection services (red, yellow and green lid bins) to residents.

Whilst the Waste Management Facility at South Windsor is temporarily closed to the public residents with a general waste (red lid) bin collection service are also entitled to one annual kerbside collection for bulky goods and household cleanup.

For those residents in our outer areas who do not receive the normal general waste (red lid) bin collection service we understand that the temporary closure of the Waste Management Facility may cause some difficulties. If this affects you please contact Council's Customer Service Centre on 4560 4444 to discuss options for Council to assist you.

TAFE NSW in conjunction with NSW Government is offering a number of fee-free short courses online to help you learn new skills and discover new opportunities to further your education, career or business. Find out more here https://www.tafensw.edu.au/fee-free-short-courses.

Sole traders may be eligible for the JobKeeper payment if their turnover has reduced relative to a comparable period one year ago. For more information, visit here

For more information about employer and employee eligibility guidelines, visit here

Friends, family and business owners seeking information on small business support, visit here the Service NSW information hub for small business impacted by COVID19.

Opportunity for NSW businesses to help fill the medical supply chain

The NSW Government is seeking expressions of interest from NSW businesses that can help supply or make components of urgently needed medical equipment and sanitation aids including:

• hand sanitiser
• examination gloves
• disinfectant and cleaning products
• handwash and soap
• masks
• eyewear
• gowns and protective overalls
• paper products, including toilet and tissue paper.

Businesses:

• may register their interest online here
• do not currently have to manufacture the listed products, but should be capable of changing their production lines to supply these products
• who need to change their existing operations to take up this opportunity should email the Global NSW Concierge team for assistance contactus@global.nsw.gov.au

Visit NSW Government for more information.

Considerations for vulnerable workers

National Cabinet has endorsed the advice that workers classified as vulnerable to serious illness if they become unwell, must undergo a risk assessment and be redeployed to non-customer-based roles where possible. Where risk cannot be appropriately mitigated, arrangements should be considered to accommodate a workplace absence.

• People classified as vulnerable are:
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders 50 years and older with one or more chronic medical conditions;
• 65 years and older with chronic medical conditions;
• 70 years and older; and
• those with compromised immune systems

Visit Australian Government Department of Health for more information.

Due to the Coronavirsus (COVID-19) pandemic the Extraordinary Council Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, 7 April 2020 to consider the Draft 2020/2021 Operational Plan has been cancelled.

The Draft 2020/2021 Operational Plan will now be considered at the Council Meeting on Tuesday, 28 April 2020. We apologise for any inconvenience.

TUESDAY, 31 MARCH 2020 - VALID UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Facilities that are operating as usual are:
✅All kerbside collections – domestic, recycling and green waste
✅Kerbside collection
✅Hawkesbury Companion Animal Shelter (by appointment only, please call 4560 4644)
✅Council meetings
✅Customer Service telephone, email and Facebook
✅Visitor Information Centre telephone, email and Facebook
✅Parks (residents need to adhere to the NSW Government Legislation on Movement and Social Distancing).

⚠️Council encourages everyone to use its online services at www.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au and for any enquiries, including bushfire recovery enquiries, please call Council’s Customer Service on 4560 4444 or email council@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au

In order to try to keep our community safe the following Council services are currently closed until further notice:
❌Council Administration Building
❌Hawkesbury Central Library
❌Richmond Branch Library
❌Hawkesbury Regional Museum
❌Hawkesbury Regional Gallery
❌Richmond Swimming Centre
❌Oasis Aquatic and Leisure Centre, South Windsor
❌Hawkesbury Indoor Stadium
❌Hawkesbury Community Nursery
❌Upper Colo Reserve
❌All Tennis Courts
❌All Community Centres for public access, please contact via phone
❌Waste Management Facility
❌Playgrounds (including BBQ's and gym equipment)
❌Skate parks