Council

Hilltops Councillor column

Cost shifting from State and Federal Governments to Local Government has been a significant issue for quite some time and is becoming increasingly concerning. A report on this matter has been included in the July Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda, and...

Hilltops looks at inter-council friendships

Hilltops Council has extended a proposal to the City of Canterbury Bankstown to look into the possibility of forming a City Friendship Agreement with the report presented at the July Ordinary Meeting with the recommendation to enter the...

Rebecca Hewson >

Hilltops looks at inter-council friendships

Rebecca Hewson >

Mayor calls for urgent cost shifting action

Mayor Brian Ingram used his Mayoral Minute at the July Ordinary Meeting of Hilltops Council to address the ongoing issue of cost shifting to Councils, specifically, Hilltops Council, following a report that showed the shift is costing ratepayers...

Rebecca Hewson >

Share your thoughts in Hilltops survey

Hilltops Council is once again asking residents to complete its Customer Satisfaction Survey to obtain feedback on a range of Council services and facilities. The survey, last conducted in September and October 2024, aims to measure residents’...

Cost shifting ‘blowout’ exposed in new report

Councils across NSW are now absorbing a staggering $1.5 billion in cost shifting from State and Federal governments each year – a cumulative $11.3 billion over the past decade – according to a new report commissioned by Local Government NSW...

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20 Jul 2025

Hilltops Councillor Column

Hilltops Councillor Column: Mayor Brian Ingram

10 Jul 2025

Road closed to traffic in Harden

Hilltops Council advises that a section of Binalong Street, Harden, from Lucan Street heading east, has been closed to traffic due to a stormwater infrastructure failure, which has resulted in a partial collapse of the road surface. The affected are...

Hilltops Councillor Column

Hilltops Councillor Column: Mayor Brian Ingram

10 Jul 2025

Road closed to traffic in Harden

Hilltops Councillor Column

There has been a great deal of risky decision-making going on globally this week. Have you ever pondered what making a decision really means - and the consequences of that decision if the risks aren’t managed?I attended a quarterly Audit, Risk and...

Delay in Iris St culvert replacement

Hilltops Council wishes to advise that construction works currently underway on Iris Street, Harden, have experienced delays due to adverse weather conditions and additional works required to replace existing stormwater structures. The works to...

Council changes to kerbside collection services

At its April 2025 Ordinary Council Meeting, Council resolved to adopt a standard kerbside collection service that included a three-bin system for general (weekly), recycling (fortnightly) and green waste (fortnightly) for all areas receiving the...

29 Jun 2025

Hilltops Councillor Column

Construction works will soon commence on a significant stormwater trunk drainage upgrade in Young, aimed at improving flood resilience in the town centre. Thanks to funding from the Commonwealth Government’s National Flood Mitigation...

29 Jun 2025

Trunk drainage upgrade in Young

Hilltops Council, with funding support from the Commonwealth Government under the National Flood Mitigation Infrastructure Program and the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy and Water, is delivering a stormwater trunk drainage upgrade for...

22 Jun 2025

Hilltops Councillor column

Finally, great to see some decent rain - it’s amazing how many parts of the Hilltops have greened up in the past two weeks. I never thought I’d be so happy feeding cows wading through the mud in gumboots!Zac’s Place has now opened in Harden...

22 Jun 2025

Hilltops Councillor column

At the May Ordinary Council Meeting, councillors voted to place the Draft Hilltops Economic Development Strategy 2025-2030 on public exhibition for 28 days. This report aligns with the Hilltops Community Strategic Plan 2022-2032, identifying one of...

15 Jun 2025

Hilltops Councillor column

Winter is just around the corner, and while I love this time of year, the cold always takes me by surprise. On Wednesday, 28 May, Hilltops Council held its Ordinary Meeting, where I put forward two key motions. The first motion proposed an assessment...

08 Jun 2025

IPART makes decision on Valuer General charges to Councils

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has released its decisions on the maximum prices the Valuer General can charge local councils for land valuation services, effective from 1 July 2025 for a period of 4 years to 30 June...

08 Jun 2025

Temporary waste station for Rye Park residents

Hilltops Council advises that the Rye Park Waste Facility landfill has reached the end of its operational life and is now permanently closed, in accordance with NSW EPA regulations, which mandate the closure of landfill sites once they reach...

08 Jun 2025

Hilltops Councillor column

Finally, we have had some rain! For us, it was slow and gentle, filling the tanks and revitalising the garden. For those whose livelihoods and animals depend on it, I hope you also had beneficial rain. I was excited that last week marked the first...

01 Jun 2025

Hilltops Councillor Column

The Draft Budget for 2025/26 is currently on public exhibition for the community to review and provide feedback. Unfortunately, we are unlikely to receive many responses for two principal reasons. Firstly, the majority of ratepayers don’t visit the...

18 May 2025

Council adopts draft Internal Audit Charter

Hilltops Council has voted to adopt its draft Internal Audit Charter following its April Ordinary Meeting. Council recommended that Councillors receive and note the report and adopt the draft document with a unanimous response in voting.“At the 22...

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18 May 2025

Proposed crackdown on illegal tree clearing a win for Councils

The state’s peak body for local government has welcomed the NSW Government’s proposed crackdown on illegal tree and vegetation clearing as a major win for councils, communities and the environment in urban areas across the state. Local Government...

18 May 2025

Hilltops Councillor Column

Last week, I was pleased to attend a welcome function for 16 new paramedics joining the Young Ambulance Station. These additional staff will service the wider Hilltops area and enable the Young station to operate 24 hours a day with increased...

11 May 2025

Iris Street temporarily closed for work

Council wishes to advise the temporary road closure of Iris Street, between Albury Street and Neill Street, Harden to facilitate culvert replacement works from Monday 28 April 2025 for up to four weeks. The project includes replacing the existing...