Hawkesbury Radio faces eviction after Sydney Water deems studio unsafe
Sydney Water has ordered community broadcaster Hawkesbury Radio to vacate its Windsor studio within three months, threatening its future.
Eviction notice puts Hawkesbury Radio at risk
Hawkesbury Radio, a 48‑year‑old community station, has been told by its landlord Sydney Water to leave its studio next to a water tower in Windsor. The utility says the modest shack does not meet building code requirements.
The station has three months to relocate, with a deadline of January. If a new location is not secured, the broadcaster will have to stop its online streaming, which currently reaches about 5,000 unique listeners a month across seven days a week.
Founded in 1978, the station moved to streaming‑only after losing its FM licence in 2022.
It operates with roughly 20 volunteers and has historically served the peri‑urban north‑west of Sydney.
Hawkesbury City Council is assisting the search for alternative premises, but no suitable site has been identified yet.
Presenter Leon Watson warned that the closure would be “devastating” for locals, noting the station’s role during the series of bushfire and flood events between 2019 and 2022. He recalled how the team provided updates at least every 15 minutes during those emergencies.
Board member James Glendenning, involved since 1982, said residents in areas such as Colo and Bilpin relied on Hawkesbury Radio for emergency information when city‑based broadcasts were unavailable. He recalled the station once attracted about 20,000 daily listeners in the 1990s and also aired local events, sport and even Penrith Panthers NRL games.
Both Watson and Glendenning emphasized that the station offers “a local voice” that connects the community, and they fear its loss would leave a significant gap in regional communication.
The station’s future now hinges on finding a new, code‑compliant home before the January deadline, or else its online presence may go silent.
