Sydney Water orders Hawkesbury Radio to vacate its Windsor studio

Hawkesbury Radio, a community station that has served Sydney’s north‑west since 1978, has been served an eviction notice by its landlord, Sydney Water. The utility said the small shack beside a water tower in Windsor does not meet current building‑code standards and gave the station three months to relocate, with a deadline of January.

The station, which operates solely as an online streaming service after losing its FM licence in 2022, reaches roughly 5,000 unique listeners each month. It relies on a volunteer team of about 20 people who produce local news, event coverage and occasional sports broadcasts, such as past Penrith Panthers NRL games.

Presenter Leon Watson warned that the loss of the station would be “devastating” for residents who have depended on it during emergencies, citing the series of bushfires and floods that affected the region between 2019 and 2022. Board member James Glendenning, who has been involved with the station since 1982, added that in the 1990s the station attracted around 20,000 daily listeners, particularly in areas like Colo and Bilpin where city‑based broadcasts are weak.

Hawkesbury City Council has offered assistance in locating a new venue for the station, but as of the latest report no suitable alternative premises have been identified. If a new location is not secured before the deadline, the station may be forced to cease its online broadcasts.