St Joseph's Guest House at Lower Macdonald gains Hawkesbury Council approval to reopen as wedding venue

The Gazette reported in 2017 that weddings would not be permitted at the restored church on At Albans Road, after Hawkesbury Council refused to accept a retrospective development application.

Mr Kavanagh wanted the community to know that the venue had now gained council approval for weddings ending at 7pm catering for up to 60 people.

"I went and saw the town planner and the head of planning and stuck with DA that I already had, then on appeal I got it through," Mr Kavanagh said.

"It's a lunchtime-style wedding venue in one of the oldest catholic churches in Australia.

"We still have the ability to have ten of your best friends stay in the accommodation.

"Once the venue closes at 7pm you can bring your guests to the [Settlers Arms Inn] pub - and it's licensed until midnight - in a beautiful section separated from the main part.

"Then a local [ride sharing] driver Phil can pick everyone up and take them back to their accommodation."

Mr Kavanagh said weddings at St Joseph's would provide a boon for the small array of guest houses in the area.

"It's bringing that little bit of business into our valley where people need that injection of people. In our valley we actually live off those people [giving us business]," he said.

He estimated 80 per cent of residents around St Albans derived their income from people who lived out of town, whether they were day travellers, staying overnight in the accommodation, or Sydney-siders who owned property in the area and relied on local service providers such as those providing lawn and property maintenance.