A crisp morning at Windsor beach and the foggy stillness around North Richmond pier were among the beautiful scenes captured for a Hawkesbury River photo competition, and the winning shots will be made into a 2022 calendar.
The Our Hawkesbury River photo competition is a collaboration between six local councils that border the river - Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Central Coast, Ku-ring-gai, Hills Shire and Northern Beaches - and the NSW Government.
The photo competition began on World Rivers Day in September to coincide with the release of Stage 2 of the Hawkesbury-Nepean Coastal Management Program (CMP), an initiative established in 2018 by the six councils and the NSW Government.
The purpose is to establish an integrated framework to support the coordinated management and ecologically-sustainable development of the river system, with an aim to maintain and enhance the Hawkesbury River's social, cultural, economic and environmental values and preserve the river and its catchment for future generations.
Hawkesbury City Council Manager Strategic Planning, Andrew Kearns, congratulated all the winners and entrants of the photo competition.
"We look forward to seeing the 2022 calendar that will feature photos from the competition and showcase our region to visitors and locals alike," Mr Kearns said.
"This competition has been a wonderful way to engage our wider communities in the importance of our river systems, and the need to protect them through Coastal Management Programs."
Hornsby resident Daniel B. took out the top honour with his winning shot titled 'Blue Bobbin Bioluminescence' taken at Apple Tree Bay, Bobbin Head.
Hawkesbury resident Brooke G. won second place for 'A super crisp morning on the Hawkesbury River at Windsor beach'.
Paul B. won third place with a photo of North Richmond Pier, called 'The eerie stillness of the Hawkesbury River on a foggy morning'.
Each of the three winners receives a NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service annual All Parks Pass.
Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock said teamwork between the six councils and the NSW Government saw hundreds of stunning photos pour in with talent and skill demonstrated in spades.
"The competition was steep, reflecting the calibre of photographers in the area, and I commend the six councils for successfully engaging with the community right along the Hawkesbury River," she said.
Hornsby Shire Council's General Manager Steven Head said: "This is a starting point for councils to find out what the community values most about the Hawkesbury River, and what needs protection now and into the future."
The CMP is being conducted with funding from the six councils and the NSW Government, including $371,662 in grants from the NSW Government's Coastal and Estuary Grants Program.
Find out more about the CMP at hawkesburynepeancmp.org
The calendar will be available for viewing and download from hawkesburynepeancmp.org/engagement