NSW Reconstruction Authority Listens to Community through Photo Comp

The NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) has launched its inaugural Living with the River photo competition to celebrate the Hawkesbury-Nepean River and illustrate some of the risks for communities living on a floodplain.

The Living with the River photo competition highlights the resilience and adaptability of the Hawkesbury-Nepean community.

Participants are encouraged to submit photographs reflecting the diverse ways in which the river impacts daily life, culture, and the environment.

Local artist and ambassador of the competition is Archibald Prize-winning artist, Blak Douglas who is known for his powerful depictions of Indigenous culture and environmental themes.

He also grew up in Penrith and has a deep connection to the Hawkesbury-Nepean.

The competition is running alongside the NSW Reconstruction Authority’s Disaster Adaptation Plan (DAP) development, to reduce flood risk in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley, the first DAP in the state.

As part of this work the images will showcase the river through the eyes of those living on the floodplain.

A prize pool valued at $5,000 across five categories:

• Primary School;

• High School;

• Open;

• AI; and

• Semi-Professional, including a special prize - a half-day photography workshop for the winning secondary school, valued at $2,200.

So far, the RA has received more than 130 photo entries with the closing date on February 2, 2025.

Participants can submit their entries through the NSW Reconstruction Authority website.

Visit www.nsw.gov.au/living-with-the-river

For more information about the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley DAP or to share your thoughts on flood risk reduction, visit the Have Your Say page.

• Topics:

• Arts and Media
• Competitions