Hawkesbury City Council has released a statement of their decision to exclude representatives and staff of the local media outlets Hawkesbury Radio and the Hawkesbury Gazette from Council premises and meetings.

They said that representatives from the two stated have ‘engaged in behaviour that has created a risk to the health and safety of Councillors and staff’ including harassment and defamation posts and comments on social media, repeated factually-inaccurate and biased reporting, despite clear and accessible factual information being readily available and agenda and person-based bullying in order to influence Council business.

The radio station and Gazette can still partake of Council livestreams and request or be provided with written correspondence, including media comments, in line with Council’s adopted policies.

The Council statement is here.