Georges River still in poor health in southwest Sydney, report shows
THE health of the Georges River in southwest Sydney remains relatively poor compared with other parts of the river, plagued by stormwater and rubbish problems, the latest report card shows.
The Express
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THE health of the Georges River in southwest Sydney remains relatively poor compared with other parts of the river, plagued by stormwater and rubbish problems, the latest report card shows.
The 2016-17 River Health Report Cardfor the Georges River recently gave the Georges River Estuary, which encompasses Liverpool Weir and Chipping Norton Lakes, an overall grade of B-, meaning it is in good ecological condition.
But that is where the good news ends, with a majority of the river that runs through Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool and Fairfield recording poor health.
The report, released by the Georges River Combined Councils Committee, showed the lower Georges tributaries in Canterbury-Bankstown, such as Little Salt Pan Creek, were in poor ecological condition, rated D-, while Prospect Creek in Fairfield was in a worse state with a grade of E+.
The ratings consider factors such as riparian vegetation, water quality and diversity of freshwater macroinvertebrates.
GRCCC program manager Beth Salt said urbanised areas have “a great deal” of hard or impervious surfaces, increasing the amount of stormwater that runs off into local creeks.
This is in contrast to forested areas, such as the Woronora River which received a rating of A+.
Last year 63 tonnes of rubbish were removed from the river system across the southwest through the GRCCC’s Riverkeeper program.
Ms Salt said plastic was a major problem because marine animals, including fish and birds, consume the plastic thinking it is food and eventually die.
Many people had become used to “living near highly degraded waterways”.
“Although we know much about the problems that urbanisation causes for waterways ... the investment to achieve multiple values for urban waterways, rather than just using them as drains to carry polluted water, is lagging behind our knowledge.”
Ms Salt said enforceable stormwater quality and quantity targets, similar to targets adopted by the Victorian and Queensland governments, would “dramatically improve the health of these subcatchments”.
“All future development would have to ensure they are meeting stormwater quality and quantity targets,” Ms Salt said.
She added that it would take only a couple of years for the river to improve.
“However, a change from a D or E to a B is dramatic and it would most likely take a couple of decades to be realised. This would be an investment for future generations, for our kids and their kids. Whether the urbanised subcatchment can achieve an A+ is unknown, however achieving even a B would still classify the subcatchment as good,” she said