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Cooks River
Community comment on the proposed objectives

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• Overview
• Water quality and value of the resource
• River flows
• Major issues
• Existing programs

Overview

In the Cooks River catchment, a community discussion meeting was held in Campsie on 25 March 1998. The feedback from this meeting and submissions received on the Cooks River catchment showed a high level of community support for a healthy catchment.

Water quality and value of the resource

The views on the Cooks River catchment indicated that the community wanted good-quality water and sufficient flows, and that different parts of the river needed different treatment. For example, areas with remnant bush and more natural foreshores were considered to be in need of protection, while comments about the lower section of the river requested foreshore protection and improvements in water quality.

There was widespread recognition that achievement of the objectives would involve some cost for the community, although many submissions indicated that having a healthy catchment was worthwhile and would have a positive effect on lifestyle and community morale. Most people strongly supported spreading the costs throughout the community, rather than targeting a particular sector. They recognised that the community as a whole would benefit from achieving good Water quality and a flow regime that protected both human and environmental health. The local community said they must be involved in deciding how to work towards meeting the objectives, and in determining actual requirements.

People said they wanted unpolluted water and improved ecology for the long-term viability of ecosystems. A broad range of environmental problems within the catchment was also highlighted (see 'Major issues' below). Many people supported a whole-of-catchment approach, to improve river ecosystems and to stop polluted water from entering the river.

The catchment community supported all the proposed environmental values. Of particular significance to users within the catchment are a healthy aquatic ecology, and water looking pleasant and clean.

River flows

As far as flows were concerned, the responses indicated that the community regarded the most important flow issues were the need to retain some natural variability in the flow regime and to decrease the speed of run-off. As a potential way of managing flows, it was suggested that better vegetation cover would allow the soil to absorb more water. The need to ensure adequate flushing of the catchment was of particular concern to residents.

An improvement in River flowswas seen as beneficial because it would improve the quality of life for humans, create healthier ecosystems, and improve Water quality in the Cooks River catchment.

Major issues

Both the Cooks and the Georges rivers flow into Botany Bay. Water quality and river flow objectives developed for the Cooks and Georges River estuaries will, therefore, need to take into account the influence of these objectives on Botany Bay and its management.

The estuarine areas of Botany Bay have particular needs and problems that are influenced by the nature of the catchments of both the Cooks and Georges rivers. These include the need to preserve wetlands, seagrasses and aquatic ecosystems; and to overcome problems relating to sediment contamination and discharges from marine vessels.

During the consultation period, various issues were identified as being in need of action to achieve a healthy and viable Cooks River system. Major concerns were the impact of sewerage system overflows, and the need to protect remnant vegetation and vegetation along foreshore areas in the catchment.

Other important issues were:

• stormwater entering the river from urban areas in the catchment. Litter from shopping centres and pollution from small industry was specifically mentioned, as was runoff from railways and Kingsford Smith Airport.
• in the lower catchment, constructed stormwater channels and retention basins, sedimentation, and inadequate tidal flushing
• sediment contamination in the Cooks River and Alexandra Canal.

Existing programs

Some of the issues identified already receive considerable attention and resources. Government programs are providing the resources and support needed to address the key issues in the Cooks River catchment. These programs include the $3 billion Waterways Program (May 1997), and the $60 million Urban Stormwater Management Program (September 1997); and assistance through the Estuary Management Program and schemes such as Natural Heritage Trust funding, Rivercare, Waterwatch, local government capital grants and ongoing work by Sydney Water. The Waterways Program provides funds to improve wastewater treatment and disposal and to prevent 80-90% of sewer overflows in the Sydney region.

Where programs such as these are already underway, they should be acknowledged and, where possible, incorporated in water and estuary management plans.

This page was published on 20006