History – Sedimentation, Foreshore Degradation and Flood Mitigation

 

Our oganisation’s involvement with issues relating to the health of the Brisbane Water Estuary began in 2003 when Graeme Smith offered to help the residents of Hardys Bay persuade Gosford City Council (GCC) to investigate the severe flooding problems that periodically occurred in the Fraser road and Noble street areas along Mudflat creek. Graeme canvassed many of this area’s residents for information including photographs of flood events and rainfall data.

 

From this information Graeme wrote a report titled Hardys Bay to Hardys Mangrove Swamp a Quick Transition by Sedimentation. This report received a positive response from GCC who then commissioned consultants to carry out a flood study ( now completed ) of the affected area. GCC are now initiating a Floodplain Management Study to investigate and plan possible flood mitigation works.

 

Whilst compiling information for this study, Graeme became increasingly aware of how degraded the foreshores of both Pretty Beach and Hardys bay have become and how silt build up with its associated mangrove proliferation threatens to turn these areas into swamps. The many feedback letters from residents on this subject reflected the anger and frustration that people feel about the degradation of our bays. Another report titled Foreshore Degradation Hardys Bay and Pretty Beach was forwarded to GCC, and resulted in some foreshore stabilisation work along the Pretty Beach road sea wall.

 

Concerned about GCC’s denial that sediment build-up in both areas was significant, Graeme pressed hard for enhanced age testing of sample sediment cores in both areas to accurately gage the  amount of build-up, by sending a petition to GCC.

GCC’s Environmental department then circulated to all 180+ petition signatories a flyer inferring that the information attached to the petition compiled by Graeme was distorted and therefore misleading and that sedimentation build-up will be adequately investigated by the current Brisbane Water Estuary Processes Study (concludes Dec 2006).

Following the Estuary Processes Study GCC advises a new Brisbane Water Plan of Management will be completed (Dec 2008) which will replace the existing Brisbane Water Plan of Management July 1995.

 

Graeme’s review of the 1995 Plan reveals that although this plan is the current bible on all things estuarine in Brisbane Water, very little of its Management Objectives have been achieved. ( eleven years – nothing done!! and still we spend tax payer’s money on yet more studies ).

 

It could, and probably will take another eleven years before any plan of action to address the filling in of our beautiful Estuary happens, and while we wait the mangroves, mud and muck rapidly take over our already degraded bay side beaches.

Storm water outlet deltas grow as  road side rubble and mud is washed into our bays.

 

We cannot wait that long, we must push now for foreshore rehabilitation, maintenance dredging and mangrove removal in badly affected areas. We must stem the flow of money that is now being spent on consultant studies  that should be spent on rehabilitation work.