Six councils have joined together to foster the long-term care of the Hawkesbury River and its coastline, as part of the Coastal Management Program in NSW.
Currently, the health of the Hawkesbury River, which covers the estuary between Yarramundi in the Hawkesbury to Box Head and Barrenjoey Head in the Northern Beaches, is managed by different plans and projects under each local government area.
The program will ensure all six Councils work on a consistent and coordinated approach to planning for the Hawkesbury River System, especially in areas which cross boundaries, as well as protect against coastal hazards such as erosion and slope instability.
The six Councils uniting for the Coastal Management Program are: Central Coast Council, Northern Beaches Council, Ku-ring-gai Council, Hornsby Shire Council, the Hills Shire Council, and the Hawkesbury City Council.
Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Michelle Byrne, said she was proud the Council could participate in this program.
“While we don’t have a beach here in The Hills, we do have many vital waterways which drain into our oceans, including the Hawkesbury River,” Mayor Byrne said.
“The Hawkesbury River is tidal which means we are classified as a coastal council, something which may come as a surprise to many residents.
“I’m proud that we can do our part in maintaining, managing and restoring our precious waterways and coastline and this Program will go a long way to supporting this.
“Working with our fellow Councils means a more unified approach to caring for this important river and the ecosystems it supports.”
Stage one and stage two of the project received over $350,000 of funding under the Coastal and Estuary grants program to undertake studies and identify risks associated with coastal management.
For more information on this program, please visit Hawkesbury-Nepean River System Coastal Management Program website, www.hawkesburynepeancmp.org.
