Local councils thinking regionally

Blue Mountains City Council faces something of a challenge - what happens in its region can have an impact on the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.

For the past two years the Council has been involved in the Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Authority's (CMA) local government partnership program. The program helps 22 local councils with resource management projects, provided they deal with regional priorities like river health and biodiversity.

Funding

The Australian Government has given some $3.17 million to the program since June 2004, with additional support coming from the State Government. As part of this, Blue Mountains City Council has received $259,400 for four projects.

In February 2006 the Council used $24,000 to control erosion and stormwater runoff stemming from Springwood, one of the largest urban areas in the Blue Mountains.

Activities

"Sediments and weed seeds were being carried down Magdala Creek to the World Heritage Area," said Council's Natural Systems Program Leader, Geoffrey Smith.

"We worked closely with the community and work ranged from erecting signs at major stormwater inlets with slogans developed by local school children, to stabilising the creek in a very remote area.

"Urban runoff is one of the biggest environmental issues in the Blue Mountains. The project aimed to raise community awareness of the impact of this, as well as to find ways to deal with some the problems which had already arisen downstream.

"In town we encouraged people to install rainwater tanks, use permeable pavers to stabilise unsealed driveways, plant natives and remove weeds to reduce water use.

"As well as this however, we had to deal with the existing siltation problem in a very hard to access part of Magdala Creek."

Innovative approaches were taken to protect the environment, including using materials at the site - like dead trees - to construct weirs, and putting down temporary rubberised tracks to help bring in small machinery. Cables and pulleys were used to ensure that large logs needed for construction work were put in without damaging the creek.

Hawkesbury Nepean CMA Catchment Coordinator Bill Dixon, said the partnership program gives councils in the catchment incentives to think regionally.

"The program also emphasises projects which involve stakeholders like non-government organisations and communities," he said. "We support projects that help develop the knowledge and experience of the whole community and of the region."

More information

• Bill Dixon, Hawksbury Nepean CMA: (02) 4587 0053 or bill.dixon@cma.nsw.gov.au

Australian Government NRM Team
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
1800 552 008 (toll-free)

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Caring for our Country is an Australian Government initiative jointly administered by the Australian Government departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts