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The environment of the City of Shoalhaven is recognised as one of the best in the State.  Shoalhaven City, as the Council representing this area, has a major role to play in the protection of the City's natural attributes for this and future generations.  The State of the Environment Report is the ideal way to review Council's action plans in relation to environmental management and to set new goals for the coming years.

Environmental awareness has increased dramatically in the past decade, penetrating all sections of the community. Environmental management is growing rapidly, however, we do not yet have an integrated, system-based approach to the management of natural resources. National strategies have been adopted for ecologically sustainable development and conservation of biological diversity.

The 1997 amendments to the Local Government Act 1993 require that Council, as part of its charter, “properly manage, develop, protect, restore, enhance and conserve the environment of the area for which it is responsible, in a manner that is consistent with and promotes the principles of ecologically sustainable development (ESD)”.  The legislation also requires Council to integrate its State of Environment Report (SoE) into its Management Plan. 

Shoalhaven City Council through its strategic planning process developed Cityplan. Cityplan provides strategic direction for the organisation in all areas of its operations.  Cityplan broadly utilises ESD principles in the planning of Council’s roles and functions.  There is a need for this broad approach and commitment to sustainability to be fully integrated into decision-making in Shoalhaven for the future.

Council uses current technology to manage the environment and to identify long-term trends.  Satellite imaging of the City, scientific analysis of water quality and computer modelling are just some of the tools used.  Council needs to continue to use such technology to improve environmental management and prioritise environmental action plans.

Following is a brief summary of the assessment and objectives of the environmental themes:

Atmosphere

Assessment

In general the air quality in the Shoalhaven City area is considered to be very good. Shoalhaven has comparatively little heavy industry and most townships are far enough south of Sydney and Wollongong to avoid any adverse air quality impact from these sources.

Motor vehicle emissions and smoke from bush fires in summer are two main sources of any likely air contaminates which are present from time to time.

In addition to this, during winter some towns may experience temporary and relatively minor adverse affects from smoke emissions from solid fuel heaters together with fire management burns by private landholders and by the Rural Fire Service.

Other air quality issues include gas generated from landfills. Landfill gas is an identified greenhouse gas as it comprises of approximately 55% methane and 45% carbon dioxide. 

Periodic surface monitoring of landfill gas at the West Nowra Recycling and Waste landfill has revealed that there are no significant emissions.  Landfill gas has been used by AGL for power generation at the West Nowra site since February 2002. 

The methane destroyed at West Nowra through utilising the gas from July 2008 to June 2009 is equivalent to 20,128 tonnes of carbon dioxide.  This is equivalent to removing 4,909 cars from the road for one year.

Since powering up in February 2002, generator has destroyed the equivalent of 209,986 tonnes CO_2, the generator has produced 40,130 MWHrs of electricity which has displaced a further 35,715 tonnes of CO₂ if the equivalent power had been generated in NSW by other means. The is equivalent to taking 51, 213 cars off the road over that period.

Implications

The reliance on wood as a heat source and the reliance of on motor vehicles needs to be reduced to maintain good air quality and human health. Any new industry in the Shoalhaven needs to be designed and operated to minimise the emission of any pollutants. Every effort needs to be made to minimise the emission of greenhouse gasses in the city.

Recommendations/Objectives to be achieved

• Implement new efficiency measures in fleet operations.

• Continue to implement energy savings through Energy action Savings Plan.

• Investigate opportunities to participate in local government carbon emissions trading scheme.

• Implement a local and regional approach to air quality management.

• Continue to improve the energy efficiency of Council's operations and energy efficiency within the Shoalhaven;

• Work with local businesses and industry to implement best practice air quality management strategies;

• Continue education into optimum use of wood burning heaters.

• Continue to educate the community through various mediums as to methods to reduce contribution to the greenhouse effect.

• Continue to implement guidelines for better energy efficiency in design of developments and infrastructure.

• Continue current practice relating to management of systems for legionella control.

Biodiversity

Assessment

The Shoalhaven is a diverse local government area, both in terms of the habitats that are available and the species that occupy them.  The large proportion of the Shoalhaven that is covered by native vegetation is great for biodiversity conservation and vegetation management in the City. However, clearing of some vegetation types in fertile agricultural land has lead to the decline and fragmentation of certain communities. 

There are 13 endangered ecological communities within the City.

The large numbers of threatened species in the Shoalhaven also reflects the diversity of environments within the Local Government Area.  Of special significance is the number of plant species that are found no-where else in the world.  The management of threatened species in the Shoalhaven is one of the greatest challenges for Council.  Conservation management is in some cases hampered by the lack of information available regarding the distribution and biology of threatened species in the area. The situation could be improved by the finalisation of recovery plans and improved occurrence records.

Implications

Although the Shoalhaven has a large proportion of vegetation remaining uncleared, the high growth rate of the area means that there is an increasing need to provide land and infrastructure to support this growth.  Such growth has inevitable impacts on the environment through the competing pressures of land requirements and the protection of vegetation and threatened species habitat.

Future planning will need to incorporate a thorough understanding of the biology, distribution and habitat requirements of the threatened species and ecological communities in the area as well as planning and development that is consistent with the principles of Ecological Sustainable Development (ESD).  There needs to be greater education of the community to ensure there is an understanding of the issues related to biodiversity conservation within the region.  Maintenance of Council’s digital mapping of vegetation coverage is seen as crucial to the proactive management of biodiversity within the City.

Recommendations/Objectives to be achieved

• Prepare a Conservation Strategy for the Shoalhaven.

• Undertake mapping of locally significant environmental areas including riparian corridors identified in the conservation strategy and other vegetation as potential for habitat linkages;

• Monitor changes in vegetation cover and clearing throughout the Shoalhaven;

• Incorporation of conservation planning principles into the preparation of planning instruments;

• Continue study to prioritise remnant vegetation throughout the LGA;

• Enforce appropriate penalties for land owners found to be undertaking illegal activities that are detrimental to the environment.

• Continue to identify and map all Endangered Ecological Communities in the LGA;

• Continue to maintain and enhance the threatened species database;

• Commence a formal recording process for extent of pest plant and pest animal distribution and impacts;

• Investigate further the use of incentives to encourage private landholders to protect vegetation on their properties;

• Encourage and promote opportunities for research on threatened species within the Shoalhaven;

• Develop closer liaison with the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water and the Catchment Management Authority on alleged clearing activities and threatened species assessment;

• Use checklists for carrying out threatened species assessments within Council;

• Further develop biodiversity indicators for more effective reporting;

• Further the development of Council's GIS for use in monitoring indicators; and

• Continue the education of Council staff and the wider community in relation to the importance of biodiversity.

Land

Assessment

There are a variety of landforms in the Shoalhaven that dictate the types of landuse that occur in the different regions of the City. Most of the west of the City is hilly and contained within a National Park, while urban and productive areas are concentrated in the narrow coastal strip. Since 1999/2000 a large amount of land was transferred under the Regional Forestry Agreements from State Forests and Crown Land to National Park. Large areas of agriculture land occur in the Local Government Area, particularly in association with the floodplain of the Shoalhaven River. Agriculture is a very important landuse in the Shoalhaven, with dairy farming still the main type of agriculture. The soils and geology of the region limit the extent to which certain landuses are able to occur, particularly the steep escarpment country (much of which is National Park) and the extent of acid sulphate soils in the floodplains. Land erosion and sedimentation have been identified as major environmental problems in the Shoalhaven. The riparian and wetland areas of the Shoalhaven are of increasing concern as they become more degraded due to surrounding landuses.

Implications

The past loss of wetland habitat, particularly riverine wetlands means that any remaining wetlands provide important habitat that need to be protected and in some cases rehabilitated. There is a need to be proactive in the management of acid sulphate soils and those soils that have the potential for erosion. Mapping of soil types for the whole of the Shoalhaven would assist in identifying areas with soils that are particularly at risk of erosion. Further information is required on the extent and condition of riparian vegetation and sustainability of landuses in the Shoalhaven. Council requires a thorough understanding of the balance between landuse constraints and current landuse practices for each catchment within the Shoalhaven to enable the sustainable management of the City.

Recommendations/Objectives to be achieved

• Incorporate sustainability indicators into structure plans and new planning instruments to ensure the social, economic and natural environments are appropriately managed into the future;
• Use checklists to aid in environmental impact assessment of Development Applications, activities and Tree Preservation Order Applications - both by the Council and community;
• Undertake assessment and mapping of riparian vegetation throughout the Shoalhaven;
• Undertake analysis of the importance of landuses and landuse constraints on a catchment basis throughout the Shoalhaven;
• Review current procedures for maintenance of road verges;
• Future investigations into landuse sustainability may include investigating existing landuse in different land capability classes;
• Complete the Wetland Inventory of the lower Shoalhaven River, including mapping the full extent of wetlands and identifying appropriate management responses for all Shoalhaven wetlands;
• Implement the Dumped Waste Strategy;
• Implement the Contaminated Lands Policy;
• Continue to update the wetland inventory as information becomes available.
• Work closely with the Catchment Management Authority on natural resource management activities;
• Implement the Shoalhaven Bushfire Management Committee's Bush Fire Risk Management Plan, including strategies relating to land in the care and control of Council and fuel management in high risk areas; and
• Continue the review and upgrading of the Flood Mitigation Infrastructure.

Human Settlements

Community well-being, infrastructure, services and resources

Assessment

To gain a better understanding of the sustainability of Shoalhaven (see Towards Sustainability) , consistent with Ecological Sustainable Development (ESD) principles, it is necessary to include social and economic indicators.

The natural environment is under pressure from human settlement due to population growth. Our increasing awareness of the uniqueness and value of our natural environment must be used to identify limited opportunities for settlement expansion in response to this pressure.

The Shoalhaven is a wonderful place to live, work and play. We enjoy breath-taking natural beauty, expanding employment opportunities and a relaxed lifestyle that is the envy of many other parts of the State.

To help maximise these opportunities, whilst preserving our valuable and diverse environment and unique lifestyle Shoalhaven Council has developed a strategic planning approach called Cityplan.

Implications

Unless human settlement is managed in a strategic and objective manner, much that we value in the Shoalhaven will be damaged and settlement of this region will not be sustainable.

Recommendations/Objectives to be achieved

• Reduce reliance on private vehicles for transportation by planning ‘walkable’ future settlements  and identify ways to increase community access to public transport;
• Build capacity in the community to enable individuals  and households to reduce their ecological footprint. For example, retrofit existing housing with solar, water tanks and grey water reuse;
• Assist the community to prepare for a ‘low carbon economy’ through various education initiatives (e.g. the Sustainable Display Home)
• Prepare a Growth Management Strategy that compiles the major land use elements of Council's plans and strategies  into one overall document;
• Implement the Nowra Bomaderry Structure Plan which addresses urban growth, conservation and transport in the area;
• Increase awareness of erosion and sedimentation issues on development sites;
• Finalise a Development Control Plan to give guidelines for the management of heritage items;
• Council make available Local Heritage Grants as an incentive to assist owners in conserving their heritage item;
• Review Section 94 contributions to reflect the latest community and infrastructure demands.
• Provide the right economic infrastructure to ensure the local economy remains productive, dynamic, diverse and in keeping with our special natural environment;
• Value and respect all groups and cultures whilst promoting a co-operative approach to accommodate population growth;
• Acknowledge the value and beauty of our environment by addressing the issue of its protection with a sensitive and balanced approach to accommodate population growth; and
• Fully embrace economic opportunities, that enhance community and lifestyle and encourage environment protection by Council as an organisation being responsive and flexible.

Water Supply and Sewer Management

Assessment

Water supply and sewerage services are provided to urban, commercial, industrial users, and a limited number of rural properties within the City.  These services are provided with a holistic approach to environmental, economic and social parameters.

Until about 20 years ago, water and sewerage was provided for urban users principally for health and economic reasons, however, more recently environmental values have become important for the community as a whole.

The holistic approach includes the responsible management of environmental aspects such as:

• Catchment management to maintain good water quality;
• Establishment of environmental flows to maintain ecological health of rivers;
• Energy efficiency of transporting and treating water and wastewater; and
• Maximising re-use of treated wastewater (reclaimed water) in a beneficial manner rather than releasing it into the environment.

This approach is supported by the community for the maintenance and enhancement of the environment in which they live and to protect it for future generations, whilst using the valuable water resources in an environmental, economic and socially responsible manner.

Implications

Shoalhaven Water Group operates using a Strategic Business Plan to develop planning strategies for a 20 year horizon and providing specific objectives for short term management in pursuit of the long-term benefit of the community and environment.

Recommendations/Objectives to be achieved

The water supply and sewerage services are provided with a holistic approach for:

• Asset Management  - Provide efficient and effective services to agreed levels of customer services in an equitable manner;
• Environmental Safeguards -Operating Shoalhaven Water in an environmentally responsible manner;
• Customer Service - Strive to understand and exceed customer expectations and satisfaction; and
• System Operations - Operating , maintaining and improving the schemes in a cost effective manner.

The holistic approach includes the responsible management of environmental aspects such as:–

1. Catchment Management to maintain good water quality.
2. Complying with and monitoring  environmental flows in accordance with Water Management Licence to maintain ecological health of rivers.
3. Energy efficiency of transporting and treating water and waste water.
4. Re - using treated wastewater in a beneficial manner rather than releasing it into the environment; and
5. Incorporate ESD Principles.

Waste Management

Assessment

Sustainable resource management is the key to achieving the most appropriate environmental and economic outcomes for the residents of the Shoalhaven. 

The total tonnage disposed of to landfill continued to decrease in 2008/09 and is the lowest amount since 2003/04. However, the waste per person collected at the kerbside slightly increased and the recycling per person decreased slightly over the period

Implications

The Shoalhaven is operating with one remaining putrescible waste landfill. The capacity of the landfill can be increased significantly with an increase in diversion of waste from landfill activities - through avoidance, minimisation, reuse or recycling. The reduction in waste from landfill resulting from separation, recovery and processing the waste using new technology will result in greater long-term environmental impacts.

On the other hand a well resourced and planned approach to resource recovery and reuse can lead to significant overall benefit to the local and regional economy and environment.

The current trends in waste management require highly technical skills in waste managers and waste service providers. It also requires a rigorous approach to monitoring a wide range of environmental impacts.

Recommendations/Objectives to be achieved

• Implement strategies focussed on the reduction of waste to landfill, specifically targeting the three waste streams of domestic green waste, commercial waste and demolition waste;

• Continue to develop a more rigorous approach to reporting on changes to the environment as related to waste minimisation and management; and

• Continue to commit staff, financial and administrative resources to tackling waste management and minimisation issues.

On-site Sewage Management

Water

Water Quality and Ecology

Assessment

Shoalhaven City's waterways are generally in good condition, particularly when compared with other areas. However, this does not mean that there should be any complacency in protecting the waterways. 

Council has realised the need for extensive monitoring of its waterways to more fully understand these ecosystems and identify trends or sources of pollution so that action can be taken before it is too late. 

Council has adopted a water quality index that was originally developed for the “Streamwatch program”. Council has adapted this index based on local experience and for the parameters tested locally. The method provides a snapshot view of catchment water quality by combining a number of environmental parameters.

The majority of catchments fell into the good to excellent category using the water quality index.  This indicates that overall catchments within the Shoalhaven are of a good standard.  However, some are shown in the medium category and this appears in the main to be due to the dryer conditions during the summer of the reporting period or sampling following substantial rain events.

It has been identified that alterations to the monitoring program need to be carried out in order to provide the type of environmental data that can assist catchment planning and management through the identification of point and non-point source pollution. Increasingly emphasis is on sustainability and ecosystem health, which both require a much broader and integrated approach to monitoring.

However the monitoring program should also continue to provide public health data including monitoring of bacterial levels within waterways to assess the condition of recreational swimming areas and to assist evaluation of council's on-site sewage management facility management strategy.

Soil erosion and sedimentation are identified as major environmental problems that contribute to poor water quality by increasing turbidity and nutrient levels that can lead to nuisance algal growth and eutrophication. Therefore the monitoring program needs to continue to be adaptive to assess the impact of sedimentation from the construction of new subdivisions and building sites. Site assessments will also be conducted to ensure that these works comply with environmental legislation and best practice to protect our waterways.

The monitoring program should be developed in response to an analysis of each catchment. This analysis will allow us to determine what information Council would like to know about the water quality of each particular catchment and therefore determine how the monitoring program will be carried out. For example catchment analysis will allow Council to determine parameters to be tested within each catchment, sample locations and the frequency of monitoring required. This may require monitoring to extend from traditional water quality parameters of physico-chemical factors to include waterway and estuary health monitoring such as the condition/extent of the riparian zone and macroinvertebrates.

Coasts and Estuaries

Assessment

The state of the coast and estuaries in the Shoalhaven varies significantly along the coast.  The coast ranges from pristine areas of great natural beauty with little apparent human impact to areas which have some modification arising from human impact.

Water quality is generally good in the estuaries and their tributaries, although nutrient and bacterial contamination often occurs after rainfall events.

Large areas of native vegetation are intact, with wildlife corridors linking most of the areas.  These natural areas still retain a large range and number of native animal and plant species.

While particular issues will vary from one estuary to another, some common issues affecting estuaries throughout the Shoalhaven are:

• Entrance Management - Entrance management policies involve balancing the environmental benefit of an entrance regime determined by natural forces alone, with community pressure for modifications to ensure navigation, flushing to maintain water quality in the lower portions of the estuary and minimise flooding during closure of the entrance;

• Water Quality - Run off from urban and rural areas can generate as can changes in water quality as can nutrient cycling within the lake. Both existing landuses and population increases are relevant pressure indicators for catchment derived inputs; and

• Foreshore and Riparian Management - Foreshore and riparian vegetation influence the impact of adjacent land uses, as well as ameliorating some of the impacts by trapping sediment and absorbing nutrients and providing stability to stream bed and banks.  

The Shoalhaven has approximately 160km of coastline and includes the shoreline of Jervis Bay. Beach management is important for both environmental management and for the benefit of tourists and residents. Council’s coastal management program aims to ensure the ongoing health of the beaches as well as providing facilities for visitors.

The main areas experiencing recession of the coastline are located at

• Mollymook
• Callala Beach
• Currarong

The main areas where major sand dune ‘blow outs’ occur are

• Cudmirrah Beach south of the Surf Club
• Inyadda Beach north of Manyana

Implications

The implications of poor management of the estuaries are significant.  These include loss of biodiversity of coastal areas, decline in aquatic and fishing resources, and decline in the overall coastal environment.  Poor management is felt in declines in the quality of life for residents, and reductions in the recreational and visual amenity.  Health impacts from poor water quality have been raised in some areas.  The costs of remediation for issues not properly addressed can be very high.

The implications for well managed coast and estuaries include better conservation of biodiversity and people’s enjoyment of the area being sustained in the long-term.  The South Coast tourist industry is critically dependent on these resources, and long-term effects would be felt on incomes and employment. 

Estuary management also affects Australia’s compliance with international conventions for the protection of migratory birds between Australia, Japan and China.

Implementation of these plans does impose significant costs on Shoalhaven Council, particularly in regard to responding to the backlog of urban infrastructure, which was installed over the past 50 years and does not meet current best practice environmental management.  Works such as sealing of roads, curb and guttering, drainage on road verges, extending the sewerage system to smaller villages are all sought in some of the estuary management plans.

Recommendations/Objectives to be achieved

• The general recommendation is to prepare, finalise and implement natural resource management plans for each of the estuaries and their catchments, as well as for the coastal areas between each estuary;

• Preparation and finalisation of plans are underway in all of the major lakes and estuaries, and many of the minor ones; 

• Implementation of plans is a far more difficult issue, since the plans cover a wide range of government and non-government organisations.  Not all organisations are committed to the priorities of the plans, and competing priorities and interests will sometimes take precedence; and

• Continue and improve coastal management programs.

Stormwater

Assessment

Shoalhaven City's waterways are generally in good condition, particularly when compared with other areas. However, this does not mean that there should be any complacency in protecting the waterways.  Many of the estuaries have natural restrictions to full tidal circulation and what is discharged into the estuary from the catchment will likely be captured in the system.

Council has realised the need for extensive monitoring of its waterways to more fully understand these ecosystems and identify trends or sources of pollution so that action can be taken before it is too late.  Therefore Shoalhaven City has perhaps the most extensive waterway monitoring program of any Council in the State.

The focus of Council’s water sampling program continues to move towards rain event sampling where possible. This is likely to reduce the total number of sites sampled during the year, however, a better understanding will be gained from this process on the impact of stormwater runoff on water quality within the urban areas of the City. This will include recovery rates for catchments after wet weather to determine when water quality returns to base levels.

Implications

Council prepared the City of Shoalhaven Urban Stormwater Management Plan in 2000 to provide more effective management of urban stormwater thereby contributing to environmental protection.  The Plan identified catchment values, stormwater management objectives (short-term as well as long-term), stormwater issues in urban areas and management options/measures to address the issues identified.  There are 79 management options (structural and non-structural) in the implementation schedule of the Plan.  These options are being incorporated in to the Council’s management planning process.

While the implementation schedule identifies the preferred timing of the implementation of measures within the City, the ability of Council to meets the schedule is governed by the availability of funding and the prioritisation of measures and actions across several catchments.

Recommendations/Objectives to be achieved

In identifying the recommendations/objectives the following guiding principles were used.

Ecological Sustainable Development (ESD):

Development is defined as sustainable, “if it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.

Stormwater management should be based on the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD). These include the requirement to integrate environmental and economic considerations to decision making. The 1997 amendments to the Local Government Act (1993) require local Councils to take ESD principles into consideration when making decisions with the aim of integrating environmental, social and economic considerations.

Flow regime:

Stormwater flow regimes in waterways of the catchment should be based on mimicking natural flow regimes as much as possible, including natural variability and seasonal flow patterns. Waterways should be managed to protect and restore biodiversity and meet specific ecosystem health needs, where they can be identified, based on available science.

Interactions between ground and surface waters:

Interactions between ground and surface waters, for both water quality and quantity, must be considered when managing stormwater.

Protect less affected areas:

Catchments or areas where flow regime, hydrology and ecosystems have not been seriously affected or damaged by human use should be protected.  This does not mean no future development.  Development must be consistent with ESD principles.

Long-term and short-term objectives were identified in the Urban Stormwater Management Plan.  Long-term objectives are visionary and define a set of long-term guiding principles for the ongoing management of the catchment.  Short-term objectives are attainable goals with performance targets, which address catchment specific issues.  They are flexible and based on the long-term objectives

The short-term objectives have a time frame of 3 to 5 years, while the long-term objectives are to be achieved in a 15 to 25 years timeframe.  The achievement of the long-term objectives will be limited by Council, community and industry practices, legislation, regulation and environmental and economic resources and benefits.

The long-term objectives identified in the Plan are:

• Ensure that water quality in the catchment meets the appropriate water quality objectives;

• Public health and safety is not to be compromised by the stormwater system;

• Ensure development meets the stormwater management objectives;

• Protect and restore waterways in the catchment;

• Ensure all stormwater managers conform to Ecological Sustainable Development principles;

•  Promote an integrated stormwater management approach involving government, community and private sector;

• Protect and restore riparian, estuarine foreshore and bushland ecosystems;

• Encourage change in community attitudes and actions relating to stormwater;

• Ensure that stormwater management does not have an adverse impact on the quality and amenity of the urban environment; and

• Seek opportunities for the innovative design or re-design of stormwater facilities, to the extent that they are compatible with other management objectives.

The short-term objectives are:

• An improvement in the quality of receiving waters of the Shoalhaven urban catchments;

• A decrease in the nutrients exported from the urban areas of the Shoalhaven;

• An increase in the amount of sediment captured from the urban areas of the Shoalhaven;

• An increase in the amount of litter captured from the urban areas of Shoalhaven;

• Projects to improve stormwater quality are publicised and where possible should involve the community;

• Involve schools throughout the Shoalhaven in stormwater projects and monitoring as appropriate; and

• Areas of bank erosion within the urban areas to be identified and progressively remediated.

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