Waterway health

Waterways are important to both the natural environment and human activities. We can all play a role in keeping our waterways, catchments and oceans clean and healthy for future generations as well as the plants and animals that rely on them.

Council has invested significant resources into managing the water quality and ecosystem health of the Willoughby area.

The activities that contribute to improving our waterway health include:

  • Water quality monitoring.
  • Targeted pollution reduction and compliance.
  • Installation and maintenance of gross pollutant traps.
  • Hand cleaning of the waterways by contractors and volunteers.
  • Regular street sweeping.
  • Water sensitive urban design features in streetscapes, bushland, public spaces (for example, Victoria Avenue Mall) and private developments.
  • Waterway rehabilitation.
  • Bushland management. 

Effects of stress on waterways

Human activity, unsustainable water use, land clearing and urban development place significant stress on our waterways and the quality of our water.

Some of the challenges that have resulted are:

  • Balancing the environmental, social and economic goals for sustainable use of the waterways.
  • The economic and community costs of decreasing water quality.
  • The increase in land clearing, soil erosion, water and soil salinity as well as littering and weed invasion to previously balanced ecosystems.
  • The loss of native plants and animals near creeks and rivers.
  • Community education to stop litter, commonly cigarette butts and packaging, ending up in our creeks, rivers and beaches.
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