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Illawarra
Water Quality and River Flow Objectives

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• Mainly forested areas
• Water Quality Objectives
• River Flow Objectives
• Waterways affected by urban development
• Water Quality Objectives
• River Flow Objectives
• Uncontrolled streams
• Water Quality Objectives
• River Flow Objectives
• Estuaries
• Water Quality Objectives
• River Flow Objectives
• Water Quality Objectives for harbours
• River Flow Objectives for harbours

This section gives the Water Quality Objectives (WQOs) and the River Flow Objectives (RFOs) for the Illawarra catchments which should be used to develop plans and actions affecting water quality and river health. Only the priority RFOs are listed in this section, but the remaining objectives still need to be considered when developing flow management plans or dealing with particular local river conditions.

Mainly forested areas

Streams in mainly forested areas are often valued for their conservation or recreational values. They often have relatively natural flows and water quality. Many are in national parks or state forests.

Map: The objectives apply to streams running through areas coloured green on the map (state forests, national parks and nature reserves); and through other forested areas, if any are defined locally.

Water Quality Objectives

Protection of:

	Aquatic ecosystems
	Visual amenity
	Secondary contact recreation
	Primary contact recreation
	Drinking water at point of supply-Disinfection only

River Flow Objectives

	Maintain natural flow variability
	Maintain natural rates of change in water levels
	Minimise effects of weirs and other structures

Supporting information

• The forested areas are mainly along the Illawarra escarpment, between Stanwell Park in the north to Macquarie and Jamberoo passes in the south. These forested areas generally have good water quality and natural flows. The steep terrain and geotechnically unstable areas of the escarpment should be taken into account when developing plans for this part of the catchment.
• For creeks covered by this section, water quality can be improved by limiting faecal contamination to achieve WQOs. High-level protection should be given to flows and water quality in the least affected streams.
• The relative health and naturalness of these streams should be protected.

Waterways affected by urban development

Streams within urban areas are frequently substantially modified and generally carry poor quality stormwater. Local communities are often keen to see these waterways returned to more natural conditions.

Map: Urban development areas are shown in orange on the map.

Water Quality Objectives

Protection of:

	Aquatic ecosystems
	Visual amenity
	Secondary contact recreation, as a short-term objective, within 5 years
	Primary contact recreation: assess opportunities to achieve as a longer term objective, 10 years or more

River Flow Objectives

	Protect important rises in water levels
	Maintain natural flow variability
	Maintain natural rates of change in water levels
	Minimise effects of weirs and other structures

Supporting information

• The catchment has significant areas of urban development that are centred on Wollongong, Dapto, Shellharbour, Albion Park and Kiama. Rural settlements such as Jamberoo have small, localised urban areas.
• In some urban waterways aquatic ecosystems are considerably modified. A return to pristine aquatic ecosystems in these areas is unlikely and impractical. However, restoring more natural flow conditions and ecosystems will improve water quality, with benefits to local species and broader catchment health.
• Primary contact recreation may be achievable in the long term.
• Action is needed to reduce the water-quality impacts from stormwater and sewage discharges and unsewered villages.
• Of particular concern are high flows causing flooding with threats to the safety of life and property. These conditions occur with the intense, localised rainfall and the steep, often unstable escarpment. Impacts are felt in the short-run, northern escarpment streams and on the coastal plain where urbanisation has constricted the riparian zones. Water levels in urban streams also rise faster and to higher levels than in more natural streams.

Uncontrolled streams

Uncontrolled streams and waterbodies are those that are not in estuaries or the other categories. Their flow patterns are largely natural but may have been altered to a limited degree.

Map: Uncontrolled streams are shown as blue lines on the map.

Water Quality Objectives

Protection of:

	Aquatic ecosystems
	Visual amenity
	Secondary contact recreation
	Primary contact recreation
	Livestock water supply
	Irrigation water supply
	Homestead water supply

River Flow Objectives

	Protect pools in dry times
	Protect natural low flows
	Maintain natural flow variability
	Manage groundwater for ecosystems
	Minimise effects of weirs and other structures

Supporting information

• Water quality is often affected by rural activities and many riparian areas are cleared.
• Action is needed to reduce the water quality impacts from stormwater and sewage discharges, and from unsewered villages.
• The areas near existing settlements are urbanising rapidly. Plans for rural/residential housing will further intensify development impacts on water quality and flow in this region. Strict controls on future development will be needed to meet community objectives for water.

Estuaries

Being dominated by saline conditions, estuaries have hydraulic and water quality characteristics, and potential problems, that are often very different from those of freshwater systems.

Map: Estuaries are coloured purple on the map.

Water Quality Objectives

Protection of:

	Aquatic ecosystems
	Visual amenity
	Secondary contact recreation
	Primary contact recreation
	Aquatic foods (cooked)

River Flow Objectives

	Maintain wetland and floodplain inundation
	Manage groundwater for ecosystems
	Minimise effects of weirs and other structures
	Maintain or rehabilitate estuarine processes and habitats

Supporting information

• This category includes the major estuaries of Port Kembla Harbour, Lake Illawarra, Crooked and Minnamurra rivers and numerous smaller estuaries. See Water Quality Objectives for harbours below.
• The issues that affect the objectives in these areas are distinct and should be treated separately.
• Lake Illawarra is a coastal lake that, as a result of agricultural, industrial and residential development, is showing declining water quality. The lake is poorly flushed and has an intermittently closed entrance to the sea. Much of the recreation activity is secondary contact, but stormwater management will need to be improved if the lake is to be used for this purpose in all areas. Water quality for swimming may be achievable in the long term.
• The quality of water entering the lake is variable, but generally poor from the urban areas in the catchment. Agriculture upstream contributes nutrients and pathogens to the creeks flowing into the lake. Several streams to the north are in concrete channels with localised point-sources of pollution. Low-lying areas feeding into the lake have a risk of containing acid sulfate soils.
• The Minnamurra and Crooked river estuaries have tidal wetlands and flats that are important for waterbirds, fish and aquatic invertebrates. They may be polluted from septic tank runoff, effluent disposal and stormwater runoff.

Water Quality Objectives for harbours

Protection of:

	Aquatic ecosystems
	Visual amenity

River Flow Objectives for harbours

	Maintain wetland and floodplain inundation
	Manage groundwater for ecosystems
	Minimise effects of weirs and other structures
	Maintain or rehabilitate estuarine processes and habitats

Supporting information

• This category includes Port Kembla Harbour and Wollongong Harbour.
• Port Kembla Harbour contains extensive berthing facilities and its main tributary is Allans Creek. Local urbanised/industrial channels discharge stormwater runoff into the Harbour. Industrial discharges have some limited impact on water quality of the harbour and it may not be suitable for the uses identified. This area is not appropriate for swimming, because of extensive shipping movements.
• Although mostly disturbed, acid sulfate soils still underlay some areas and should not be further disturbed. The impacts of tidal barriers should be minimised.

This page was published 1 May 2006