 Estuary
Management Planning Currarong Creek - 2004
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Currarong Creek|
2004 Indicator description
Currarong Creek
Environmental Overview
Environmental issues
Environmental pressures
Natural Resource Management
Strategy
Estuary Management Program
Environmental Overview
There are three small,
permanent creek systems at Currarong: Plutus Creek, Abrahams Bosom Creek and
Currarong Creek. Together these creeks have a catchment area of approximately 2
sq km. The estuarine parts of these three creeks are places where marine and
terrestrial processes interact to produce particularly sensitive and complex
coastal environments.
Currarong Creek is the
largest of the three creeks and has a catchment of around 1.2 sq km, which is
predominantly natural bushland controlled and used by the Department of
Defence. Currarong village has been built around the entrance to Currarong
Creek. The township’s resident population is around 550 people.
Most of the land
surrounding the Currarong village is bushland, reserved for public recreation,
environmental protection or defence purposes. The ocean waters adjacent to the
village and the tidal part of Currarong Creek are part of the Jervis Bay Marine
Park.
Currarong's waterways
and their catchments are characterised by many environmental, social, commercial
and recreational values that make them popular places for a wide variety of
activities. However, the pressure of these uses has sometimes resulted in
competition for and degradation of the area's natural resources.
Shoalhaven City Council
has prepared a Natural Resource Management Strategy for Currarong Creek. An
Entrance Management Plan is planned and an interim policy is outlined in the
Natural Resource Management Strategy
Environmental
attributes
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The complexity of the
physical environment at Currarong results in a wide range of habitats on which
plants and animals have become dependent;
-
Beecroft Peninsula is
located at the intersection of warm temperate species nearing their southern
geographical limit and cool temperate species nearing their northern
geographical limit. This has resulted in a high biological diversity
that is of great heritage and scientific value. Many of the vegetation types
are significant because they are rare in the region, and/or contain rare or
threatened plants;
-
Various wetlands
adjoining the estuarine section of Currarong are protected under Coastal
Wetlands State Environmental Planning Policy No 14.; and
-
Large areas within the
catchment, such as Abrahams Bosom Reserve and much of the Commonwealth land,
are relatively undisturbed, resulting from the geographical isolation of the
area and the Department of Defence imposed restrictions to development and
access.
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Environmental issues
-
Pollution from
effluent disposal systems in the village is believed to be affecting water
quality in the creek. This leads to potential health risks for swimmers.
-
Some aboriginal sites
are being damaged;
-
Modifications to
Currarong Creek (the sand spur, which is not a natural feature of the creek
system, and the loss of the former distinct ebb/flood channels, constriction
by bridge buttresses) are believed to have reduced the natural flushing of
sand from the entrance during floods. These modifications are believed
to have affected its natural values;
-
Currarong Creek
continues to suffer from increased sedimentation. This may have
contributed to increased growth of seagrass, which has reduced navigability
and decreased the area of the creek available for swimming.
Sedimentation is most apparent in still water deposition zones and where
mangroves are beginning to establish behind the sand dune;
-
Various sites
throughout the catchment suffer from erosion: dune erosion at Warrain Beach
threatens the road and houses in Warrain Crescent; there is bank erosion
downstream of the boat ramp in Currarong Creek; foreshore erosion exists at
the end of Piscator Avenue;
-
Boat launching at the
Yalwal Street ramp is, at times, hazardous, placing greater pressure on other
facilities;
-
At times localised
flooding in the village occurs when stormwater drains overflow;
-
The entrance of
Currarong Creek is at times not navigable due to inflow of marine sand and
subsequent shallowing;
-
The proximity of the
village to the creek means there is a high rubbish load being washed onto
beaches and into creeks; and
-
Introduced animals,
including foxes, cats, black rats & rabbits, threaten native animal & plant
populations.
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Environmental
pressures
-
Vehicles accessing the
beach are causing damage to the dune.
-
Frequent creek
entrance excavation and dredging of the channel may degrade the habitat for
fish and other aquatic species, and limit passive recreational opportunities.
-
The sediment load of
Currarong Creek is contributed to from a variety of disturbances within the
catchment, including: erosion of tracks and craters on Beecroft Weapons Range,
unsealed road verges and stormwater drains in Currarong Village and the gravel
pit off Lighthouse Road.
-
Weeds, although scarce
overall (only 25 species have been recorded on the Beecroft Weapons Range),
are prevalent in some areas where they threaten native plant communities.
-
Frequent fires in some
areas affect the viability of some plant and animal populations.
-
Water flows in Plutus
Creek have been modified, affecting flooding of Currarong Road and the creek
entrance condition.
-
Runoff from the now
closed tip site may leach pollutants into the creek.
-
Sea level rise as a
result of global warming may threaten private and public facilities.
-
Removal of sand from
the entrance of the creek & other dredging has a high financial cost.
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Natural Resource
Management Strategy
Shoalhaven City Council,
New South Wales and Commonwealth Government agencies, and the community have
prepared and adopted a Natural Resources Management Strategy for Currarong Creek
on the 18 December 2001. It acknowledges past environmental management,
attempts to integrate current programs and proposes some new approaches. This
is being done to safeguard the ecology of the waterways and their catchments, to
balance potentially competing uses and to provide a framework for future
planning.
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Estuary Management Program
Key implementation
actions in progress or completed in partnership with Shoalhaven City Council and
Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources (DIPNR) and funded
under the following programs include:
Estuary Program
-
2002-ongoing
Inspection and monitoring of septic systems;
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2003 commence
investigation and design for reticulated sewerage system;
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2003-2004 preparation
of Entrance Management Policy and Review of Environmental Factors $20,000;
-
2003-2004
implementation of Bushfire Asset Protection Zones for the village;
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2003-2004 Design and
Implementation of Foreshore Rehabilitation Plans $35,000; and
-
2004 Catchment
Stormwater Review $10,000
Coastal Program
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2003 Coastal Erosion Study $20,000; and
-
2002 Beecroft Headland Track Upgrade Stage 1 completed
$40,000
Waterways
Program
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2002-2004 Yalwal
Street Boat ramp Upgrade Feasibility Study: submitted in the Waterways and
DIPNR Programs for matching grant funding $15,000; and
-
2004 Yalwal St boat
ramp: rock floaters removed from launching area to improve safety conditions
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Surface Water Quality Currarong Creek
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Currarong Creek|
2004 |
