Estuary Management Planning Swan Lake and Berrara Creek - 2005

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Indicator description

What does the Data tell us for 2005

Environmental Overview

Environmental attributes

Environmental issues

Environmental Pressures

Natural Resource Management Plan

 

Environmental Overview

Approximately 98% of the Berrara Creek catchment and 65% of the Swan Lake catchment is reserved as National Park.  Most other public land is Crown land managed by the Department of Land and Water Conservation or Shoalhaven City Council.  The bed of Swan Lake is Crown Land and is subject to the Crowns Lands Act 1989.  The bed of Berrara Creek is National Park.

The Healthy Rivers Commission (2001) inquiry into coastal lakes, Swan Lake was identified as having high sensitivity and high conservation value.  The Commission proposed that the lake be classified in the ‘Significant Protection’ category for future management.  The lake body is designated as being of ecological sensitivity under Clause 21 of the LEP.  This latter clause aims to minimise adverse impacts of development on natural features and ecological processes. 

The lake’s catchment is about 32 sq km, while Berrara Creek’s is about 37 sq km.  The resident population of these towns was around 600 in 2001.  The Natural Resources Management Strategy produced in 2002 describes Swan Lake’s water quality as excellent and Berrara Creek’s as good.  The area is connected to the Sussex Inlet sewerage system.

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Environmental attributes include:

  • Various wetlands around Swan Lake are protected under Coastal Wetlands State Environmental Planning Policy No 14.  Well forested land occurs throughout much of the catchment, with a good variety of both terrestrial and aquatic vegetation communities;

  • High biodiversity hotspot, with nearly 500 plant species, 150 bird species, and at least 23 native mammal species known to occur in the area.  Many internationally and nationally protected bird species and several other threatened species also occur here; and

  • Excellent water quality at Swan Lake and good water quality at Berrara Creek

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Environmental issues include:

  • The intermittent opening of lake's entrance plays an important part in the state of the estuarine ecosystem;

  • The lake’s entrance dynamic is controlled by tides, waves, currents, sediment movement, creek flows, floods and human intervention.  A natural opening regime is the best approach for protection of the high natural values of the lake, including the maintenance of natural fluctuations in its ecological conditions and biodiversity, water quality and habitat.  These are profoundly affected by the behaviour of the lake’s connection to the sea;

  • There is bank erosion in some of the more heavily used recreational areas on the eastern shore of Swan Lake; and

  • There is a high risk of acid sulphate soils occurring in some low lying areas around the lake and creek

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Environmental Pressures

  • Recreational and boating activities within the catchment impact on foreshore stability and bird habitat quality;

  • Potential for a decline in fish and prawn abundance if fishing is not managed;

  • Any future degradation in water quality may impact upon the biological communities and habitats of ecological value, thereby reducing the appeal of these popular tourist areas and the economic prosperity derived from those activities;

  • An increase in sediment and nutrient export from new developments can impact upon water quality and the health of aquatic and semi-aquatic ecological communities;

  • Occasional overflows of sewage into waterways have occurred.  Expected population growth will require increased capacity in sewage treatment facilities if water quality is to be protected;

  • Introduced animals, including foxes, domestic and feral cats and dogs, black rats and rabbits, threaten native animal and plant populations;

  • Weeds, although scarce overall, are prevalent in some areas where they threaten native plant communities;

  • Dumping of garden refuse and other material causes damage to bushland and continues to be an issue;

  • Significant vegetation and populations of threatened and rare species exist on land that is not part of a reserve system;

  • There is some damage and clearance of vegetation on foreshores and other areas;

  • There is a risk that the invasive marine seaweed Caulerpa taxifolia could be introduced to the lake.  This presents a threat to the biological diversity, amenity and economic viability of local tourist industries that depend on healthy coastal lakes in the Shoalhaven;

  • Land use in the area is a mix of urban zones, with most of the ocean foreshore zoned for recreation; and

  •  There are areas of unreserved Crown land west of Cudmirrah that have been zoned for residential use under the Shoalhaven LEP.  A Crown land assessment is currently being undertaken by the Department of Lands to determine the capabilities of this land and identify the preferred future uses.  Most privately owned land that is zoned for residential development has been built on.

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Natural Resource Management Plan

Shoalhaven City Council, New South Wales and Commonwealth Government agencies, and the community have prepared and adopted a Natural Resources Management Strategy for Swan Lake, Berrara Creek and their catchments on the 17/10/2002.  It acknowledges past environmental management, attempts to integrate current programs and proposes some new approaches.  We are doing this to safeguard the ecology of the waterways and their catchments, to balance potentially competing uses and to provide a framework for future planning. 

Key implementation actions in progress or completed in partnership with SCC and DIPNR and funded under the

Estuary Program include:

  • 2003 Entrance Management Policy and Review of Environmental Factors completed and adopted by Council $20,000;

  • 2004 Review of Boating Management Plan by NSW Waterways (draft stage);

  • 2005 Preparation and implementation of Reserve Rehabilitation Plans $50,000 (final draft stage) Dyball Reserve Swan haven and Errol Bond Reserve Cudmirrah priority sites under existing funding;

  • 2005 Preparation and implementation of Environmental Education Signage Program $10,000 ( final draft stage) Installation at Errol Bond Reserve with repeat installations of Lake Entrance Signs at Third Avenue and The Inlet Reserve;

  • 2005 Implementation of a Rehabilitation Project for Ski Beach reserve $20,000 (construction programmed for November 2005); and

  • 2005 and ongoing Support of Bush care group activities at Berrara Inlet Reserve which aims to implement the 2002 Plan of Management for the reserve.

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Surface Water Quality Swan Lake and Berrara Creek

Home | Water | Coast and Estuaries | Swan Lake and Berrara Ck | 2005