Water quality testing saved – for now
Northern Beaches Council is relieved with the announcement on 4 June that the NSW Government has committed to funding the Beachwatch program and monitoring the water quality of our beaches for another two years.
“They had previously asked local councils to help pick up the tab to keep locals informed on beach water quality –a cost-prohibitive exercise for an individual council,” Northern Beaches Council Mayor Sue Heins told PL.
“It’s great to see common sense prevail,” she added.
The former Liberal government had decided to shift the cost of testing onto Sydney coastal councils, but the current Labor government decided that to pull the funding from under councils’ feet would be a challenge for the council areas with the most swim sites.
The government said it would continue to work with councils on sustainable long-term arrangements for Beachwatch as more swim sites opened.
Manly Surf Life Saving Club president Tim Cuthbert told PL that the club welcomed the government’s commitment to the funding.
“Reliable water quality information plays an important role in keeping our community informed and safe, especially during the peak swimming season, which at Manly is all year round,” Mr Cuthbert said. “Our volunteers work hard to protect beachgoers during the patrolling season, and programs like Beachwatch provide an added layer of confidence for everyone enjoying the ocean.”
Beachwatch currently provides high- quality data and information on pollution for 94 swimming spots across Sydney, including the Northern Beaches.
The program tests swim site bacteria and other pollutants that could lead to potential human health issues and considers recent rainfall to forecast the likelihood of pollution.
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said ‘councils made their case, and we have listened.’ Beachwatch was an important source of information on pollution issues, the minister said.
“Beachwatch is an important program for keeping swimmers informed of emerging pollution problems in our much-loved swimming spots. The government is committed to genuine partnerships with councils.
“The previous changes to the Beachwatch program were not fit for purpose. We will continue the current arrangements as long-term sustainability of the program is realised.”