The NSW Government is giving Georges River, Bayside and Sutherland Shire Councils an additional 12 months' consultation before the implementation of the Universal Beachwatch Partnership Program.
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Under the current Beachwatch program, Sydney coastal councils do not share the costs with the NSW Government, but regional councils do. The proposed changes were designed to make the system equitable and manage growth of the Universal Beachwatch Partnership Program to more areas.
In July 2022, the then Liberal/National Government decided to expand the cost sharing partnership model which has been in place across regional NSW since 2002, to include 14 Sydney coastal councils which currently do not pay for water quality sampling and laboratory analysis.
Consultation was supposed to start in late 2022 to give councils 18 months' notice before the decision came into effect in July 2024. However, the consultation was deferred until December 2023.
Sydney coastal councils have provided feedback on several issues regarding the proposed changes, including that six months' consultation is not sufficient for them to plan for and consider the transition.
The NSW Government has listened to this feedback from councils, and is reinstating the 18-month consultation period, which will now run through to June 2025.
This will allow for further consultation on changes to the funding model and design of the program.
Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe is writing to the 14 affected coastal councils to inform them the proposed changes will not go ahead until mid-2025, following further work on the program design.
The 14 Sydney coastal councils are Bayside, Canada Bay, Georges River, Hunters Hill, Inner West, Lane Cove, Mosman, North Sydney, Northern Beaches, Randwick, Sutherland, Waverley, Willoughby and Woollahra.
Minister for Climate Change and the Environment Penny Sharpe said, "Beachwatch is an important program for those who visit our beaches and waterways, and for councils that work with Beachwatch to detect and respond to emerging pollution problems.
"The NSW Government is committed to ensuring an equitable service and good program design for all councils across the state.
"We are dedicated to genuine partnerships with councils, and look forward to working with them to ensure Beachwatch can give the community confidence to swim in more waterways across NSW."
Beachwatch provides daily advice on swim site suitability for people to choose if and when to swim.
In response to pollution from Sydney's ocean-wastewater outfalls, in 1989, Beachwatch commenced providing water quality monitoring at no cost to Sydney coastal councils.
At present, Beachwatch monitors 97 swim sites within 14 local government areas in the Sydney
coastal area at no cost. Since 2002, regional councils and wastewater managers have participated in the Beachwatch Partnership Program. Currently there are 10 regional NSW councils and two wastewater managers (Hunter and Sydney Water Corporations) who have funded their own sampling and analysis across 128 swim sites.
The 2022-23 budget provided $18.5 million over 10 years to deliver the Universal Beachwatch Partnership Program state-wide and support all NSW councils to be able to opt in from July 2024.
Under this model, the Universal Beachwatch Partnership Program will provide a centralised coordination, data management, technical support, quality control, audit, and reporting services, while local council partners provide water quality sampling and analysis for priority swim sites in their local government areas.
Earlier:
Bayside and Georges River Councils have objected to moves by the State Government to shift the cost of monitoring water quality at local beaches and tidal pools on to local government.
Since 1995, the Beachwatch program in New South Wales has been offering free monitoring services for seven swimming locations in Bayside and three sites in Georges River local government area.
Last December, Bayside and Georges River were informed by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) that to continue to participate in the Beachwatch program, the councils will need to sign on as a program partner and fund the water testing services.
The program monitors seven swimming sites in Bayside: Brighton-Le-Sands Baths, Dolls Point Baths, Foreshore Beach, Kyeemagh Baths, Monterey Baths, Ramsgate Baths and Sandringham Baths; and three in Georges River LGA: Carss Park Baths, Oatley Bay Baths and Jewfish Bay Baths.
The sites are tested monthly from May to September and weekly from October to April.
Three options have been given to the councils by the government. They can monitor the water quality themselves, they can collect samples and send them to the DPE for testing, or they can have the full testing service which until now has been free.
The full service provided by DPE for the proposed Beachwatch Partnership Program would cost Bayside Council $20,662 per year and Georges River Council $12,900 per year.
Bayside and Georges River will write to the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) to maintain the NSW Beachwatch program as a fully funded State Government program.
Oatley MP Mark Coure said, "The Georges River is a beautiful asset in our community, and it is crucial that the NSW Government ensures that the water is safe enough for local residents to continue to enjoy the recreational swimming, fishing and boating activities we all cherish.
"If the NSW Government won't reverse the cuts, then it is imperative that both councils pick up the bill to ensure water quality testing continues at our local sites. There have been reports of sewerage overflows into the Georges River, highlighting the absurdity of this decision to cut funding to a vital water quality monitoring program. The former Liberal Government released a 10-year strategy in which $18.5 million was committed to expand the program and now NSW Labor have saw fit to cut this important program."
