FAQs

The draft Catchment and Waterways Strategy is Council’s ten-year plan for managing stormwater, flood risk, waterways and coastal areas across Sutherland Shire.

It provides a coordinated, long-term approach so decisions are consistent, evidence-based and focused on improving environmental and community outcomes. It sets priorities, targets and actions to protect and improve the health of our catchments and waterways.

Our waterways are affected by urban development, stormwater runoff, pollution, flooding and climate change.

This Strategy provides a clear plan to manage these pressures and guide long-term investment and action.

The Strategy focuses on four main areas:

• Stormwater management: reducing local flooding and ensuring stormwater systems work effectively.
• Flood risk management: identifying flood risks and managing them through studies, planning controls and community awareness.
• Waterways management: reducing pollution, erosion and litter, and improving the health of creeks, rivers and estuaries.
• Coastal management: responding to sea level rise, protecting beaches and dunes, and strengthening coastal resilience.

The Strategy was developed using technical studies, existing flood and coastal management plans, environmental data and community input.

Council worked with government agencies, specialists and the community to identify priorities and actions.

Community consultation identified a wide range of concerns, including dredging and sedimentation, flood management and biodiversity loss.

The Strategy is called a draft document because it has not yet been formally adopted by Council.

It is currently on public exhibition so the community and stakeholders can review them and provide feedback. Council will consider this feedback before making any changes and deciding whether to adopt the final Strategy.

The Strategy supports cleaner beaches, healthier rivers and safer neighbourhoods during storms and flood events.

By putting the actions in the implementation plan into practice, we aim to create a safer, more liveable and resilient environment for residents and visitors.

The Strategy sets actions to restore habitats, improve water quality and reduce litter in waterways and along the coast.

Through pollution prevention, wetland care, monitoring and coastal resilience planning, it aims to protect the Sutherland Shire’s waterways and coastal areas over the long term.

The delivery of the Strategy will be guided by the Implementation Plan included within the document. The Implementation Plan sets out a program of actions aligned with each Focus Area and identifies timeframes, required resources and responsibilities.

Actions were prioritised using a weighted decision-making process. Each project was assessed against criteria such as community benefit, environmental impact, urgency, legislative requirements, risk and alignment with long-term goals.

Projects that deliver the greatest overall benefit or address higher risks are scheduled earlier. Some actions are prioritised due to safety requirements, complexity or NSW Government obligations.

Actions will be delivered over time through Council’s budgets and capital works programs, and where available, grant funding from State and Federal governments.

Not all actions will occur immediately. They will be staged based on priority, risk and available funding.

A waterway is a natural body of water – such as a wetland, lake, creek, river or ocean. The health and biodiversity of waterways is often directly affected by upstream catchments.

A catchment is an area where rainwater collects and drains to a common point, such as a creek, river or the ocean. It can be as small as a roof draining into a gutter, or as large as several suburbs draining into a major river.

Sutherland Shire is divided into six major stormwater catchments. Each catchment varies significantly in characteristics and challenges.

Council manages local stormwater systems and many local waterways.

Responsibility is shared with other agencies depending on the location. For example:

• The NSW Government has responsibilities for coastal management and marine waters.
• Sydney Water manages wastewater and drinking water systems.
• Private landowners are responsible for drainage on their own property.

For information on our local catchments and waterways, visit our website.