Beachwatch A program of the DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING, INDUSTRY & ENVIRONMENT

Southern report card 2018–19

This report card provides a long-term assessment of how suitable a site is for swimming in the region. Monitored locations include ocean beaches from to Oak Park and estuarine areas in , lower Georges River and Port Hacking.

Best beaches , , , North , South Cronulla Beach, , Oak Park and Jibbon Beach. 8 Ocean beaches These sites had excellent water quality and were suitable for swimming almost all of the time. 20 Estuarine sites Estuarine swimming sites did not perform as well as ocean beaches due to lower levels of flushing which increase the time needed to 0 Lake/Lagoon sites disperse and dilute pollution inputs, taking longer to recover from stormwater events. 0 Ocean baths Rainfall impacts Rainfall is the major driver of pollution to recreational waters, generating stormwater runoff and triggering discharges from the wastewater treatment and transport system. Beach Suitability Monitoring in Sydney Grades for Recreational water quality has been monitored in the Sydney swimming sites region since 1989 by the Department of Planning, Industry and in the Southern Environment’s Beachwatch Program. Sydney region

24 Very good/Good

Beachwatch issues daily beach pollution forecasts to enable beach goers 1 Fair to make informed decisions about where and when to swim. 3 Poor/Very poor For additional information see the State Of The Beaches 2018–19 Report at www.environment.nsw.gov.au/state-of-the-beaches environment.nsw.gov.au/beachwatch Beachwatch Southern Sydney report card 2018–19 Beach suitability grade Dry weather swimmability 86% VG Very good 100 Percentage (%) of dry swimming weather samples within G Good the safe swimming limit sites graded F Fair Good or

P Poor Very good

VP Very poor

Bayside Council

Randwick City Council

Georges River Council Bayside Council

G 92 Congwong Bay G 86 Frenchmans Bay G 89 Yarra Bay VP 81 Foreshores Beach G 89 Council Kyeemagh Baths G 98 G 89 Brighton-Le-Sands Baths G 91 Monterey Baths G 94 Ramsgate Baths G 85 Boat Harbour G 94 Dolls Point Baths G 98 Sandringham Baths P 88 Carss Point Baths VG 99 Greenhills Beach P 91 Oatley Bay Baths VG 99 Wanda Beach VG 97 Elouera Beach VG 96 VG 97 South Cronulla Beach G 94 Jew Fish Bay Baths G 97 Como Baths VG 96 Shelly Beach G 95 Baths VG 100 Oak Park VG 95 Jibbon Beach G 85 Horderns Beach F 98 Gymea Bay Baths G 100 Lilli Pilli Baths

Published by Environment, Energy and Science October 2019 EES2019/0321 October 2019. Photo: Cameron Board/EES, DPIE