Ballina Shire Council
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Chapter 2 Beachwatch Partnership Programs compliance with the NHMRC (1990) Overview of findings swimming water quality guidelines. Below is a summary of key findings. The cleanest beaches in the Clarence Valley Detailed results for each council area are Council area were: provided in the following sections and supported by individual beach pages for • Minnie Water Main Beach each site. • Whiting Beach at the mouth of the Ballina Shire Council Clarence River Nine swimming locations were monitored • Wooli Estuary North at the mouth of the in the Ballina Shire Council area between Wooli River November 2005 and February 2006. Faecal • coliform and enterococci samples were Kolora Lake collected from all locations to assess • Maclean Jetty on the Clarence River. compliance with NHMRC (1990) swimming water quality guidelines. These five swimming locations passed the NHMRC (1990) guidelines in all months of The nine swimming sites were: the 2005–2006 summer swimming season in • the ocean beaches of Seven Mile and which sufficient samples were collected to Shelley assess compliance. Wooli Estuary South and Iluka at the mouth • three sites in Lake Ainsworth of the Clarence River failed the guidelines • three sites in Shaws Bay, and in one month. Ulmarra Jetty, Corcoran Park, Prince Street and Grafton Sailing Club, all • The Serpentine. located on the Clarence River, failed the Seven Mile and Shelley beaches, as well as swimming guidelines in all months. Lake Ainsworth South, Shaws Bay East and Kempsey Shire Council The Serpentine, passed the NHMRC (1990) swimming guidelines in all four months. Ten swimming locations were monitored in Lake Ainsworth East failed the guidelines in the Kempsey Shire Council area between two of the four months and Lake Ainsworth October 2005 and April 2006. The sites were: West, Shaws Bay North and Shaws Bay • the ocean beaches of Grassy Head, West failed the guidelines in one month. Stuarts Point, Horseshoe Bay, Trial Bay, Clarence Valley Council Hat Head and Killick Beach Eleven swimming locations were monitored • four coastal creeks (Back Creek, Killick in the Clarence Valley council area during Creek, Saltwater Creek and Korogoro summer 2005–2006. The sites were an ocean Creek). beach, a coastal lagoon, four estuarine Faecal coliform samples were collected from swimming locations (two at the mouth of all locations to assess compliance with the Clarence River and two at the mouth of NHMRC (1990) swimming water quality Wooli River) and five locations in the guidelines. However, only three samples Clarence River. were collected in April 2006, and this was Enterococci samples were collected between insufficient to determine compliance. November 2005 and March 2006 to assess Council Programs – Overview 5 Seven locations passed the NHMRC (1990) Wyong Shire Council swimming guidelines in all months between Twenty-nine swimming locations were October 2005 and March 2006. monitored in the Wyong Shire Council area Killick Creek and Stuarts Point failed the during the 2005–2006 summer swimming swimming guidelines in February 2006, and season. These sites included 17 ocean Saltwater Creek failed in November 2005 beaches, nine coastal lake sites, and three and February 2006. estuarine river sites in the Tuggerah Lakes Port Stephens Council catchment. Faecal coliform and enterococci samples Seven swimming locations were monitored were collected from all locations to assess in the Port Stephens Council area between compliance with NHMRC (1990) swimming November 2005 and April 2006. The sites water quality guidelines. were an ocean beach, four estuarine swimming areas and two tidal pools. The cleanest swimming sites in the Wyong Shire Council area were: Faecal coliform and enterococci samples were collected from all locations to assess • the ocean beaches of Frazer, Birdie, compliance with NHMRC (1990) swimming Budgewoi, Lakes, Hargraves, Jenny water quality guidelines. Samples were Dixon, Cabbage Tree, Lighthouse, collected at Dutchmans Beach in only three Gravelly, Soldiers, North Entrance, The months (February, March and April 2006). Entrance, Blue Bay, Shelly, Blue Lagoon The cleanest swimming sites in the Port and Bateau Bay Stephens Shire were: • Summerland Point and Chain Valley Bay • Birubi Beach at the northern end of in Lake Macquarie Stockton Bight • San Remo in Lake Budgewoi • Dutchmans Beach and Little Beach These swimming sites passed the NHMRC within Port Stephens (1990) guidelines in all seven months of the 2005–2006 swimming season. • Karuah Tidal Pool and Lemon Tree Passage Tidal Pool. A high level of compliance was also recorded at the ocean beach of Toowoon These locations passed the swimming Bay; Elizabeth Bay in Lake Munmorah; guidelines in all months. Long Jetty and Pelican in Tuggerah Lake; Georges Reserve complied with the Gwandalan in Lake Macquarie; and NHMRC (1990) swimming guidelines in Toukely Aquatic in Lake Budgewoi. These four of the six months, and Bagnalls Beach sites all complied with the swimming complied with the guidelines in three of the guidelines in six of the seven months of the six months. swimming season. Newcastle City Council Canton Beach in Tuggerah Lake complied Newcastle Council routinely tests water with the swimming guidelines in four of the quality at four ocean baths: Merewether seven months. Learners, Merewether Main, Canoe Pool Although bacterial levels were generally a and Newcastle Baths. Samples are collected lot lower than the very high levels recorded year-round at two sites, but only data in recent years, Tumbi Umbi Creek and collected over the 2005–2006 summer Ourimbah Creek failed the swimming swimming season are presented in this guidelines in all seven months of the 2005– report. 2006 summer swimming season, and All four swimming locations passed the Wyong River failed in six of the seven NHMRC (1990) swimming guidelines in all months. The lower bacterial levels are months. thought to be the result of the dry weather conditions and reduced wet weather related pollution during summer 2005–2006. 6 Beachwatch Partnership Program – State of the Beaches 2005–2006 Swimming at these locations should be Nine of the 11 locations complied with the avoided at all times. NHMRC (1990) guidelines in all seven months of the 2005–2006 summer Gosford City Council swimming season. Shelley Beach and Surf Twenty-two swimming locations were Beach complied in six of the seven months, monitored in the Gosford City Council area failing in November 2005 because of between October 2005 and April 2006. elevated levels of enterococci. Faecal coliform samples were collected to Bega Valley Shire Council assess compliance with NHMRC (1990) Twenty-one swimming locations were swimming water quality guidelines at ten monitored in the Bega Valley Shire Council. locations. At the remaining 12 sites, faecal Three beaches (Beares, Merimbula Main coliform samples were collected and Aslings) were monitored between approximately every two weeks. November 2005 and January 2006. The The following locations passed the NHMRC remaining locations were monitored (1990) swimming locations in all months of between December 2005 and January 2006, the 2005–2006 summer swimming season in the two busiest months of the swimming which sufficient samples were collected: season. The sites were: • Bulbararing, Wamberal Lagoon, Terrigal • The ocean beaches of Camel Rock, Sailboards, Terrigal Paddleboats, Avoca Horseshoe Bay, Beares Beach, Tathra Lake and Cockrone Lagoon Beach, Short Point, Merimbula, Pambula, Aslings and Cocora • Terrigal, Avoca, Copacabana and McMasters rock pools. • Wallaga Lake (bridge), Mogareeka Lions At sites with less frequent monitoring, Park and Boat Ramp, Spencer Park, including Forresters, Wamberal and Umina Mitchies Jetty, Bar Beach, Pambula River ocean beaches, Davistown Baths, Ettalong Mouth, Cuttagee Inlet and Back Lake Channel, Pretty Beach Baths, Umina • Bruce Steer Pool, Big Blue Pool and Little Lagoon, Woy Woy Baths, Pearl Beach Blue Pool. Rockpool, Killcare Rockpool and Yattalunga Baths, levels of faecal coliforms were Faecal coliform samples were collected to generally low and provided no evidence of assess compliance with NHMRC (1990) sewage contamination. swimming water quality guidelines. Compliance was assessed in November Slightly elevated faecal coliform levels were 2005, December 2005 and January 2006 at recorded at Pearl Beach Lagoon on most Beares, Merimbula Main and Aslings sampling occasions. beaches, and all three sites complied in all Eurobodalla Shire Council months. Compliance was assessed in January 2006 at all other locations, and all Eleven swimming locations were monitored passed the NHMRC (1990) swimming in the Eurobodalla council area during the guidelines in this month. 2005–2006 summer swimming season. The sites were: Response to rainfall • Cookies, Casey, Surf, Malua Bay, While monitoring during the 2005–2006 Broulee, Bengello, Shelley, Tuross, Brou swimming season focused on the and Narooma ocean beaches assessment of guideline compliance, bacterial results were plotted with rainfall • Wagonga Inlet netted beach. and, where possible, an assessment of the Faecal coliform and enterococci samples impact of rainfall on recreational water were collected between October 2005 and quality was also made. These trends are April 2006 to assess compliance with the discussed on the individual beach pages NHMRC (1990) swimming water quality and on the council summary pages. guidelines. Slightly elevated bacterial levels (values above median and geometric mean