Sydney Metropolitan Beaches Sydney Beaches Waverley Council The Beachwatch Program 65 Waverley Council Beaches: Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte Sydney Beaches 66 State of the Beaches 2005–2006 Waverley Council Location Management Plan and Program of Works and other programs to improve water Waverley Council covers an area of nine quality in the catchment. square kilometres in the Eastern Suburbs of Integrated Stormwater Management Plan (ISMP) and Sydney and has a population of Program of Works approximately 60700 people. The ISMP Program of Works is a practical The Waverley beaches encompass a application of the goals, strategies, and 2.5-kilometre stretch of coastline from Bondi outcomes defined within the plan. It Beach in the north to Bronte Beach in the identifies, schedules, and prioritises south. Intertidal Protection Areas are located environmental works that address along the coastline between Bondi Beach stormwater pollution control in Waverley and Tamarama Beach and between Bronte for the period 2001–2006. Beach and Coogee Beach. Sydney Beaches These include street sweeping, the Land uses within the Waverley beach integration of Water Sensitive Urban Design catchments include residential, commercial, features into street upgrades, a industrial, recreational and bushland. comprehensive businesses education and Compliance with guidelines accreditation program, and the installation and maintenance of stormwater pollution Compliance with the guidelines was very devices. These programs help to prevent high in the Waverley Council area during foreign materials from washing into the summer 2005–2006 (Table 6), with all three drains and onto the beaches. beaches complying 100% of the time with both bacterial indicators. Water Week: Waverley Council conducts workshops, seminars, school events, trade The range of bacterial levels measured at affairs and festival days throughout Sydney beaches during summer 2005–2006 National Water Week to provide the is shown in Figure 9, with Waverley Council community with the knowledge, skills and beaches highlighted in grey. Levels of both practical tools to enable them to minimise faecal coliforms and enterococci were within water use and their impact on water quality. the range of values measured at other city beaches in Sydney. Permanent Wave Business Environmental Education Program: This program aims to Ranking of beaches encourage environmental awareness All monitored harbour and ocean beach amongst businesses. Audits have been swimming locations in the Hunter, Sydney conducted at over 170 local businesses at and Illawarra regions were ranked on the Bondi Beach and Bondi Junction, resulting basis of their compliance with swimming in the implementation of improved guidelines during summer 2005–2006. A environmental practices, including waste total of 14 distinct ranks were observed for storage, litter management and waste water the 127 sites monitored both for faecal disposal practices. coliforms and enterococci, with many sites Bondi to Bronte Interpretive Signage Project: ranked equally. Council installed new interpretive and The rankings for the Waverley Council regulatory signage in the popular Bondi to beaches were excellent, with all beaches Bronte coastal zone in December 2005. The ranked equal first (Table 6). new signage provides clear and consistent messages encouraging and promoting Actions to improve water quality socially and environmentally responsible Actions specific to individual beaches are behaviour. included on the beach pages. Free Workshops: Waverley Council runs a Waverley Council has also adopted many series of environmental workshops, actions from the Integrated Stormwater including ‘Green Cleaning’, ‘Gardening with The Beachwatch Program 67 Native Plants’, and ‘Household Water and to establish a social norm that smoking Conservation’. is no longer acceptable on the beach included ‘no smoking’ signage and Review of Planning Controls: Waverley stencilling, display of an ‘Our beaches are Council reviewed planning controls in not ashtrays’ banner and distribution of conjunction with the Institute for postcards. The ban has resulted in Sustainable Futures and the University of significant environmental benefits including Sydney Beaches Technology. Sustainable Water Management cleaner beaches. (maximising efficiency and reducing pollution) was one of six categories The Water CampaignTM: Council continues to reviewed. The next stage will update the work with the International Council for Development Control Plans (DCPs) Local Environmental Initiatives to identify sustainability content, such as better Council and community actions to improve planning of waste storage facilities water quality. (reducing illegal dumping and general litter Local Environmental Plan: This plan assesses on streets). This will decrease stormwater environmental performance and identifies pollution from wind-blown litter. strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for Other programs improvement in delivering sustainable Water Monitoring Program: Waverley Council outcomes for Bondi Junction. Additionally, also undertakes weekly water monitoring of it will incorporate leading practice two ocean pools. Additionally, the council environmental controls. conducts regular water quality snapshots of Environmental Management Plan (EMP): all stormwater outlets to monitor water Council has developed an EMP that quality, isolate problem catchments, and integrates environmental controls into identify pollution sources. standard work practices within Council. Community Education Campaigns Through training, implementation and review, the EMS minimises the impact of Marine Discovery Centre: Council supports Council’s outdoor operations on local the Marine Discovery Centre at the Bondi waterways. Beach Pavilion, which raises awareness about conservation of coastal areas. Council Illegal dumping: Council has developed an has supported the development of an information kit for new tenants to help interactive stormwater education display at reduce illegal dumping and related the Centre. stormwater pollution in the Council area. The kit is distributed by local real estate Butt Busters: Waverley Council and the agencies. It sets out how waste should be Marine Discovery Centre embarked on a stored, what can be recycled, and how to Butt Buster campaign. Personal ashtrays dispose of other waste. were handed out to the general public in an attempt to encourage them to take their Litter control: Council introduced a new cigarette butts home. Local cafes have also containerised waste and recycling service in been provided with windproof ashtrays to 2005 that reduces the potential for prevent butts being blown onto the footpath. windblown litter. Council has also purchased a new beach Soil and water management program: Council rake and tractor that effectively sift small continues to implement the Southern pieces of litter (such as cigarette butts) from Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils the sand. A ban on smoking on Waverley (SSROC) soil and water management beaches (Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama) program. This program aims to prevent came into effect on 17 December 2004. degradation of waterways and stormwater Educational strategies to increase awareness systems by minimising the loss of soil and of the smoking ban amongst beach users building materials from construction sites. 68 State of the Beaches 2005–2006 Table 6: Compliance and ranking of Waverley beaches for summer 2005–2006 Site Bondi Beach 100 100 1 Tamarama Beach 100 100 1 Bronte Beach 100 100 1 Figure 9: Range of Bacterial levels at Sydney beaches during summer 2005–2006 10000 1000 100 10 Faecal coliform1 density (cfu/100 mL) Palm Beach Faecal Coliforms Enterococci Whale Beach 10000 Avalon Beach Bilgola Beach 1000 Newport Beach Compliance (%) Overall rank Bungan Beach 100 Mona Vale Beach Warriewood Beach 10 Turimetta Beach Enterococci density (cfu/100 mL) 1 North Narrabeen Beach Birdwood Park Palm Beach Collaroy Beach Whale Beach Long Reef Beach Avalon Beach Dee Why Beach Bilgola Beach North Curl Curl Beach Newport Beach South Curl Curl Beach Bungan Beach Freshwater Beach Mona Vale Beach Warriewood Beach Queenscliff Beach Turimetta Beach North Steyne Beach South Steyne Beach North Narrabeen Beach Shelly Beach (Manly) (out of 14) Birdwood Park Collaroy Beach Bondi Beach Long Reef Beach Tamarama Beach Dee Why Beach Bronte Beach North Curl Curl Beach South Curl Curl Beach Clovelly Beach Freshwater Beach Coogee Beach Maroubra Beach Queenscliff Beach Malabar Beach North Steyne Beach South Steyne Beach Boat Harbour Shelly Beach (Manly) Greenhills Wanda Beach Bondi Beach Elouera Beach Tamarama Beach North Cronulla Beach Bronte Beach South Cronulla Beach Shelly Beach Clovelly Beach Oak Park Sydney Beaches The Beachwatch Program Coogee Beach Maroubra Beach Malabar Beach Boat Harbour Greenhills Wanda Beach Elouera Beach North Cronulla Beach South Cronulla Beach Shelly Beach Oak Park 69 Bondi Beach See page 66 for key to map Description The beach is 800 metres long and backed by a promenade, car park and parklands. Rock baths are located at the northern and southern ends. Beach conditions are safest at the northern end, and lifeguards patrol the beach year round. Sydney Beaches Pollution sources Stormwater drains discharge to the beach. Actions There are no actions specific to this beach. Compliance Faecal coliform levels complied with swimming guidelines 100% of the time over the last five years. Enterococci compliance has ranged from 81% to 100% of the time. Faecal