APPENDIX C State of the Environment Report 2008/2009 Annual Report 2008/09 - Appendix C 165 contents Introduction 167 State of Environment Reporting (SOE) 167 Relationship with Council’s Management Plan 168 Reporting Framework 169 A Snapshot of Kogarah’s Environment 170 Kogarah’s Environmental Management 171 Towards Environmental Sustainability 172 Human Settlement 181 Urban Development 181 Population 191 Aboriginal Heritage 196 Non Aboriginal Heritage 200 Transport 203 Waste 210 Noise 217 Energy Use 224 Water Use 234 Biodiversity and Bushland Management 241 Open Spaces 248 Fire Management 252 Introduced Flora and Fauna 254 Native Flora and Fauna 256 Water 259 Catchment Management and Water Quality 259 Stormwater Management 271 Atmosphere 277 Greenhouse Emissions 277 Air Quality 286 Soils and landscape 289 Acid Sulfate Soils 289 Erosion 289 Conclusion 292 References 293 Sustainability Indicators 295 Summary of Kogarah’s Environmental Four Year Performance 299 166 Kogarah City Council The Living Planet Report 2006 confirms that mankind is Introduction using the planet’s resources faster than they can be The activities of the past cannot continue unabated. Resources renewed - the latest data must be used more efficiently, and governments, the world available (for 2003) indicate over, must set the standards for both appropriate use of those resources and ensuring humanity’s impact on the planet that humanity’s ecological is reduced. footprint, its impact upon the Kogarah City Council has been and will always be committed to reducing its ecological footprint whilst ensuring its natural planet, has more than tripled resources and environment are made a priority. In its quest to since 1961. Humanity’s provide services and enhance the quality of life of its residents, Council has not forgotten its natural environment. This report footprint now exceeds the is written to highlight the features of the City of Kogarah’s environment, the impacts that humans are having on it and the world’s ability to actions taken to ensure both the environment and community regenerate by about continue to be supported well into the future. 25 per cent. State of Environment Reporting (SoE) The State of the Environment Report is one of the legislative responsibilities of New South Wales local governments under the Local Government Act 1993. It was introduced to provide an effective way to inform and educate the community about their local environment and how it is affect by human activities. It also outlines how councils are working to protect and enhance the natural environment. According to legislation, an SoE report must: • Address the eight environmental sectors of land, air, water, biodiversity, waste, noise, Aboriginal heritage and non- Aboriginal heritage; • Provide as a basis of comparison in subsequent reports, a statement outlining the condition of each environmental sector at the date of the report and make the relevant comparison with the equivalent statement in the last SoE report; • Report on all major environmental impacts and related activities, including management plans relating to the environment; special council projects relating to the environment; and the environmental impact of council’s activities. Under recent amendments to the Local Government Act 1993, councils are required to prepare a comprehensive State of Environment report every four years, following the election of a new Council. In the intermediate years, provision has been made to allow Councils to produce a supplementary report. A supplementary report aims to identify any new environmental impacts that have occurred since the Council’s last report but does not necessarily contain all the baseline information contained in a comprehensive report. The report for the period of July 2008 to June 2009 is a comprehensive report which has been prepared to fulfil Council’s statutory requirements. It concentrates on updating the information contained in the last comprehensive State of the Environment 2003/2004 and provides a four year-trend analysis. The most recent State of the Environment report is available in Council’s libraries and online at www.kogarah.nsw.gov.au. Most of the information contained in this report has been derived from internal Council sources with some assistance from State Government departments. This report deals primarily with Council’s involvement in maintaining the environment and should not be viewed as a comprehensive analysis of programs being undertaken by all statutory bodies. Annual Report 2008/09 - Appendix C 167 Relationship with Council’s Management Plan Council is required under the Local Government Act 1993 to prepare a Management Plan. The Management Plan describes the activities that will be undertaken to achieve a viable and sustainable future by focusing on achieving key outcomes for the community of the City of Kogarah. Council’s Management Plan provides the corporate framework for the achievement of the shared Council and community vision for ‘better lifestyle’. Sustainability indicators featured in this Report are also highlighted in Council’s Management Plan. This ensures the integration of strategic responses to issues raised in this report into Council activities. Council has determined a set of Strategic Outcomes to ensure its vision becomes a reality. The strategic directions for Kogarah City Council include: 1. provide community governance 2. protect and enhance our local environment 3. preserve our local character 4. ensure a healthy and safe living environment 5. promote economic sustainability both locally and within the region 6. maintain and improve community infrastructure for present and future generations 7. manage our community’s resources with regard to access and open choice 8. facilitate sustainable transport options For each strategic direction, there are a range of outcomes that Council is working towards achieving. All the activities of Council, its dealings and relationships with the community and other stakeholders are aimed at arriving at those outcomes. 168 Kogarah City Council Reporting Framework This State of Environment report aims to highlight the serious nature of Councils’ responsibilities to environmental management and the necessity for it to be a transparent and regulated process. Recognising this, Kogarah City Council chose to use the model of “Pressure – State – Response”, which is consistent with the Federal and State level SoE reporting methods and the requirements of the Local Government Act Regulations, 1999. Each chapter of the report is written in the following format, which addresses the Pressure – State – Response of the particular environmental feature. Pressures - Human Impacts This component outlines the current human induced impacts that affect the state of each environmental sector. State - How it is now This component outlines the current condition for each of the environmental sectors. Responses - Actions to improve These are the actions Council is undertaking to deal with the pressures and improve the ‘state’ of the environment. Sustainability Indicators As part of the report, Council has also commenced the process of identifying appropriate environmental indicators for each environmental sector. These sectors include – Land, Water, Biodiversity, Air, Waste, Noise and Heritage. By analysing trends, Council can focus its resources to prevent further environmental deterioration, assess how useful the current efforts are in protecting our environment and can help to decide where resources and effort is most needed in the future. Four-year Trend Due to the comprehensive reporting requirements (following the election of a new Council), a four-year trend of the City of Kogarah’s environment in the eight environmental elements (land, air, water, biodiversity, waste, noise, aboriginal heritage and non-aboriginal heritage) identified. These trends can be found at the end of each section or in the summary section of this report. Disclaimer: Any representation, statement, opinion or advice, expresses or implied in this publication is made is good faith but on the basis that Kogarah City Council and its employees are not liable (whether by reason or negligence, lack of care or otherwise) to any person for any damage or loss whatsoever which has occurred or may occur in relation to that person taking or not taking (as the case may be) action in respect of any representation, statement of advice referred to above. Annual Report 2008/09 - Appendix C 169 A Snapshot of Kogarah’s Environment Location Kogarah is a City within the district of St. George. It is situated 15 kilometres south of Sydney’s CBD and covers an area of 19.38 square kilometres. Its north, west and eastern boundaries are the local government areas (LGA) of Rockdale and Hurstville whilst the Georges River provides its southern boundary. The name “Kogarah” is Aboriginal, meaning “Place of Reeds” and takes its name from the reeds that grew in the inlets along Georges River and at the head of Kogarah Bay. The original Aboriginal inhabitants, the Cadigal people, were part of the Dharuk language group and lived in the area around Botany Bay, between the Cooks and Georges Rivers. The first recorded European visitors to the area were on Cook’s voyage in 1770. The first grants of land in the area were taken up in 1808 and by the time of the 1828 Census the total population of the district of St. George was 184. Between the 1830s and early 1860s, settlement in the Kogarah area increased slowly with the area remaining primarily an agricultural