Wyong River Bank Erosion
WYONG RIVER BANK EROSION
Mr CRITTENDEN (Wyong) [6.13]: Tonight I raise a matter on which both the State Government and the Wyong Shire Council can cooperate. Honourable members might recall that last week I raised the issue of the Wyong Family Day Care Centre. The Wyong Shire Council requested that the State Government fund 50 per cent of the cost of the purchase of premises to house the Wyong Family Day Care Centre. That had significant policy implications because most councils provide premises free of rent for family day care centres. Obviously the State Government could not accede to that request. The Wyong River is an estuary into the Tuggerah Lakes system. At one point on that river there is a sweeping bend which has suffered significant erosion. Although several consultative reports have been commissioned by committees of the council, as well as by the Department of Public Works and Services, no work has been carried out to correct the problem.
The most recent report prepared by Patterson, Britton and Partners Pty Limited, entitled "Wyong River and Ourimbah Creek Bank Management", gave number one priority to remedial work on the aforementioned bend in the river. More importantly there is a risk to the public from the 33,000 volt power lines in the vicinity of Wyong River and in close proximity to Wolseley Avenue, which is adjacent to the river. In addition, if the river banks eroded sufficiently, major problems would be caused to a vacuum sewer line. It is important that the Wyong Shire Council and the State Government work together to overcome this problem. The works would cost $180,000; or, as the consultants recommend, the work could be done in three stages
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at a cost of approximately $60,000 each. The State Government and Wyong Shire Council could overcome the problem at this point on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Today Mr Ken Barry, a resident of the Tacoma area where this problem exists, met with the Minister for Land and Water Conservation. I am pleased that Mr Barry was given a fair hearing by the Minister.
Mr Barry, who represents 300 residents of Tacoma, lives opposite this problem point. When the council found out that Mr Barry was to meet with the Minister today it arranged for officers to inspect the site in question on the Wyong River and arranged to lop the overhanging trees to water level in a bandaid attempt to address this problem. That is not sufficient. Several consultants reports have investigated this matter over many years. The following reports have been received: from Webb McKeown entitled "Upper Wyong River Flood Study, Compendium of Data", dated 1988; "Lower Wyong River Flood Study Review 1991", a draft report, dated June 1992; and "Wyong River Floodplain Management Study", a draft report, dated June 1992. Sufficient studies by consultants have been produced. Now is the time for action. Now is the time to do substantial work to remedy the problem.
I was pleased that this week Mr Barry was appointed to the Tuggerah Lakes estuary management committee, a committee of the council. Coincidentally, this appointment occurred after the council found out that Mr Barry was to meet with the Minister for Land and Water Conservation. Mr Barry was previously a member of the Wyong River floodplain management committee and never missed a meeting from the time of his appointment in 1994 until the committee was disbanded prior to the council elections in September 1995. Although he was a nominee of the Landcare group in the area and had excellent qualifications, he was not appointed to the Tuggerah Lakes estuary management committee, which was established last year. It is important to recognise that people who have a contrary view, people who are forthright and can put up a persuasive argument, are not excluded from important committees.
Mr KNOWLES (Moorebank - Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning, and Minister for Housing) [6.18]: It would seem from the remarks of the honourable member for Wyong that the Wyong Shire Council has reluctantly taken part in efforts to deal with the long-standing problem of erosion at the location on the Wyong River identified by the honourable member for Wyong. He rightly calls for a more cooperative effort between the State Government and the local council to resolve this matter. It is apparent from the number of reports outlined by the honourable member that the issue has been studied to death. What is required is action. It is incumbent upon Wyong Shire Council to join with the strong and strenuous efforts of the honourable member and the Minister for Land and Water Conservation to deal with this issue once and for all, rather than the apparent short-term measures of tree lopping and other remedial measures which serve to exacerbate the problem. I place on record the appreciation of this side of the Parliament to the honourable member for Wyong for his efforts on behalf of his constituents in progressing this matter. He has been tenacious in pursuing a number of Ministers. I am sure that the Minister for Land and Water Conservation would join with me in acknowledging that fact and do whatever he can to assist both the honourable member for Wyong and his community to resolve this matter.