2024-25 Central Coast Waterways Report Card released

Central Coast Council has released its latest Waterways Report Card, examining the ecological health of Tuggerah Lakes, Brisbane Water, lower Hawkesbury River, Coastal Lagoons and Lake Macquarie. This initiative is a part of Council’s comprehensive monitoring programs for Central Coast waterways.

The Report Card grades water quality at 34 sites across the region and the results showed significant improvements from the previous year with 79% of sites receiving excellent or good grades, an increase from 44% last year. Of these sites, 18 sites improved (53%), 15 sites remained stable (44%) and one site declined (3%).

Council Mayor, Lawrie McKinna said Council is committed to protecting and preserving our natural assets for the long term.

“The Waterways Report Card results offer valuable insight into the condition of our waterways and show the importance of ongoing monitoring,” Mayor McKinna said.

Major improvements in water quality were observed across Tuggerah Lakes (including Wallarah Creek, Wyong River, Tumbi Creek and Ourimbah Creek), Brisbane Water (including Narara and Erina Creeks), Wamberal and Avoca Lagoons and Mullet Creek in the Lower Hawkesbury.

Terrigal Lagoon was the only site to experience a decline, dropping from a grade of fair to poor. This was likely due to frequent lagoon openings during periods of heavy rainfall, which stirred up sediments and reduced overall water quality.

While this year’s report card shows improvement, it’s important Council continues to review the data against previous years to understand past and current conditions, which are also heavily impacted by rainfall and wind, to identify where to focus future management actions and help determine long-term trends in water quality and ecological health.

This program aligns with the NSW Estuary Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Protocols, allowing comparison with other estuaries across the state.

To view the full Waterways Report Card search, ‘Monitoring our Waterways’ at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au