Chapter One |
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Background |
This project is the result of the vision of a number of individuals for creative ways to restore the environmental qualities of the Georges River and Woronora River Catchments.
The Georges River flows 96 km from Cataract Scout Park to Botany Bay, and its main tributary, the Woronora, is 32 km in length from its source just north of Dharawal State Conservation Area to its confluence with the Georges River at Como. Covering an area of 920 km², these catchments present a variety of environment types. The Woronora River and the upper and lower estuarine reaches of the Georges River flow through Hawkesbury sandstone into the wide Botany Bay estuary. In its middle reaches, the Georges River meanders through low rolling shale topography and densely urbanised floodplains of Liverpool and surrounds. |
One of the hanging swamps that supply high quality water for the Georges River |
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The vegetation of the Woronora Plateau, at the headwaters of the Woronora and Georges Rivers, comprises open forests, heath and hanging swamps, while the once extensive Cumberland forests of the Georges River floodplains have been dramatically reduced in the years since European settlement.
The Georges River catchment was home to a number of Aboriginal clans who belonged to Dharawal Nation: the "Saltwater People" of the coastal and bay area, "Bitterwater People" of the lower and middle reaches, and "Freshwater People" of the upper and top reaches.
The different landscape characteristics influenced the way these groups used the resources of the land, their walking/game trails and Dreaming places. Archaeological evidence in the over 1,200 Aboriginal sites in the catchment, such as axe grinding grooves, middens, and engravings, drawing and stencils, indicate that Aborigines may have spent lengthy periods living in one area, utilising its rich food and fibre sources - large number of bird species (over 100), mammals, reptiles and plants, as well as river fish.
In 1795, during the early years of European settlement, Bass and Flinders explored the Georges River as far as Prospect Creek. Their exploration produced favourable reports of the alluvial land along the Georges River and in 1798 the first land grant, 100 acres in the Bankstown area, was made to George Bass. The best agricultural lands were found on the alluvial soils of the river banks and floodplains of the middle reaches. The communities of Liverpool and Fairfield were established in the early nineteenth century as agricultural supply centres for the Sydney colony. All along the river land was cleared for grazing, crops, wool production and timber. Fishing and oyster farming were carried out in Botany Bay. |
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The establishment of land grants along the Georges River significantly reduced the Aboriginal communities' access to their traditional source of food and shelter, and led to growing hostility between Aboriginals and settlers. By 1816, the Aboriginal people of the upper reaches had been driven, by force, from their traditional home.
Development of the railway in the second half of the nineteenth century saw the gradual establishment of towns and infrastructure throughout the catchment. Progress from settlement to urbanisation was piecemeal, influenced by geography and topography. |
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Throughout the 1980s and 90s it became increasingly clear that the once richly biodiverse and productive Georges River catchment was in decline. The population in the catchment increased from approximately 1 million in 1986 to 1.2 million in 2003.
As the intensity of catchment residential development increased, significant areas of foreshore were stripped of vegetation to make way for housing and industry. The result of the development has been to gradually reduce the river from a pristine waterway that used to support industries such as oyster farming and safe swimming, to one plagued by problems. |
In May 2003, Riverkeeper Simon Annabel noted: "An enormous amount of silt is pouring into the river. Some of the sediment traps are ineffective. The topsoil from every unprotected building site in south-west Sydney is ending up in the Georges River".
The upper catchment of the Woronora River is dammed, providing Sydney with one of its water supply areas. The resultant reduced flow has severe impacts on the natural flow of the Woronora River. The upper reaches of the river foreshores, however, have been relatively protect by their location in the Heathcote National Park and, the middle reaches have been protected by steep slopes. |
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In the 1990s community activists lobbied to protect the health of the rivers and their foreshores. These efforts culminated in the formation of the Shaping the Georges River Catchment (GRC) Strategic Plan and the announcement by the State Government of a $6 million program - the Georges River Foreshore Improvement Program (GRFIP). The stated aim of the Program was to:
“Provide funding for projects that enhance the ecological sustainability, environmental quality, and recreational amenity of the Georges River Catchment by focusing on improving the foreshores of the Georges River and its tributaries.” |
A Section 22 Committee, formed under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, was established in 1995 by the Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning. The brief of the committee was to offer advice on the state and management of the Georges River. The Committee expanded the scope of the review to include the entire Georges River Catchment.
In 2000, Planning NSW commissioned a study of the feasibility of creating a continuous route for pedestrians and cyclists along the foreshore of the Georges River. The study concluded that such a route was possible.
Sutherland Shire Environment Centre (SSEC) and Georges River Environmental Alliance (GREA) made separate applications to GRFIP in 2002 to take the study further and begin the coordination work to enable the foreshore access route to become a reality. Since there were obvious synergies in the two projects it was decided to combine them and manage both from SSEC's offices. |
Objectives of the GRFIP:
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To improve the Catchment's ecological integrity and environmental values by implementing best practice, ecologically sustainable and integrated foreshore improvement works;
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To equitably implement the metropolitan objectives for the environment including the initiatives for open space and waterways;
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To improve the Catchment's scenic and recreational amenity by improving foreshore open space areas and access to, and linkages between those areas;
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To help implement other components of the "Shaping the Georges River Catchment (GRC) Strategy, including the GRC Planning Strategy and The GRC Regional Environment Plan; and
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To promote cooperation and partnerships through consultation with the community, all levels of Government and key stakeholders.
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| GREA is a network of local community groups within the Georges River catchment. Its prime objective is to encourage protection of the catchment, its biodiversity, and to improve river water quality. It supports only ecologically sustainable development. |
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The combined project has the potential to incorporate an even grander vision of route systems throughout the Botany Bay catchment, including the Botany Bay Trail which can be progressively implemented as resources and opportunities arise over the next decade.
In its application to GRFIP, the SSEC noted the potential benefits of such a project:
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Increased awareness of the value of the catchment's ecosystem biodiversity and its cultural, spiritual and heritage significance for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.
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Heightened capacity of the local communities to sustain their involvement in future environmental protection and enhancement activities.
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A focus for practical environmental education projects for local schools/colleges including the monitoring of the impact of the path on the catchment's biodiversity.
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SSEC aims to enhance management and understanding of the environment in Sutherland Shire and its bioregion, working in partnership with community, business and government. It is an independent non-government organisation funded through donations, fundraising and project-specific grants. |
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Botany Bay Trail
The Botany Bay Program, a study of the Botany Bay environment managed by the Southern Sydney Region Organisation of Councils (SSROC), commissioned SSEC to carry out a pre-feasibility study of a trail system around Botany Bay. The findings for this study were delivered at the Trails Forum held at Sutherland Shire Entertainment Centre on 7 th September 2002. ( See Appendix 1 ) |
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Similarly, GREA stated in its application that walks along the Georges River would raise community awareness of the river. Few people know of the historical and cultural significance of the river, nor fully comprehend the impacts of urbanisation on its health. GREA saw the feasibility study as an opportunity to promote the environmental/historical/cultural issues of the catchment, and encourage cooperation between the community, industry, environmental groups and all levels of government.
Both GREA and SSEC are organisations committed to working towards better management of the Georges River Catchment and to seek pro-active ways of doing so whilst continuously engaging stakeholders.
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For this reason, the strategy for conducting the study was designed to provide for participation and a lasting information base available to interested parties. The strategy was also designed to ensure that maximum value was obtained within the tight twelve-month framework for delivery of the project and within the limits of the $145,000 grant provided under the GRFIP.
Two project officers were engaged to carry out the feasibility study. One project officer's brief was to concentrate on ground-truthing for implementation of routes along the foreshore of the Woronora Valley, the second project officer's brief was to conduct a feasibility study of routes through the Georges River Catchment. Both briefs were underpinned by a requirement that the final outcome must ensure that: |
Underpinning the Strategy of the Great Kai'mia Way study
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The community and other stakeholders become partners in the project
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Research was professional, thorough and well-documented
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They seek out and use opportunities for promoting the project and using it to enhance the message for sustainability
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They identify funding opportunities for implementing the Great Kai'mia Way.
The project officers operated from the offices of SSEC which provided day-to-day office support and supervision of the study.
An Executive Committee, comprising two SSEC and two GREA representatives oversaw implementation, meeting on a monthly basis to review reports from the project officers and assess progress against the strategy. As well, the project officers and the executive reported on progress to a Stakeholder Board on a quarterly basis, with the explicit purpose of ensuring transparency of the study's progress and input from stakeholders. |
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• Exec Summary 
Sutherland Shire Environment Centre | Suite 4 (1st Floor), 2-4 Merton Street, Sutherland NSW 2232