1. Management of the Lake

• Newsletters
• Lake Illawarra
• What is an estuary?
• Lake Illawarra management
• Aims and objectives of the Authority
• Strategy/management plan
• Key Management Objectives
• Management values of Lake Illawarra
• Ecological values
• Social Values
• Economic Value

Newsletters

This information sheet briefly describes management of Lake Illawarra and the processes involved in producing a Strategy/Management Plan. Other information sheets will discuss topics such as:

• lake formation
• tides and currents in the lake
• water balance
• water quality
• sediments and lake infilling
• nutrients
• aquatic plants and animals

These are all matters which affect the `health' of the lake. Without a healthy lake, our enjoyment of its many benefits would be reduced.

Lake Illawarra

Lake Illawarra is located between the Illawarra escarpment and the Pacific Ocean on the NSW South Coast some 90 km south of Sydney. Water flowing into it is both fresh (from the escarpment) and salty (from the ocean tides). These conditions classify it as an estuary.

What is an estuary?

An estuary is any coastal inlet, lake, lagoon, river or stream affected by ocean tides. Estuaries have complex and distinctive ecosystems that differ to those found in freshwater streams or in the ocean. They are also valuable sources of seafood and popular places to live and play. However, human uses often conflict with each other and often threaten the ecosystem's viability.

Human development activity in waterways and their catchments can adversely affect estuaries in a number of ways, such as:

• infilling with sediments eroded from disturbed land and watercourses
• reducing water quality through sewage overflows and urban stormwater inflows, rubbish dumping and the disposal of other wastes
• increasing nutrient levels so that algae blooms occur
• increasing runoff and the frequency of property flooding
• destroying estuary plants and fish habitat through reclamation, sand extraction and recreational use
• reducing scenic quality through inappropriate development

Many of these problems occurred in the past because we did not appreciate the complexity of our estuaries.

Lake Illawarra Management

To help address the problems above, the NSW State Government established the Lake Illawarra Authority with the aim of transforming the degraded waters and foreshores of Lake Illawarra into an attractive recreational and tourist resource.

The Lake Illawarra Authority Act 1987 was proclaimed on 11 February 1988. The Authority was charged with the task of repairing the environmental damage that had accumulated over decades both within the lake itself and on the lake foreshores. The Authority consists of ten (10) part-time members appointed by the Minister for Land and Water Conservation.

Aims and objectives of the Authority

The intent of the Authority's activities has been to restore the ecological environment of the lake whilst recognising the importance that the community places on the lake as a vital regional recreational resource.

The works considered necessary to bring about real and lasting improvements to Lake Illawarra include the following activities:

1. The deepening of channels and bays to promote circulation of the water.
2. The removal of ooze, silt, sand and detritus from the bed of the lake to aid the establishment and extension of seagrass meadows.
3. The construction of silt traps and nutrient filters on the streams and drains discharging to the lake.
4. The clearing of unnatural algal blooms and the removal of rotting plant matter on and adjacent to the foreshores of the lake.
5. The landscaping of foreshores including the planting of native estuarine plant communities, the establishment of animal habitat and the removal of weeds.
6. The carrying out of works for the protection and improvement of the environment.
7. The provision of recreational facilities and amenities including beaches, parklands, boat ramps, boatsheds, jetties, wharves, moorings and appropriately screened carparks in order to focus activity away from environmentally sensitive areas.

Members of the Authority are committed to achieving lasting improvements to the lake. The restoration of the lake will benefit natural ecosystems, tourism, recreational opportunities and the quality of life for residents and visitors.

It is recognised that the catchment of the lake is to be subject to further development. The challenge long recognised by the Authority is to ensure natural lake ecosystems are restored as far as possible to their predevelopment condition to compliment future gains in catchment management.

In pursuing the above objectives, the Authority is committed to working with the community/local councils, the Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority and government agencies to raise awareness about the need to reduce sediment and nutrient input from within the catchment of Lake Illawarra. Through specific promotional and educational initiatives the Authority also seeks to enhance appreciation about how individuals in the community can each play a part in arresting further decline of the lake.

Strategy/management plan

In 1990, the Authority developed a Strategy Plan for Lake restoration. The Strategy Plan was based on a literature review and incorporates projects in and around the Lake to repair past, and prevent future damage, as well as the development of planning and development controls to provide long term protection for the Lake. Community education programs and ongoing data collection to monitor the lake's health are proposed.

An Environmental Appraisal of the Authority's works program in 1994 which confirmed the work being done by the Authority and that proposed as being appropriate. The Authority intends developing a Management Plan building on the Strategy Plan (1990) under the guidance of a Consultative Committee. The Authority has prepared a context for development of a Management Plan for Lake Illawarra which identifies key objectives and values for management.

Key Management Objectives

The overall objective of the Lake Illawarra Authority is the restoration of the Lake's environment through works to improve its physical condition and by encouraging ecologically sustainable practices by its users.

Some of the key management objectives are as follows:

1. Water Quality - to improve the Lakes water quality to a standard that protects its ecological, recreational and aesthetic values. 
2. Sedimentation - to reduce the rate of sediment build up in the Lake and restore areas of the lake afflicted by its excessive accumulation.
3. Aquatic Ecology - to restore and protect the diversity and abundance of lake habitats and aquatic flora and fauna.
4. Waterway Usage - maximise opportunities for the Lake's sustainable recreational and tourist use.
5. Riparian Zone - restore the Lake's foreshore vegetation and amenity value while encouraging public access.
6. Fishery - minimise conflict between users of the resource and ensure harvesting of stock is maintained at a long term sustainable level.
7. Lake Management - promote integrated and sustainable lake management by encouraging participation by community interest groups and government agencies in the planning, management and funding of the lakes restoration program.

Management Values of Lake Illawarra

The management values of the Lake can be thought of as actual and potential merits of the lake which should be protected or enhanced by the Management Plan. The values have been categorised into either ecological, social or economic categories. Many of these values are currently under threat, necessitating on-going environmental remediation works to be carried out to ensure their future protection and enhancement.

Ecological Values

Key ecological values include:

• extensive seagrass beds;
• fish breeding ground;
• wetlands ;
• variety of habitats;
• diverse bird population.

All of these provide for biodiversity and increased numbers of flora and fauna populations in the Lake and surrounding it. This also adds to the aesthetics of the Lake.

Social Values

Key social values include:

• unpolluted water with minimal odour problems;
• recreational boating in small craft - windsurfers, sailing boats, canoes, rowing, water skiing;
• passive recreation;
• walking and cycling trails;
• foreshore picnic and BBQ facilities;
• recreational fishing and bait collection;
• visual amenity.

Economic Value

Key economic values include:

• hire and sale of equipment to be used in relation to the lake - fishing equipment, recreation equipment;
• commercial and recreational fish catches;
• commercial tourist operations;
• tourist accommodation;
• source of sand;
• residences with water views.

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