Projects in the Creekline

Partnering for Waterway Restoration

In July 2023, Camden Council partnered with Sydney Water and Downer BMD Joint Venture to remove woody weeds and restore approximately 8,000 square metres of native vegetation along the creekline within Elizabeth Macarthur Reserve, Camden South. Over 100 community volunteers assisted with planting 3,000 native plants as part of National Tree Day celebrations held at the site.

Building on the success of this project, Council is again partnering with Sydney Water and Downer BMD Joint Venture to restore 8,000 square metres of critically endangered Cumberland Shale Plains Woodland along a creekline within a reserve in Spring Farm.

This restoration project will restore connectivity between existing high-quality bushland located in Gundungurra Reserve to the north-east and the Spring Farm bush reserves to the south-west. The project will also provide much needed habitat for local wildlife including swamp wallabies, possums, lizards, and birds.

These works are expected to be completed within the 2024/25 financial year.

Narellan Creek Water Quality Improvement Project

The Narellan Creek catchment is the largest and most urbanised tributary of the Nepean River within the Camden LGA. Through a Deed of Agreement with Sydney Water, Council received $200,000 to undertake works to improve the water quality and amenity of the Narellan Creek Water Quality Management System, which includes the Harrington Park Lake system, built in the late 1990s.

Consultants were engaged to identify key water quality issues and catchment threats, as well as management actions to improve water quality. Poor sediment and erosion control practices on development and industrial sites were assessed as being a very high risk to water quality outcomes leading to increased costs to Council for maintenance.

Management actions that have been implemented over the past year include:

  •  Sediment and erosion control training for 51 operational and regulatory staff;

  • Targeted education and compliance of a high pollutant site;

  • The Smeaton Grange Clean Up event (page 7); and

  • Priority repairs and renewal works identified in the Gross Pollutant Trap audit for the Narellan Creek catchment.

Improving the water quality of the Narellan Creek catchment will be an ongoing project.