The Hawkesbury River comes into focus today, on World Rivers Day, with the launch of a photography competition by the NSW Government and 6 local councils to raise awareness of the Hawkesbury-Nepean Coastal Management Program.
Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock said the Our Hawkesbury River photography competition is a collaborative project with Hornsby, Hawkesbury, Central Coast, Ku-ring-gai, Northern Beaches and Hills Shire councils.
“The NSW Government is passionate about providing support for local councils to manage and protect their valuable coastlines and waterways, and what better way to acknowledge that commitment than on World Rivers Day,” Mrs Hancock said.
“People across the catchment can acknowledge the global day by entering the photography competition and capturing what the Hawkesbury River means to them.”
Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Felicity Wilson said the coastal management program for the Hawkesbury-Nepean River is being developed with funding from partnering councils and the NSW Government’s Coastal and Estuary Grants Program.
“To date, this includes over $371,000 in NSW Government funding for the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, designed to assist councils to improve the local coastline and estuaries,” Ms Wilson said.
“World Rivers Day is a celebration of waterways around the globe, encouraging increased public awareness and active involvement to improve the health of our rivers in the years ahead.
“This photography competition is an exciting way to celebrate one of our great waterways which stretches 470 kilometres from its source in Goulburn before wrapping around Sydney, all the way through Windsor, Wiseman’s Ferry, then to Brooklyn, and Barrenjoey where it meets the ocean.”
Hornsby Shire Mayor Philip Ruddock said council collaboration and the community are key to protecting the river system’s health.
“We want to know what our community values most about the beautiful Hawkesbury River, what they love to see, and what needs protection now and into the future,” said Mr Ruddock.
“We’re proud to be part of an ambitious collaboration of 6 councils to help protect the River’s health by developing a coastal management program.
“As the river moves towards the coast, it gathers water runoff from 24 local government areas before finally flowing past Pittwater, Brisbane Water and then out past Palm Beach.
“By the time this much-loved river reaches the Pacific Ocean, it’s absorbed water runoff from a massive area of more than 21,400 square kilometres.”
From Broken Bay up to Yarramundi near Windsor, the Hawkesbury River is tidal for approximately 145 kilometres, which makes it an estuary.
The rest of the river, the remaining 325 kilometres stretching all the way to Goulburn, is freshwater and includes Warragamba Dam.
Competition prizes include one of 3 NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service annual All Parks Passes, and closes on Sunday 17 October.
Enter the online competition by snapping your favourite picnic place, wildlife, landscape or activity at Hawkesbury Nepean River System.
