The only two Wetlands in the Sydney Basin deemed worthy of mention in the following directory are likely to be adversely effected by the proposed remediation if not done to almost impossibly high standards, and by the existing contamination and sewerage pollution. The amount of night time light, traffic, noise, additional stormwater run off, sewerage overflows and height of the development are likely to have a negative effect on these wetlands and the migratory birds and protected species that live in them.

Check out the Parramatta River page to see the problems with the river in the area near the Bicentennial Park and Newington Wetlands.

View a video on Wetlands: http://www.gullivermedia.com.au/videopage.html and scroll down

Birds Australia | Southern NSW and ACT Group of Birds Australia (SNAG) | Bird Life international | Wetlands Website

The failure to provide for a Riparian Protection Zone in accordance with the NSW State Rivers and Estuaries Policy so close to such important wetlands covered by the JAMBA and CAMBA agreements is huge blow to the concept of a "green games".

Conditions should be imposed requiring such a zone for any issue of Pt 3A permits for work undertaken within 40 metres of a waterway under the Rivers and Foreshores Improvement Act.

(extracts for study purposes only)

Figure 5.7 Distribution of important wetlands in the Sydney Basin biogeographic region.

Latitude/Longitude measurements are represented in decimal format

71. Bicentennial Park - SB001NS

Location : 33 51' S, 115 33' E. Located approximately 12 km west of Sydney CBD, on the southern edge of the Parramatta River. Bioregion: Sydney Basin.

Area : 56 ha.

Elevation : 0 m ASL.

Wetland type(s) : A6, A7, A8.

Criteria for inclusion : 1, 2, 3, 5.

Site description : Bicentennial Park wetlands are constructed on an area of low lying mangrove swamp deposits and garbage fill areas at the southern end of Homebush Bay. The wetlands consist of estuarine/intertidal flats with mangroves, saltmarsh and artificial shallow ponds. It is a modified environment, with the original Powells Creek being straightened in the 1940's and the saltmarsh and waterbird refuge originally created as dredging dumps in 1959/1960. These areas are now valuable habitats.

Significance : The wetlands are the largest remaining intertidal wetland on the Parramatta River. It provides one of only four know sites of the saltmarsh plant Lampranthus tegens. Over 140 species of birds have been recorded at the Park, including 5 rare and or threatened species listed under Schedule 12 of the NPWS Act. Some 27 species are covered by the JAMBA and CAMBA international migratory bird agreements. The Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea occurs at the site. The site is an important education, research and recreation centre.

Land tenure : Crown land administered by Bicentennial Park Trust.

Current land use : Nature conservation, passive recreation and research.

Disturbances or threats : Floating tidal debris, algae mats. Potential problems with large visitor number increases. Potential for industrial oil spills.

Conservation measures taken : Plan of Management being produced in 1996.

Management authority & jurisdiction : Bicentennial Park Trust.

Compiler & Date : P. Bacon, Woodlots & Wetlands, 1995. Based on information supplied by the Bicentennial Park Trust.

85. Newington Wetlands - SB015NS

Location : 33 49¢ S, 151 03¢ E; Parramatta River, 1 km west of Homebush Bay, Silverwater in the county of Cumberland. Bioregion: Sydney Basin.

Area : Wetland including adjoining Casuarina forest: 45 ha (McCallum, pers. comm., 1995); Wetland ponds: 26 ha (Fox and Assoc. 1986).

Elevation : < 50 m ASL.

Wetland type(s) : A8, B1, B11.

Criteria for inclusion : 1, 2, 6.

Site description : The site comprises mangrove woodland and saltmarsh communities surrounding four low-lying shallow saline and brackish ponds separated by low earth bunds. The site is bounded by the Parramatta River in the north and Casuarina woodland in the south, with grassland areas east and west (CHM Hill 1994). The saltmarsh communities are in good health and display a species composition uncommon in the Sydney region. The wetland provides feeding grounds for migratory birds and contains saltmarsh species which are biogeographically disjunct and uncommon in eastern Australia. Quaternary alluvial formations consist of sand, silt and clay deposits in low river terraces and beneath marsh lands. Winiamatta shale is the youngest of the three rock deposits but because of folding in the Sydney district the rock generally outcrops at a lower geographic level than the Hawkesbury sandstone or older rocks. Swamps along the foreshore of the river consist of unconsolidated Quaternary sandy peats, peats and mud (Kachka 1993).

Significance:

Notable flora: The saltmarshes are dominated by a cover of Samphire Sarcocornia quinqueflora, Seablite Suaeda australis, Sand Couch Grass Sporobolus virginicus, Sea Rush Juncus kraussii and Halosarcia pergranulata pergranulata. Plants of botanical interest found in the marsh include the largest remaining population of the biogeographically disjunct and uncommon (rare) plant Wilsonia Wilsonia backhousei, Lampranthus Lampranthus tegens the Chenopod Halosarcia pergranulata pergranulata. Mangrove woodland consists of Grey mangrove Avicennia marina.

Notable fauna: The Parramatta River is the eighth most important estuary for waders in NSW (Anon 1986a; Fox and Assoc. 1986). The saltmarsh and mangroves provide important habitat as feeding grounds to migratory wading birds and nursery to juvenile fish. Sixty-eight bird species have been recorded, 27 species were wetland birds. Eleven migratory birds are known to use the area, the principal species include: Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva, Latham's Snipe Gallinago hardwickii, Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica baueri, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata, Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea, Greenshank Toinga nebularia. These bird species are protected under JAMBA/CAMBA. The threatened Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea has been recorded from the area (CHM Hill 1994).

Social and cultural values: The saltmarsh, casuarina forest and the eucalypt woodland provide a small intact system of pre-European vegetation no longer retained in the Sydney region. Within and adjacent to the site are numerous cultural resources reflecting the history of the area from early settlement in the late 18th century. Cultural relics include salt and lime works, an abattoir, tweed and blanket factory, the original farm site, and the current armaments depot.

Land tenure : The majority of the area is Commonwealth crown land with some state crown land.

Current land use : Royal Australian Navy armaments depot with mixed industrial, urban and vacant crown land surrounding.

Disturbances or threats : Water pollution along the Parramatta River poses the greatest threat to the ecosystem, while development in the form of landfill and seawalls reduce the area of mangrove and saltmarsh. Potential disturbance from the Homebush Bay Olympic village are currently under review by Olympic Coordination Authority and CSIRO.

Conservation measures taken : The Newington wetlands are listed in the Register of the National Estate and with the NSW National Trust (Anon 1982; AHC 1992). The area has been recorded in the Sydney Regional Environmental Plan No. 24 (Anon 1994). A environmental management plan is being produced by the Department of Defence. The NSW Government has developed a masterplan detailing conservation areas around the Homebush Bay area in coordination with the development of the Sydney Olympic Park (NSW Govt. 1994). The Olympic Coordination Authority contain, within development plans, proposals to enhance the conservation value of the site by improving the habitat of the site through remediation of adjacent land and improved water quality by increasing tidal flushing (McCallum, pers. comm., 1995).

Management authority and jurisdiction : The area was managed by the Royal Australian Navy, Department of Defence. The southern part of the site has been transferred to be managed by the Olympic Coordination Authority.

Jurisdiction: NSW State Government.

References : Anon (1982); Anon (1986a); Anon (1986b); Anon (1990); Anon (1994); Australian Heritage Commission (1992); CHM Hill (1994); Clarke, P. & Benson, D. (1988); Ekman, D. (1994); Fox and Associates (1986); Kachka, A. M. (1993); McCallum, K. (1995); NSW Government (1994); Taylor, I & Hutchings, P. (1994); Thackway, R. & Cresswell, I. D. (1995).

Compiler & date : Philip Hodgson, C/- Wetlands and Migratory Wildlife Unit, Australian Nature Conservation Agency, 1995. (these extracts for study purposes only - not to be used for any other purpose)