Kiama Council endorses Minnumurra estuary plan

The draft Minnamurra River Coastal Zone Management Plan was recently placed on public exhibition and attracted six submissions.

The plan, adopted at Tuesday night’s council meeting, outlines pressures the estuary faces and proposes management actions that council, other public authorities, and potentially private landowners can take to address issues.

According to council’s report, submissions resulted in a number of minor amendments to the final document. 

The main issues raised in the submissions related to matters such as mangrove encroachment along Charles Avenue foreshore, further identification of recreational activities in the estuary, rock wall maintenance, and flooding and Jerrara Dam.

Concerns were also raised about the location of a proposed kayak launching facility in Duguid Way, due to the area being considered prime fish habitat. 

Council said further investigations into the environmental significance of the site were needed and this could impact on the scale and design of the proposed launching site.

A management plan for the Minnamurra River was first adopted in 1995 and last reviewed in 2003.

Described as ‘‘sensitive and diverse’’ the Minnamurra River estuary catchment consists of extensive conservation areas, dairy farms, public reserves, million-dollar waterfront real estate and industrial land including waste depots, sand mines and quarries.

The lower part of the estuary is described as ‘‘a recreational drawcard’’, especially for fishing and kayaking, while the mid and upper sections support prime agricultural land, with the natural flood plain – Terragong Swamp – drained for dairy farming in the late 19th century.

Environmental concerns such as bank erosion and habitat protection exist along the length of the river.