The latest annual report on the state of NSW’s beaches has revealed 2019 as one of the cleanest years of recreational water quality on record since monitoring began in 1989.
Minister for the Environment, Matt Kean welcomed the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s State of the Beaches report saying its findings were a “great result” for beaches across NSW.
“Clean beaches are great news for the community and encourage more people to get out and about as we head into the start of the swimming season,” Mr Kean said.
“This year, 86 per cent of the State’s swimming sites are rated ‘very good’ or ‘good’ which is a significant achievement,” he said.
“Estuarine swimming sites have never been this clean, with a record breaking 82 per cent listed as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.”
Mr Kean said this was in addition to the 98 per cent of ocean beaches shown to be clean and safe, as were four of the five ocean baths.
He said that while the figures were welcome, they also showed there was still work to do.
He said the report revealed that coastal lakes, lagoons and estuarine swimming spots were adversely affected by heavy rain, with the number of clean lake and lagoon swimming sites declining.
“Lower levels of flushing in coastal lakes, lagoons and estuaries means these swimming sites take longer to recover from stormwater events,” Mr Kean said.
The Department’s 40-page State of the Beaches report can be accessed at this PS News link.
