The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has removed thousands of cubic metres of debris from Central Coast waterways and the Hawkesbury River as flood clean-up efforts continue.
Director of EPA, Arminda Ryan said more than 5,000 cubic metres of flood debris – enough to fill 250 eight-tonne trucks or almost two Olympic swimming pools – had been removed from the area since March, while more than 7,200 cubic metres had been removed from waterways across the State.
“It’s a mammoth effort that has seen the Hawkesbury and Central Coast waterways and beaches being cleared of the enormous amount of flood debris to make these waterways safer for local communities again,” Ms Ryan said.
“We will continue to use every resource available to us, with debris being collected from rivers, creeks and beaches using boats, cranes, barges, land vehicles and hand picking.”
She said the clean-up was able to move quickly to clear waterways as EPA contractors had already been working in the Hawkesbury as part of its shoreline maintenance project from the 2021 floods.
“The response was made even swifter with the help of local communities,” Ms Ryan said.
“The clean-up included a significant amount of planning and resources including aerial surveillance,” she said.
“But equally, on the ground intelligence from the public to locate debris and waste really helped the clean-up effort.”
The Director praised the community for their patience and ongoing support during the clean-up and said she looked forward to seeing further clean-up progress in the coming months.
