Central Coast Council has welcomed the release a suite of reports as part of the Terrigal and coastal lagoons audit.

The reports detail the scientific investigations, community engagement activities and the remediation actions of Council and the NSW Government as part of the audit thus far.

Council’s Acting Director Water and Sewer, Danielle Hargraves said a lot has been achieved since the audit began in January 2019.

“Council and our partners at the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and the University of Technology Sydney have been investigating potential pollution sources and monitoring water quality at over 160 sites across Terrigal and the coastal lagoons,” Ms Hargraves said.

“As the results of these investigations became apparent, we were able to plan and adjust the program to focus our inspections and remediation on high-risk areas in the catchment.

“More than 12km of sewer pipes have already been relined and 11 illegal connections between the sewer and stormwater systems discovered.

“The work doesn’t stop here though, further inspections using CCTV and smoke testing are underway. In fact, we are currently smoke testing in another of our high-risk catchments with 16 defects discovered in the first week alone.

“We will continue to reline or rebuild sewer pipes when issues are identified and work with residents when private issues are discovered.”

Council’s report released today shows more than 57km of sewer pipe, 1,800 maintenance holes and 344 private properties have been inspected thus far. Of this 14kms of sewer mains needed repair and 87% (12kms) has been completed. Council is working with the residents of the properties with the 11 illegal connections to ensure they can be rectified.

Mayor Lisa Matthews said Council appreciates the support of the NSW Government and the community in assisting with the audit.

“We appreciate the scientific support the NSW Government has provided during the audit thus far,” Mayor Matthews said.

“The research conducted by the Department of Planning, Industry and the Environment, as well as the University of Technology Sydney has been innovative and invaluable in assisting Council with this audit program and in identifying key priority areas for remediation works.

“Our community have also been key in identifying, through our interactive map and community engagement activities, a number of issues that would otherwise been difficult to detect.

“This program has been a true collaborative effort to date.

“While the NSW Government’s part in the program is now complete, we remain committed to continuing the Terrigal and coastal lagoons audit to pinpoint any potential pollution sources and continue to improve the water quality in the area.”

Council is also undertaking smaller audits at Toowoon Bay, Cabbage Tree Bay and Canton beach.

For detailed information on the progress of the Terrigal and coastal lagoons audit, including all eight reports released this week visit: yourvoiceourcoast.com/tcla