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Home > Coastal and floodplains > Estuaries

Estuaries in NSW

Estuary management program

The Department of Natural Resources administers an Estuary Management Program, which allows local communities to develop and implement their own plans to restore and protect estuaries. The program focuses on improving or maintaining the overall health and functioning of an estuary, and maintaining the environmental, economic, recreational and aesthetic values of the whole system.

The Estuary Management Program is an implementation component of the NSW Government's Rivers and Estuaries Policy (File size 5MB). Although published in 1993 and a number of organisational and legislative changes have occurred since that time, the overarching objectives and principles of the policy remain the same today.

DNR works with local councils to establish an Estuary Management Committee, which includes representatives from the local community, industry, environmental interest groups, researchers, and state and local government. The committees work together to identify problems in the estuary and create and implement a formal management plan. These plans aim to:

• Improve the environmental health and condition of estuaries
• Protect important coastal habitats, features and heritage items
• Rehabilitate degraded areas
• Improve public access and amenity
• Accommodate sustainable population growth and resource utilisation.

Estuary Management Committees now cover almost three–quarters of our state's estuaries. More than 50 plans have been developed by local councils and are now at the implementation stage.

Some of the major projects funded through the Estuary Management Program in recent years include:

• $9.4 million towards the management and restoration of Lake Macquarie
• $3.8 million towards the restoration of Kooragang Islands wetland at Newcastle
• $14.5 million towards the management and restoration of Lake Illawarra
• $4.7 million towards the management and restoration of the Tweed River
• $5.5 million towards the restoration of Chipping Norton Lakes in the Georges River
• $13.8 million towards the management and restoration of Tuggerah Lakes.

Since its introduction in 1992, the Estuary Management Program has provided almost $30 million in grants to 570 local projects across NSW. DNR has also provided more than technical support to more than 40 local councils, as well as collaborative research projects to improve our understanding of estuaries and their natural processes. The Department also conducts a long-term state-wide estuary monitoring program.