Letter to the Editor: Drainage overhaul

DEAR News Of The Area,

PORT Stephens Councillors should be commended for their stand on overhauling drainage issues in Medowie.

Could the drainage issues be a result of poor infrastructure planning prior to the mass and rapid urban development of the area?

We need improved stormwater drainage and management across Port Stephens, especially in areas that are earmarked for rapid development.

The developer should be responsible for implementing effective, sustainable, Council approved drainage plans (and roads) into their proposed development.

Personally, as a rate payer, I object to subsidising the developers – paying for storm and road damage after they have long gone.

We need a comprehensive, effective, storm water management plan across the LGA and in partnership with the MidCoast Council to protect the estuary from the devastating impacts of terrestrial runoff that occurs after every major rain event. According to the BOM, there are more and worse events to come thanks to climate change and warming oceans.

You do not need to go in, or even onto, the estuary to be able to imagine the damage that days of brown sediment and pollutant laden water (pesticide, fertiliser, nutrients, hydrocarbon etc.) must be having on the ecology of the estuary.

Stinker asked in this same newspaper recently where have all the squid gone?

That must be a rhetorical question.

A comprehensive and effective plan for riverine catchment and riverbank management is long overdue.

Effective planning is a good place to start to control, or at least reduce, some of the pollution coming in from the rivers.

At the same time developing an effective stormwater management plan for the urban development across the south side of the estuary.

The south side of the estuary is largely built up (Corlette, Soldiers Point, Nelson Bay etc.); some might say already overdeveloped with little opportunity for natural soak aways among the concrete and asphalt.

The storm waters clean up the roadways (transporting hydrocarbons from tyres etc.) and drain all manner of urban pollutants, herbicides, pesticides, insecticides and fertilisers, directly into the estuary.

The estuary is clearly stressed, with severe coastal erosion, no more squid etc.

Time is running out for any meaningful management action even just to mitigate what is happening with the estuary, including fears that the resident population of dolphins might be moving away.

We are probably too late to fix all the legacy issues, but the least we can do is try to mitigate the most obvious and deleterious impacts.

Regards,
Iain WATT,
President,
EcoNetwork Port Stephens.