SCCG Member Councils
Botany Bay City Council
The City of Botany Bay is located on the northern side of Botany Bay and includes several hundred hectares of Botany Bay, with approximately 4 km of foreshores. The Botany Bay City Council area is located within the Botany Basin which is a natural topographical basin surrounding Botany Bay. The northern portion of the basin is drained by the Cooks River, Alexandra Canal and the Botany Wetland ponds flow southwards through Botany before discharging into the Bay. The foreshore area has been manipulated substantially during the last 20 years due to reclamation for the construction of Port Botany and the parallel runway at Sydney Airport.
Botany Bay LGA is a heavily urbanised and built up area which has been an important industrial base for Sydney for over 100 years. Botany Bay is a significant economic area with Australia's busiest airport, a major port and some of Australia’s major petroleum and chemical plants and storage areas. Botany Bay also contains significant fishing areas, particularly for prawns, oysters and various fish species. It is an important recreational area, containing internationally significant wetlands and nature reserves.
Hornsby Shire Council
Hornsby Shire, the second largest Local Government area in the Sydney region, covers approximately 50,990 hectares and serves the needs of more than 157,000 residents. The Shire extends from Epping in the south to Brooklyn and Wisemans Ferry in the north fronting a large expanse of the Lower Hawkesbury River.
The Shire is located on the Hornsby Plateau, which rises from the south to its highest point at Cowan. The Plateau, dominated by Hawkesbury sandstone, is cut by steep gullies and has several drowned valleys, such as the Berowra and Cowan Creeks. About 10% of the Shire is zoned and used for urban development, 14.6% for rural purposes, 4.8% for open space, and the remainder is National Park or Nature Reserve. The Shire is responsible for some 6,000 hectares of bush land, not including National Parks. The four drainage catchments in the Shire include the Hawkesbury-Nepean, Berowra, Lane Cove, and Cowan.
The Aboriginal heritage of the Hornsby LGA is at least 15,000 to 20,000 years old. The local tribes were the Ku-ring-gai /Dharug people.
The Hornsby Shire is unique with its contrasting environments reflecting urban, rural, bush land and estuarine settings, and a diverse range of retail, commercial, industrial, residential and recreational uses.
City of Sydney Council
The City of Sydney covers approximately 26.15 square kilometers. Sydney Harbour forms approximately a quarter of the City’s boundaries. Within the boundaries of the City of Sydney, waterways and some public areas are under the executive control of various State Government agencies.
The City of Sydney is currently home to 177,000 people (June 2009), around 385,000 workers, and up to 480,000 visitors each day. When these workforce and visitor numbers are added to residents and hotel guests it represents almost a quarter of the Sydney metropolitan population, every day.
At a metropolitan level, Sydney, as Australia’s global city, is also the financial and business services hub of Australia. GDP in the City is around $80 billion which represents 8% of the total national Australian economy, over 30% of the Sydney metropolitan area and almost one-quarter of the GDP of the entire state of NSW.
Through its Sustainable Sydney 2030 Vision, the City of Sydney is looking to position itself as a leading environmental city through showing by doing, working with our residents and business communities, and planning for green infrastructure.
Leichhardt Municipal Council
Most of the 15.7km of foreshore land within the Leichardt LGA has been urbanised and built up from its original foreshore line and level. The foreshores are the most ecologically sensitive and rich areas and are the most popular outdoor recreation locations within the LGA. Seawalls have been erected in most areas to stop erosion and enable the public to utilise all available land. The foreshore areas were the location for many of Sydney's waterfront industries although only a few of these industries remain today. In recent years industrial premises have relocated from the inner City to the outer suburbs and near Botany Bay.
Slowly the vacant foreshore areas have become available for residential redevelopment. Council has adopted a policy of developing a continuous public open space network along the foreshore to provide access for invaluable public recreational areas. Remnant bush land exists at Callan Point, Rozelle. There are several heritage items located along the foreshores including wharves, jetties, docks and depots. Aboriginal middens and remnant native vegetation have been identified at Callan Point within the grounds of the Rozelle Hospital.
Manly Council
Manly is known distinctively for its iconic beaches and foreshore areas. The Manly LGA is located on the southern end of the Manly-Warringah peninsula and has both ocean and harbour frontages. Manly has a small area of 16.26km2. Current population is 39,667. However, Manly attracts over six million visitors annually. Hence, Manly Council has adopted a staged approach to prepare Estuary/Coastal Management Plans (E/CMPs). Seven of the eight planned E/CMPs are already adopted by Council. Manly has a rich tradition of Aboriginal history. A total of 107 Aboriginal sites have been recorded.
Manly is considered as the birth place of Australian surfing. There are 20 ocean and harbour beaches. Manly Council maintains 81 park and reserve areas. Manly has two aquatic reserves: Cabbage Tree Bay, a 'No Take' Reserve and North Harbour. The Manly Scenic Walkway, a 10-km scenic harbour walking track, extends from the Spit Bridge to Manly Beach.
Manly Lagoon is situated on the northern boundary of Manly LGA. It has a catchment area of 18 km2 fed by three major creeks including: Burnt Bridge, Brookvale and Manly Creeks. The Lagoon periodically opens to the ocean.
Mosman Municipal Council
The Mosman LGA is located approximately 7 km north of the Sydney Central Business District. It is primarily a residential and commercial area surrounded by the very irregular coastline of Middle and Sydney Harbours. The coastline extending approximately 16 km contains many headlands and points projecting into Port Jackson, Middle Harbour and Long Bay to the west of Beauty Point.
In all, there are approximately 13 headlands with some prominence. Between these headlands are many popular swimming and recreation beaches, bays and coves including Chainman’s Beach, The Spit, Edwards, Balmoral, Cobblers and Obelisk Beaches, Clifton Gardens and Little Sirus Cove. Other foreshore areas include significant rocky foreshore areas, wooded bush land including many protected areas, and reserves, such as Sydney Harbour National Park. The foreshore areas also include several significant Aboriginal and non - Aboriginal heritage items, such as middens, rock art, defence structures including gun emplacements and fortifications and marine heritage items such as shipwrecks, wooden and stone wharves, navigation aids, baths, sandstone pillars and sea walls.
North Sydney Council
North Sydney LGA has an 18.6 km stretch of foreshore area and is bounded by the waters of Port Jackson in the south and the waters of Middle Harbour to the north east. These areas are of national significance as they make up a part of the amenity of Sydney Harbour, a drowned river valley. The foreshore is characterised by recreational areas, native bushland, pedestrian areas, waterfront industry and private property. The area contains several heritage items including navigation aids, wooden and stone wharves, shipyards and slipways, sea walls and baths.
The remnant bushland of North Sydney totals approximately 47 hectares and is generally restricted to the Sydney Harbour and Middle Harbour foreshores making these foreshore areas an integral component of the harbour foreshore scenery. The diversity of remnant native vegetation communities conserved in the communities’ bushland reserve system is significant ecologically and highly valued by the people of North Sydney. Of the twelve distinct vegetation communities present in bushland areas, three are listed as threatened at either the federal or state level. A further two are classified as regionally significant and the remaining seven communities are locally significant. Several threatened plant and animals’ species are also recorded in Council's foreshore bushland reserves, further demonstrating the crucial need for ongoing investment in the management of this scarce resource.
Pittwater Council
Established in 1992, Pittwater is one of Sydney’s newest Councils. Occupying an area of 125km2, Pittwater is home to 57,000 residents. This number increases seasonally with visitors enjoying Pittwater's iconic beaches, tranquil waterways and expansive areas of bush land.
Pittwater is located on a peninsula bounded by the waters of Hawkesbury River, Broken Bay, the Tasman Sea and Narrabeen Lagoon. The coastline is 18km long, and includes nine surf beaches: Palm, Whale, Avalon, Bilgola, Newport, Bungan, Mona Vale, Warriewood and Turimetta. Associated with eight headlands are ten rock platforms, with two aquatic reserves and two intertidal protection areas.
A feature of Pittwater is the retention of large areas of bush land. These include eight endangered ecological communities including littoral rainforest; freshwater wetlands and open forests. This bush land provides habitat for a diversity of flora and fauna including 43 threatened species.
Pittwater's defining attribute is the drowned river valley of the Pittwater estuary. It has a surface area of 17.5km2, bounded by 77kms of foreshore and consists of sandy beaches, creek inlets, steep embankments, rocky shores and tidal flats. Pittwater's mangroves, salt marsh, mudflats and sea grass meadows are important habitats for aquatic, marine and terrestrial species.
Randwick City Council
Randwick Council LGA has a total foreshore length of 29.3 km extending from Clovelly at its northern border with Waverley Council, to the northern beaches of Botany Bay where it borders with Botany Bay City Council. The coastline comprises 9 beaches including: Clovelly, Coogee, Maroubra, Malabar and Frenchmans Beach at La Perouse.
An intertidal protection area extends around Long Bay; and a Grey Nurse Shark critical habitat has been established at Magic Point, located off South Maroubra Beach. Randwick City Council has installed an extensive publicly accessible coastal walkway.
The City's effective population is expanded by 11 million visitors per year or more than 30,000 per day on average. Conservatively it is estimated that 4.6 million non-residents per year enjoy local beaches and coastal facilities on a regular or casual basis.
Approximately 15% of Randwick's coastline is in its near original state prior to European settlement. Parkland reserves comprise approximately 65% of the coastline. The remaining 25% is comprised of restricted access areas such as golf courses, Port Botany and Commonwealth land. Approximately 2% of the coastline has been reclaimed in the Bay area for port and shipping facilities at Port Botany.
Rockdale City Council
Rockdale Council is located in the southern Sydney region on the shores of historic Botany Bay between the Georges and Cooks Rivers, 10 km from the Sydney Central Business District. Rockdale's coastal foreshores, and tidal and littoral zones, represent approximately half of the boundaries of the LGA. These areas form an important recreational and tourism resource, and are extensively used for much of the year. They also provide a significant recreational fishing area which is widely utilised by a diversity of boating activities. The coast contains large areas of open space including the internationally significant Rockdale Wetland Corridor which is subject to international migratory bird treaties.
Along the approximate 7 km of foreshore in Botany Bay, the Council and Sydney Ports Corporation have undertaken works to improve and protect the beach amenity. A number of groynes have been constructed along Lady Robinson Beach to protect the sandy beaches and public facilities from erosive wave action amplified by the construction of the Third Runway at Sydney Airport. Rockdale Council is committed to improving the quality of water that flows directly into Botany Bay and the Georges and Cooks River and continues to maintain gross pollutant traps, undertake bush regeneration works within the catchments, develop and install water sensitive urban design solutions such as wetlands and raingardens and support regionally alliance groups.
Sutherland Shire Council
Sutherland Shire Council administers an area of 370 sq. kms on behalf of nearly 215,000 people in Sydney's south. Incorporated in 1906, it is the second biggest local council in New South Wales in terms of people it serves, and the fourth largest in Australia. Sutherland Shire is located on the southern coastal edge of metropolitan Sydney, Australia. It is surrounded by waterways and bush land: the boundaries are the Georges River in the north, Deadman's Creek down to Woronora Dam in the west, from the dam across through Royal National Park to Garie Beach in the south, and the Pacific Ocean in the east.
While land use in the Shire is predominantly residential, there are also significant industrial facilities in the Shire. These include the Caltex Oil Refinery, Cronulla sewerage treatment plant, the Sydney Water Desalination plant out at Kurnell and Australia’s only nuclear reactor located at ANSTO’s facilities at Lucas Heights. Despite this Sutherland Shire residents strongly identify the Shire as being characterised by its bays, rivers, beaches and National Parks. This is reflected in the high priority residents place on protecting and enhancing the natural environment.
Warringah Council
The Warringah LGA covers 152 square kilometres on Sydney’s northern beaches and has a population of 140,000. Warringah has 14 km of coastline stretching from Manly Lagoon to the entrance of Narrabeen Lagoon and includes nine ocean beaches, four coastal lagoons, and parts of the Middle Harbour and Hawkesbury estuaries. The ocean beaches are: Narrabeen, Collaroy, Fishermans, Long Reef, Dee Why, Curl Curl, and Freshwater. Of these nine ocean beaches, Collaroy/Narrabeen Beach presents Council with a significant challenge as it is particularly vulnerable to coastal erosion.
Warringah’s coastal zone has several rock platforms. Dee Why rock platform was gazetted as an Intertidal Protected Area in 1993 and Long Reef Headland has been protected as an Aquatic Reserve since 1980. There are four coastal lagoons of varying size that are intermittently closed and open to the ocean: Narrabeen, Curl Curl, Dee Why and Manly. Manly and Narrabeen Lagoons are managed jointly with Manly and Pittwater Councils respectively.
These lagoons and their surrounding areas contain environmentally sensitive areas, including sea grass beds and salt marsh. Dee Why Lagoon is listed on the Register of the National Estate. Beach dune systems have been rehabilitated, re-vegetated and stabilised with native vegetation, and are protected with controlled access points.
Waverley Council
Waverley's LGA is only 9.027 square kilometers and is the most densely populated LGA in Australia. Waverley's coastline stretches approximately 7.5 km. The area contains three beaches, Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte, and is dominated by cliffs and headlands comprised largely of 20 million year old Hawkesbury sandstone imbedded with layers of softer shale. The constant force of erosion has led to the formation of four significant rock platforms. There is one Intertidal Protected Areas that extends from South Bondi Beach, through Mackenzies Bay to Tamarama Beach. There is also an Aquatic Reserve that extends from Bronte Beach through to Coogee in the neighbouring LGA (Randwick). The coast walk from Bondi to Bronte and the cliff walk from Dover Heights to Vaucluse take full advantage of the aesthetics of the coastal area and provides the public with many recreational and educational opportunities.
There are five remnant vegetation areas existing in the coastal zone: Diamond Bay, Eastern Reserve, Hugh Bamford Reserve, the southern side of Tamarama Marine Drive and the cliff area at the southern end of Bronte Beach, including the hanging swamp on the eastern side of Waverley Cemetery. The LGA also contains three ocean pools.
The sewage outfalls discharge to the ocean: two release raw sewage at Diamond Bay/Vaucluse and the Bondi sewage treatment plant releases primary treated effluent 2 km offshore via a deep water ocean outfall.
Willoughby City Council
Located 8.5kms north of Sydney’s CBD, Willoughby is bordered by Middle Harbour to the east, Lane Cove River to the west, North Sydney Council to the south and Ku-ring-gai Council to the north. Willoughby is ideally positioned geographically, economically and culturally.
Willoughby has a total land area of 23km2, which includes 22kms of harbour foreshore, over 4km2 of open spaces, 10 major walking trails and 22 playing fields. Bush land, National Park and open spaces make up 21per cent of the local area.
With a population of approximately 68,000 people in an estimated 28,000 households, Willoughby enjoys a diverse ethnic and cultural mix, with people coming from a wealth of different backgrounds including Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Armenian, Greek, Croatian and Korean living in a diverse mix of residential accommodation ranging from large harbour-side and neighbourhood homes to new high-rise apartment buildings.
Willoughby LGA also caters for a daily influx in excess of 44,000 people working and shopping in the thriving CBD’s in both Chatswood and St Leonard’s and the industrial areas in Artarmon and East Chatswood. Add the Royal North Shore Hospital, many health services and some of Sydney's best schools to the city's many wonderful attributes.
Woollahra Municipal Council
The Woollahra Local Government area occupies 12 km2 of spectacular harbour foreshore and the majority of Sydney’s eastern suburbs, just 10 minutes from Sydney’s central business district.
Approximately 51,000 residents live within the municipality. Residential areas feature a diverse range of architecture, from heritage properties to contemporary development. The population is well serviced by unique and popular commercial centers. The urbanisation of the area has led to the removal of a significant amount of original vegetation. Woollahra Council’s Bush regeneration programs and a partnership with community volunteers help with the regeneration of natural bush land areas.
Woollahra’s landscape is predominately characterised by sandstone slopes and gullies and the relatively wide sandy flats of Rose Bay. The area is also defined by its proximity to Sydney Harbour and ocean cliffs, as well as by its parks and reserves and privately and publicly owned open space. The majority of the municipality drains directly into the Sydney Harbour catchment. Catchment management, water quality monitoring, gross pollution traps, creek stabilisation and storm water management are top priorities for the Council.
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