Botany Council

The City of Botany Bay is located on the northern side of Botany Bay including approximately 4 km of foreshore. The Botany Bay Local Government Area (LGA) 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 substantially manipulated over 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 is also a significant commercial fishing area, particularly for prawns, oysters and various fish species. It is an important recreational area, containing internationally significant wetlands and nature reserves.

Hornsby Council

Hornsby Shire is located approximately 24 km north west of the Sydney Central Business District. The Shire has an approximate area of 510 km2 with a triangular boundary extending from Epping in the south, to Wiseman’s Ferry in the north and Brooklyn in the east. The Hornsby Shire is unique with its contrasting environments reflecting urban, rural, bushland and riverine settings. There is also a diverse range of retail, commercial, industrial, residential and recreational uses within the shire. There are three islands in the shire namely Milson, Danger and LongIslands.

There are five main drainage catchments in the LGA: the Hawkesbury-Nepean; Berowra Creek; Lane Cove River; Marramarra Creek; and Cowan Creek. Associated with the drainage catchments are marinas, ferries, boat sheds, boating, fishing and oyster farming industry. Heritage items are located along the foreshores with Aboriginal middens and remnant vegetation throughout the Shire. It is an important recreational area and contains wetlands and National Parks.

Leichhardt Council

Most of the 17 km of foreshore land within Leichhardt 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 bushland 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. A Coastcare grant was obtained in 1997 to manage and conserve these resources.

Manly Council

Manly is located on the southern end of the Manly-Warringah Peninsula. The coastline is approximately 30 km in length with both Pacific Ocean and North Harbour frontages. The ocean beaches include Queenscliff, North Steyne, Manly and Shelly Beaches. The harbour beaches include Stores, Collins, Little Manly, Manly Cove, Fairlight, Washaway, Forty Baskets and Clontarf Beaches. In 1991 the ocean beachfront and promenade were listed with the Register of the National Heritage. These areas were central in the introduction of daylight swimming, surf lifesaving and board riding into Australian culture. Manly Council maintains 81 park and reserve areas, many of which directly front onto the ocean and harbour beach foreshores. The Manly Scenic Walkway extends from the Spit Bridge to Manly Beach. This recreational facility takes in many of the cultural and natural coastal features of the harbour and surrounding areas providing panoramic views of the harbour areas, including the Sydney Harbour National Park. Manly has several IPAs including Shelly Beach and portions of the land forming SydneyHarbour. The area south of North Harbour has been declared an Aquatic Reserve.

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 and Manly Creeks. This lagoon periodically opens to the ocean. This waterway is constantly under pressure from the impacts of stormwater runoff and sewage overflows.

Mosman 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 Chinamans Beach, The Spit, Edwards, Balmoral, Cobblers and Obelisk Beaches, Clifton Gardens and Little Sirus Cove. Other foreshore areas include significant rocky foreshore areas, wooded bushland 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 areas are 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 which is predominantly Hawkesbury sandstone vegetation with some pockets of shale soils associated with wet sclerophyll forests (e.g. Berry's Creek, Gore Cove, Primrose Park, Robertson Point, Balls Head Reserve and Berry Island Reserve).

Pittwater Council

Pittwater's coastline is approximately 18 km long, extending from Barrenjoey headland in the north to Narrabeen lagoon entrance to the south. The area comprises of eight distinct embayments tied by rocky headlands and contains 10 ocean beaches: Palm, Whale, Avalon, Bilgola, Newport, Bungan, Bongin Bongin, Mona Vale, Warriewood and Turimetta. There are also 12 estuarine beaches in Pittwater: Barrenjoey, Snapperman, Sandy, Paradise, Clareville, South, The Basin, Currawong, Great Mackerel, Resolute, Flint and Steel, and Hungry. There are 10 rock platforms, the most number in any LGA in Sydney, four of which are gazetted IPAs. The dune vegetation on the beaches is generally well established with all beaches having dune restoration areas and community Dunecare groups helping to minimise the impacts to these very popular beach areas. Cliff stabilisation works have also been initiated in parts of the coastal zone, including at South Bilgola headland.

The main coastal feature of the Pittwater Council area is the drowned river valley of the Pittwater estuary. With a surface area of 17.5 km2, this waterway is bounded by 77 km of foreshore consisting of sandy beaches, inlets, steep embankments, rocky shores, tidal flats and an island (ScotlandIsland). The area also contains extensive mangrove and seagrass areas, such as those found in CareelBay, providing important habitat for many aquatic, marine and terrestrial species. The Barrenjoey Peninsula to the northern end of the LGA is another significant feature of Pittwater's coastal zone. At the northern end of the peninsula, a well defined sand spit or tombolo links South Palm Beach to the headland.

Randwick Council

Randwick Council LGA has a total foreshore length of 25 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 10 beaches including: Clovelly, Coogee, Maroubra and Frenchmans Beach at La Perouse. There are also a number of rocky headlands (including the significant Malabar Headland), the Botany Bay National Park, and several bays and rock platforms. Many of the rock platforms are protected as IPAs; these cover Clovelly Beach and Coogee Beach, around LongBay (Malabar) and Cape Banks on the northern headland of Botany Bay.

La Perouse has significant indigenous and non-indigenous heritage value: it is associated with Captain Cook's voyage of discovery in 1770; it is where the French Fleet of Laperouse landed;  and it is the location where the First Fleet established the first penal colony in 1788. Malabar headland on the east of the City of Randwick is an area of outstanding beauty and is host to some of the threatened "Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub" vegetation community.

Approximately 15% of Randwick's coastline is in its near original state prior to European settlement. Parkland reserves comprise approximately 65% of the coastline, including Botany BayNational Park, while residential and road developments make up approximately 10%. The remaining 25% is comprised of restricted access areas such as golf courses, the port of Botany Bay and Commonwealth land. Approximately 2% of the coastline has been reclaimed in the Bay area for port and shipping facilities at Port Botany.

The South Western Ocean Outfall Sewer (SWOOS) system discharges primary treated effluent 3 km offshore via a deep ocean outfall at Malabar.

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.. 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 and commercial 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. Council has and is developing several plans of management and rehabilitation programs to ensure the long term, sustainable use of these resources.

Along the approximate 7 km of foreshore in Botany Bay, the Council and Sydney Ports Corporation are continuing to undertake works to improve and protect the beach amenity. There are eight groynes 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 SydneyAirport. Works have also included extensive beach nourishment. 

The northern border of Rockdale is rimmed by 4.5 km of waterways in the Cooks River and Wolli Creek. The key recreational beaches on Botany Bay are Brighton Le Sands and Lady Robinsons Beaches scattered along which are six historical baths.

Sutherland Shire Council

Sutherland's coastal zone extends from within Botany Bay along the southern banks of the Georges River, around the Kurnell Peninsula to the southern ends of the Royal National Park at GarieBeach, a total length of approximately 96 km. The area also includes the drowned river valley estuary of Port Hacking. The beaches of the area serve as an important recreational resource for residents of the shire and greater Sydney. Estuarine beaches in Botany Bay include Towra and SilverBeaches, and in Port Hacking they include Deeban Spit, Hordens, Gunyah and JibbonBeaches. There are 12 groynes along Silver Beach. The ocean beaches include Cronulla, Wanda, Elouera, North and South Cronulla, Marley, Little Marley, Wattamolla, Little Garie, Garie, Burning Palms, Werrong and Bulgo. The coastal zone varies from sand dunes to high rise apartments and cliff areas.

There are many areas of significant vegetation within the LGA, including the Royal, Heathcote, Georges River and Botany Bay National Parks and the Towra Point Nature Reserve. The KurnellPeninsula contains the latter, which covers approximately 50% of the Shire. The Towra Point Nature Reserve is inhabited by numerous migratory birds, protected under the international agreements CAMBA and JAMBA. Sutherland has two Aquatic Reserves under the management of NSW Fisheries: Towra Point and Shiprock reserves both within Botany Bay. There are also three IPAs in the LGA located at Inscription Point, Kurnell; Boat Harbour, Kurnell; and Cabbage Tree Point, Bundeena.

Sutherland LGA has approximately 34 km of water frontage along the Georges and WoronoraRivers not including the canal estates at Sylvania Waters.

City of Sydney Council

Natural waterways are a major geographical feature of the Sydney area, with more than 50% of the City's boundaries bordered by the waters of Sydney Harbour, totalling approximately 13 km. Sydney is a key port for leisure, trade and defence vessels. Circular Quay and Darling Harbour provide facilities for sea passengers, the bays around Pyrmont receive container cargo and GardenIsland is one of the major naval bases on Australia's eastern seaboard.

The foreshore areas of the Sydney LGA have been urbanised and built up from the original foreshore line and level. They are characterised by the use of seawalls to stop erosion and to maximise the amount of useable land. These areas of the harbour are used by millions of tourists, visitors and commuters each year, providing panoramic views of the harbour and famous landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. Heritage items in the SydneyHarbour area include wharfs, baths and pools. The Botanic Gardens and the Domain are located in the LGA, providing significant parklands and passive recreation areas.

Warringah Council

Warringah Council's coastal zone contains nine beaches extending from Queenscliff headland on the southern border to North Narrabeen, and is approximately 10 km long. Estuarine areas include parts of  the Lane Cove River extending approximately 9.5 km. The ocean beaches are: North and South Narrabeen, Collaroy, Fishermans, Long Reef, Dee Why, Curl Curl, and North and South Freshwater. The coastal zone has significant bluffs and several rock platforms. Dee Why rock platform was gazetted as an IPA in 1993. The Long Reef headland is also protected as an Aquatic Reserve established in 1980. Warringah Council manages four coastal lagoons of varying size that periodically discharge to the ocean; these are Narrabeen, Curl Curl, Dee Why and Manly. Manly and Narrabeen lagoons are managed jointly with Manly/Warringah and Warringah/Pittwater Councils respectively. These lagoons and their surrounding areas contain environmentally sensitive areas, including seagrass beds, and Dee Why contains an area of saltmarsh. Dee Why Lagoon has recently been listed for registration on the National Estate. The Council's foredune areas have been protected by revegetation with native vegetation and controlled access points.

Waverley's coastline stretches approximately 7.5 km. The area contains three popular beaches, Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte, and is dominated by cliffs and headlands comprised largely of Hawkesbury sandstone imbedded with layers of softer shale. The constant force of erosion has led to the formation of four significant rock platforms. Two of these sites have been declared IPAs. One is from Bondi Beach, through Mackenzies Bay to Tamarama Beach; the other extends from BronteBeach to the Waverley Cemetery. A coastal walkway from Bondi Beach to the southern edge of the LGA takes full advantage of the aesthetics of the coastal area and provides the public with many recreational opportunities. There are four remnant vegetation areas existing in the coastal zone: Diamond Bay, Hugh Bamford Reserve, the southern side of Tamarama Marine Drive and the cliff area at the southern end of BronteBeach. 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 Council

Willoughby City LGA is located 7 km north of the Sydney Central Business District. It is bounded in the north by Ku-ring-gai Council, in the south by North Sydney Council, in the east by Middle Harbour and in the west by Lane Cove Council. Willoughby City contains a diverse mix of land uses including retail, commercial, industrial, residential, institutional, and recreational uses. Willoughby has the largest retail centre outside of the Sydney CBD, and is ranked among the fastest growing metropolitan office centres. The City is relatively well served with open space and recreational facilities. The Council foreshore areas are located on the western side of the upper Middle Harbour catchment and Lane Cove River covering approximately 13 km and 2.5 km respectively. These areas contain the largest and most pristine bushland reserves (261 hectares) and open space areas within the LGA. The major foreshore bushland areas cover from Robb Reserve, Castle Cove in the north to Sailors Bay Creek, Castlecrag and Clive Park, Northbridge in the south of Middle Harbour contains key bushland areas and mangrove forest. The area also contains several marina facilities and wharves. The entire intertidal area is covered by IPAs. The key bays in Middle Harbour are Long Bay and Willoughby Bays and in Port Jackson, Balls Head, Berrys, Lavender and Neutral Bays.

Woollahra Council

Woollahra's foreshore areas extend from the eastern side of RushcuttersBay in the harbour around to South Head. The length of foreshore in Port Jackson is approximately 14 km and the ocean cliff face frontage is approximately 2.9 km. Key shallow bays include Double, Rose, Vaucluse and Parsley Bays. Much of this area has been extensively urbanised. There are many small areas of natural foreshore in private ownership while other foreshore areas and bushland are within public ownership under Council or federal and State Government responsibility.

The close proximity to the harbour and its panoramic views has led to a high demand for land which consequently has resulted in the area having some of the most expensive residential and commercial property in the Sydney region. Heritage items include navigation aids, ferry piers, wharves, jetties, baths and pools, and the Shark Beach promenade.

The eastern side of the Woollahra LGA is characterised by rugged sandstone cliffs dropping dramatically to rock shelves or the ocean itself. There is very little or no access to the foreshore areas in these locations though they provide great aesthetic value to the LGA and Sydney Harbour itself.

Remnant vegetation covers approximately 55 hectares (45%) of total area and can be found at Nielsen Park, Hermitage Foreshore Reserve, Cooper Park, Parsley Bay, Vaucluse Bay, The Gap Bluff, Gap Park, South Head, Royal Sydney Golf Course and numerous foreshore areas and reserves such as Laings Point Reserve. The Vaucluse sewage outfall discharges raw sewage at the ocean shoreline on the southern boundary with Waverley Council.