Oatley Electorate Water Quality Testing

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-150036

Hansard session: Fifty-Eighth Parliament, First Session (58-1)

Oatley Electorate Water Quality Testing

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (23:24:19):

I inform the House of the current status of the Beachwatch program. Until recently it provided water monitoring services for swim sites around the Sydney coastal area, including in my electorate, at no cost to local councils like Georges River Council in Oatley. Since 1989 the Beachwatch program has tested for pollution and contamination at many sites, including two in Oatley. Perhaps most importantly, it tested for all forms of bacteria, including faecal matter. That important service allowed local residents to make informed decisions about whether the water quality was good enough to swim in.

That was of exceptional importance for the Georges River, especially around Oatley Bay Baths and Jewfish Bay Baths, which currently fall under the program. If the water quality was poor, one would not get into the water. It was as simple as that. However, soon residents will not have that certainty thanks to the New South Wales Government, which has decided that the health of local swimmers is not important anymore. Last year the Department of Planning and Environment wrote to local councils, including Georges River Council, to indicate that the Government has made Beachwatch an opt-in, fee-for-service program, meaning local councils must now fund the service.

From 1 July 2025 the Beachwatch program will no longer be funded by the Government and will move to a user-pays model. Georges River Council maintains that it will not be able to afford the service without pushing the cost to local ratepayers. This vital service, which has monitored water quality for over 35 years, will cease testing within the Georges River, potentially leaving swimmers exposed to hazardous pollution and contaminants. That will have real consequences on my community. Recently, on 10 and 17 January this year, water quality was rated bad at Oatley Bay Baths and poor at Oatley Bay and Jewfish Bay Baths. Swimmers were urged to enter the water at their own risk, which is proof that water quality testing is important to the health and safety of our local community.

I wonder whether parents in this Chamber would put their children in the water if they did not know it was safe. This is another chapter in the Government's growing record of broken promises, and the list grows longer each day. Local councils and people in my electorate were completely blindsided by the news that the cost of the Beachwatch program would be passed on to councils. We must consider also the precedent that the decision sets. If the Government is willing to cut a program as vital as water safety, what will it cut next? Other public health and environmental programs may be deemed to be non-essential and cut because the Government cannot manage its budget. Unfortunately, this is a cost-cutting measure rather than a policy decision made in the interests of public wellbeing. Time and again, the Government has tried to shift financial responsibility away from the State, forcing councils and ratepayers to bear the burden or suffer the consequences.

The Government does not seem to be able to get its priorities straight. When in government, the Opposition committed $18.5 million over 10 years to expand the Beachwatch program and provide more services to councils, particularly regional councils, because members on this side of the House know that Beachwatch plays a very important role in our community. It ensures that everyone who wants to enjoy the water can do so, whether they are swimming, boating or fishing at one of our many baths in the local area, or even walking at one of our parks. This vital service must stay. It was a bad decision for all involved, and my community will not rest until the Government reverses its cuts to the program. The Georges River area is a beautiful asset for our community, and we want to ensure that future generations can enjoy it for many years to come.