The NSW Government has granted Port Macquarie-Hastings Council $300,000 funding for water studies to improve operations and monitor the health of Lake Innes, Lake Cathie and Cathie Creek.
Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock said the funding, under the Coastal and Estuary Grants Program, will help ensure the sustainability of these valuable community assets.
“This is $300,000 in NSW Government funding that Port Macquarie-Hastings Council will use to further investigate key waterflow modelling in Lake Innes, Lake Cathie and Cathie Creek Waterway,” Mrs Hancock said.
“The planning stream of the Coastal and Estuary Grants Program supports local councils to understand the complex coastal and estuarine environment, and aims to improve the health of the state’s coast and estuaries through well-planned action.”
Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams said the NSW Government funding would allow Port Macquarie-Hastings Council to investigate new opportunities to manage and protect our local waterways.
“The Lake Cathie estuary system is home to an abundant range of birds and wildlife and is a much loved waterway, and as a local resident, I want to see it managed in the most appropriate way,” Mrs Williams said.
“This investment supports our Council to find even more ways to manage and protect our coastline and estuaries for future generations to enjoy.”
Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Felicity Wilson said that new modelling systems and processes will target key areas of concern.
“Updating the hydrodynamic modelling involves collecting additional environmental data from the waterway to use in an improved computer model which then helps assess various site-specific management options over a range of climate, weather and entrance conditions,” Ms Wilson said.
