BY ISABEL EVERETT
Swimmers across the Hunter can can paddle with peace of mind this summer, with 96% of beaches and waterways registering graded as Good or Very Good in the 2019-2020 State of the Beaches report.
The results were largely consistent with last years results, with water quality improving at sites including Redhead Beach, however water quality declined at Swansea Heads Little Beach.
Three ocean beaches were graded as Poor in the 2019–2020 survey, including Swansea Heads Little Beach in the Hunter, Malabar Beach in Sydney and Surf Beach on the South Coast.
Little Beach was graded as Poor, downgraded from Good in the previous year as microbial water quality declined over recent years.
The decline in water quality reflects a slightly higher proportion of samples collected during wet weather compared to the 2018–2019 assessment period.
Enterococci levels occasionally exceeded the safe swimming limit in dry weather conditions and often following light rainfall.
Enterococcus is a type of bacteria that is typically present in the gut and bowel.
However over all Environment Minister Matt Kean said 89 per cent of the 228 swimming sites monitored across the State were graded as ‘Very Good’ or ‘Good’ in the latest report.
“We haven’t had beaches this clean since the Beachwatch program started in 1989,” Mr Kean said.
“While water quality results can vary year-on-year, based largely on the amount of rainfall we receive, this is great news for locals and visitors alike.
Open ocean beaches across the State recorded excellent results with 98 per cent of the 126 monitored.
Improvements were also recorded at estuarine beaches, lakes and lagoons across the state with 85 per cent of estuarine swimming sites and 42 per cent of lakes and lagoons graded as ‘Very Good’ or ‘Good’.
Hunter Beaches and Waterways: NSW State of the Beaches Report
