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Coastal and Marine Pollution
Volume 1, Issue 3
Environment Australia, April 2001
This edition of the Stormwater News is looking at litter in stormwater. A recent study of litter sources for six Sydney beaches revealed that 63 percent of rubbish deposited on the shoreline came from stormwater. There was an average count of 2600 pieces of litter for every kilometre of sand. Some Sydney beaches are now just as littered as their American counterparts.
Litter is a mainstream, front-line environmental issue both in terms of genuine environmental impact and in the opinion of the Australian community.
According to Keep Australia Beautiful National Association although littering decreased by approximately 85 percent from the early 1970's, it bottomed out in the mid nineties and there are now strong indications that litter is increasing dramatically.
The nature of our coastal cities with their extensive hard surfaces means that everything falling or thrown to roads, footpaths or driveways gets washed into the stormwater system.
In January 2001, Federal Environment Minister Robert Hill provided $1 million funding under the Commonwealth's Urban Stormwater Initiative towards a nationally significant project to tackle stormwater litter in Melbourne's Moonee Ponds Creek.
Melbourne Water coordinates the $2.8 million Moonee Ponds Creek Litter Initiative. Authorities estimate that over three million litter items find their way into the drainage system of the Creek each year, contributing to litter loads in the Yarra Estuary and beaches around Hobsons Bay.
Litter management in the Moonee Ponds Creek catchment has tended to be ad hoc and uncoordinated. According to Kevin Wood, Waterways and Environment Manager for Melbourne Water, litter loads are increasingly affecting the downstream end of the catchment where major urban renewal is being undertaken.
"Reducing the amount of litter in Moonee Ponds Creek will enhance the biodiversity of the stream, the Yarra Estuary and nearby beaches, providing real benefits for the environment, recreational users and business," Mr Wood said.
While many cities are developing integrated catchment plans, this area of Melbourne is leading the way in implementing planning in a coordinated way between key players.
The full range of catchment tools is being used in the battle to achieve a clean waterway, including litter booms and traps, detention and nutrient treatment ponds, widespread community action and increasing stewardship by industry and commerce for managing stormwater run-off and waste.
"We will also increase regulatory enforcement through local government in the Moonee Ponds Creek Catchment that will ultimately lead to the strengthening of powers of all councils," Mr Wood said.
Less than a decade ago Melburnians were being warned that their Yarra River was a moving tip not to be swum in. Today the Yarra is in its best condition for decades, although Victoria still spends over $50 million each year removing litter from streets, waterways and beaches.
Melbourne Water aquatic ecologist Vin Pettigrove believes that although Victorians have made positive steps towards less litter, they can still do much better.
"Although water quality is healthier than it was 30 years ago, types of pollution are changing. Plastic bags and cigarette butts are a big problem, especially for wildlife such as platypus in the Yarra River," Mr Pettigrove said.
Others involved in the project include the Hume, Melbourne, Moonee Valley and Moreland councils, Melbourne Ports Corporation, Victorian Environment Protection Authority, EcoRecycle Victoria, Clean-up Australia Foundation and the Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology.
For further information contact Kevin Wood on 03 9235 2297
Kingscliff High School students have lent many hands to the Tweed Shire Council to study what kinds of rubbish get washed down the drain into Cudgen Creek.
Cudgen Creek is a small waterway that runs adjacent to the coastal urban centre of Kingscliff in Northern NSW. Although a popular holiday spot for many families, litter found on the beach and floating in the estuary has marred enjoyment of its many recreational opportunities.
Stormwater outlets funnelled sediments, organic matter and litter to flow into the estuarine and marine environments, harming marine life and marine industries.
An $85,000 Federal Government Natural Heritage Trust grant under the Clean Seas Program provided much-needed gross pollutant traps on stormwater outlets to reduce pollution draining to the Cudgen Creek Estuary.
Kingscliff High School students monitored and analysed trapped litter to both measure the performance of the traps and mount a highly-effective stormwater awareness campaign across the Tweed Shire.
The project contributed to an annual reduction of about two and a half tonnes of sediments, organics, plastics and other litter reaching Cudgen Creek and the Pacific Ocean.
According to the Tweed Shire Council River Management Co-ordinator Jane Lofthouse, sediments can smother seagrass plants vital to fish habitat, while grass clippings increase nutrient loads in waterways, possibly leading to toxic algal blooms.
For further information
Call Jane Lofthouse on 02 6670 2577, or visit www.tweed.nsw.gov.au
Industrial businesses in the City of Port Adelaide Enfield have been invited to help clean up the Port River Estuary by applying for Federal Government funding for better wastewater and stormwater management practices.
Natural Heritage Trust funding for the Industry Reducing Impacts on the Port River Estuary program will help businesses become demonstration sites to promote cleaner production techniques such as water conservation and waste and stormwater reuse.
"This is an opportunity for local businesses to take advantage of funding to become more environmentally responsible business managers," Environmental Health and Public Safety Manager, Mr Mick Livori said.
The Port River Estuary was recently described as the most diversely polluted estuary in South Australia, with most pollution caused by poor industrial water management practices.
Efforts to clean up the Port River have already led to the installation of 23 trash racks and silt traps throughout the Torrens River catchment. More than 1,000 tonnes of litter and debris have been captured before reaching the sea. Another 10 gross pollutant traps are to be installed in the catchment covering the Port Adelaide Enfield, Charles Sturt and Prospect councils.
Awareness raising and industrial change is being promoted by the Street Smart River Clean Project targeting Adelaide's industrial heartland, funded by the Torrens Catchment Water Management Board and councils.
Businesses are being invited to discuss ways to improve water management practices by contacting the Coast and Clean Seas Project Officer, Ms Sarah Strathie, at Port Adelaide Enfield Council on 8405 6989 or by email: sstrathi@portenf.sa.gov.au
Plastics that get flushed into the ocean pose a major health hazard to marine life. It is estimated that over 100,000 sea mammals worldwide die every year from swallowing or becoming entangled in plastic.
In August 2000 an eight-metre Bryde's Whale died after beaching near the Cairns CBD. The post mortem revealed almost six square metres of plastic litter in the mammal's stomach.
At any one time about 45 seals in Victorian waters wear collars of plastic litter. Marine turtles have been known to confuse plastic bags for jellyfish and choke or starve to death.
A study of albatross chicks on Midway Island in the Pacific Ocean found 90 per cent had plastic in their throats. When the animal dies and decays the plastic is then free to repeat this deadly cycle.
Thousands of tonnes of plastic pellets shipped around the world to be moulded into plastic products find their way into the marine environment. Researchers from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology found that many seabirds in the North Pacific have eaten pellets. The pellets absorbed toxins that pass into the food chain and interfere with immunity and fertility in animals.
Dr Bill Robinson is a vet and has lived near Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay for thirty years. He has witnessed an increasing rate of injury and death to penguins and seals caused by litter in the Bay.
"As an avid sea kayaker, I am acutely aware of the impact of heavy rain washing urban litter into the Bay. Even if plastic eaten by a marine bird or mammal clears its stomach, it will probably lodge in the gut leading to bowel blockage and a slow death," Dr Robinson said.
Clean Up Australia estimates that Australians use six billion plastic bags every year. Less than three per cent of these are recycled, over two and a half billion go to landfill, which leaves billions of bags polluting the environment.
Coles Myers stores are at the forefront of a national push to reduce and recycle plastic bags. The retail chain has signed the National Packaging Covenant, a voluntary agreement supported by the Federal Government's Natural Heritage Trust.
Coles Myer is also participating in Clean Up Australia's Waste Reduction Accreditation Program for Retailers.
In the past five years Coles supermarkets have recycled 120 million plastic bags for reuse into such products as flower pots.
One supermarket recorded a customer reduction in bag use of 375,000, saving up to $10,000 in store waste.
More information on the packaging covenant is available at: www.ea.gov.au/industry/waste/convenant/
Mater-BiTM totally biodegradable bags are made of corn starch polymers that break down to harmless water, carbon dioxide and carbon-based humus. No polymer or toxic residue results from their decay.
These bags are being used to provide environmentally sensitive options for bait bags, dog poo bags and municipal compost collection bags.
Made in Queensland, these products can help reduce the impact of plastic bags on our environment. A sample is in this newsletter.
For more information
Contact Warwick Hall, Manager, Degradable Polymers Plastral Fidene Pty Ltd on (03) 9776 9922 or visit www.materbi.com
Ian Kiernan is a man of action. Through his inspiration the equivalent of four million wheelie bins of rubbish have been removed from the waste stream by more than five million Australians over the past 12 years.
Back in 1986, Ian competed in a nine-month Round the World yacht race challenge.
"Throughout the race, rubbish continually popped up on either side of the bow, including discarded thongs, plastic buckets, disposable nappies, toothpaste tubes and plastic bags," recalled Ian.
In 1988 he organised a one day clean up event of Sydney Harbour attracting 40,000 volunteers. In the process they removed 5,000 tonnes of rubbish from the Harbour.
The next year, National Clean Up Australia Day was born. By 1993 Ian had launched Clean Up the World across 120 countries, involving millions of volunteers.
In 1994 Ian was named Australian of the Year and in 1998 he won the world's richest green award, the United Nations Sasakawa Environment prize. This award highlighted Ian's message to care for the environment across all levels of the Australian and global communities.
It was to Ian Kiernan that the residents of Lord Howe Island turned four years ago to save their island from accumulated loads of litter.
"Waste is an endemic problem in all island situations. We were determined to make Lord Howe the world's best in terms of sustainable eco-tourism," said Ian.
The Commonwealth Government supported this venture by allocating $433,000 from the Natural Heritage Trust's Coasts and Clean Seas Program to an innovative recycling project on the island.
"Lord Howe produces 200 tonnes of garbage each year. All but 12 tonnes are now recycled."
Waste from the island's new septic tanks is delivered to the local tip. Solids are gathered into a paper slurry, to be fed together with shredded food waste into a 29-cubic metre vertical compost unit. Purified septic liquids aid re-afforestation on the island.
"There are no contaminants going into the ground at all, protecting water quality at the world heritage-listed site," said Ian.
This year Ian is targeting plastic bags and cigarette butts to try to draw attention to the escalating impact of these pollutants on Australia's waterways and soils.
Clean Up Australia is now the country's largest community environmental organisation, and Clean Up Australia Day is the largest national community based activity day. Through Clean Up Australia Ian Kiernan has been able to make a difference to the environment and provide a way for millions of other people to contribute personally.
Contact
Clean Up Australia on 1800 024 890 or visit www.cleanup.com.au
Urban stormwater pollution is one of the single biggest threats to the health of our waterways.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority's urban stormwater program has already funded more than 140 local projects to use a combination of trapping devices and education to make a real difference to stormwater quality. So far, more than 1500 tonnes of rubbish have been trapped. That's 150 large truck loads of rubbish that won't reach our waterways this year, or any year in the future.
For more information
E-mail Katrina Purcell: purcellk@epa.nsw.gov.au
Marine and Water Division
Department of the Environment and Heritage
GPO Box 787
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Phone: 02 6274 2005
Fax: 02 6274 1006
Email: garry.reynolds@deh.gov.au
http://www.deh.gov.au/coasts/pollution/usi/index.html
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