Clarification on Minnamurra weed management work

Published on 25 June 2024

Kiama Council and the NSW Government are investing $40,000 for weed management work around the Council-owned and managed Community Recycling Centre - Minnamurra Waste and Recycling Depot (CRC) located to the eastern side of Riverside Drive, Minnamurra.

This information was announced in a Council press release on 5 June for World Environment Day.

A recent press release on this topic from the Friends of the Minnamurra River (FOMR) contained misinformation and incorrect statements which require correcting for the public record.

• The area that Kiama Council will work on is not the “7.5 hectares of 400-year old Bangalay Sand forest” or site 5B Boral dredge pit located on the west side of Riverside Drive and south of Dunmore House as stated in the FOMR media release.

• Council’s work is focused on weed management and is expected to commence this month. It will target the southern, eastern and northern edges of the site as seen on the map, below (site is outlined in red). This work will help restore and protect surrounding coastal wetlands, which are environmentally important. The work is being undertaken as part of the environmental conditions Council must meet to operate and maintain our facility.

• Council’s contribution to the NSW Government funding (matched funding) is mandatory and will be drawn from our domestic waste budget (which must be spent on domestic-waste related costs, which includes maintaining the CRC facility and former landfill), not general revenue. Seeking State and Federal funding is one way Council can save money and make the spend go further.

• Council announced its success in securing the grant to undertake this important work on 5 June to coincide with World Environment Day.

• In 2020, Kiama Council, alongside Shellharbour City Council, local Aboriginal groups and local MPs, campaigned and advocated to the NSW Government against the expansion of BORAL’s Minnamurra/Dunmore sand mine.

• Despite not being the responsible level of government for decision making concerning the issuing of sand mining licences and relevant approvals, Kiama Council publicly resolved in 20/303OC on 15 December 2020 the following: “that Council write to the Federal Minister of Environment, Sussan Ley and outline our concern that there may be a potential breach to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act in relation to the approvals granted for the Dunmore Lakes Modification 2 - Boral Sand Mine”.

• Despite Council’s advocacy on this State matter the NSW government of the day (2020) approved the sand mine expansion through the NSW Government Independent Planning Commission.

• The management and monitoring of the BORAL sand mine, which is located within Shellharbour City Local Government Area, is the responsibility of BORAL and the New South Wales Environmental Protection Agency.

Kiama Council supports conservation efforts and works hard on environmental protections of the Minnamurra River, and is always willing to engage with members of our community about ways we can further advocate on these issues.

Council seeks to correct the spread of misinformation and urges fact checking and provision of accurate information in public news releases.