Creek plan on display

The draft Kahibah Creek floodplain maintenance plan will be on exhibition until August 11 and Council is inviting public submissions.

Gosford Council's director of development and the environment, Mr John Murray, said work on the plan started in January last year.

He said although the plan covered maintenance methods, investigation to determine flooding flow and community consultation, it mainly referred to methods of vegetation removal.

"The majority of trials have been performed with the agreement of the residents' group," Mr Murray said.

"However, agreement was not reached in regard to excavation as a method for the removal of typha reeds and sediment.

"The resident group did not always agree with the need to remove vegetation in some areas."

Some work on the creek has been done, but contractors are yet to be hired for the remainder.

Mr Murray said if Council adopted the plan, estimates of future costs and refinement of the maintenance plan may still have to be done.

He said full costing of future work could not be completed until the plan was endorsed.

The introduction to the plan stated the creek, its lagoons and catchment area had been "considerably altered by development".

The aim of the plan, according to Mr Murray, was to outline tasks needed to maintain the flood flow capacities and levels of Kahibah Creek within the one-in-100-year flood event guidelines.

Mr Murray said the plan described general principles of maintenance, but as the Kahibah Creek work was a new area of expertise for Council, the plan may have to go through modifications as experience was gained and work progressed.

Council's objectives must take into account the principles of ecologically-sustainable development. Therefore the nearby residents' properties must be safeguarded against possible flooding while the creek's natural environment was also protected, he said.

The creek would be inspected annually to ensure Council machinery could access the creek.

Vegetation would be removed only if it were a noxious species, decreased the one-in-100-year flood threat, restricted Council access for maintenance, posed a bushfire threat or harboured vermin.

Vegetation would only be removed after an evaluation study of the effects on flora and fauna was undertaken, Mr Murray said.

The plan stated: "Where wildlife, for example nesting birds and fish, are located within sections to be cleared, the work shall be carried out at a time of least impact.

"If appropriate, wildlife specialist groups should be utilised."

Native bush generation would be one device to keep noxious weeds from growing.

"The Ettymalong Landcare Group, Umina Progress Association and any other interested groups should also firstly be consulted regarding the extent of work," according to the draft plan.

The draft plan is on exhibition at Woy Woy and Umina Libraries and at Council Chambers in Mann St, Gosford.

Carl Spears, July 11