Creek will be degraded

The item in Peninsula News (March 2001, page 3) under the heading "Kahibah Creek to be rehabilitated" may well have read "be degraded".

Being involved in environmental issues on the Peninsula, I was surprised to learn that in some areas all vegetation will be removed.

This will include many swamp mahoganies (eucalyptus robusta), species which are ecologically important for the Kahibah riparian system.

The removal of the vegetation is being justified as necessary to engineer flood relief drainage for nearby houses.

In fact, any flooding could well be increased by siltation through erosion caused by the removal of bank vegetation.

The disturbance will increase rampant weed growth and create a need to remove vegetation more regularly, costing the community many thousands of dollars each year.

Fauna populations will decline and important migratory birds will disappear.

The protected rainforest areas will be isolated and be effected by a general loss of resilience.

Tony Whitehead, Woy Woy