The Mayor's Column
The really special thing about Mosman is our coastline, the beautiful blue Pacific and the tranquil waters of Middle Harbour and Port Jackson. We have 24 kilometres of coastline. Where we live and where we walk, we come across panoramas or glimpses of water, the most beautiful framed by the red boughs of indigenous angophoras.
Over the last decade, Council has been installing SQIDs (Stormwater Quality Improvement Devices) in our catchment areas, removing pollutants from the stormwater entering our harbours, to the benefit of swimmers and marine life.
At Clifton Gardens last Sunday, the Coastal Critters and Litters event highlighted the rich variety of local marine life and the danger litter poses. If you didn’t get there, go exploring and discover what lies beneath the harbour. Snorkel around the shark nets at Clifton gardens and Balmoral to see such creatures as sea horses, crabs, striped pyjama squid and leather jackets. These animals are protected for their safety and our wonderment.
The Sydney Coastal Councils Group must be recognised for being pro-active in the care of our coastlines. Established in 1989, it is comprised of 15 councils adjacent to Sydney’s marine estuaries and waterways, working on projects with other bodies such as Macquarie University and the CSIRO to research and put strategies in place to protect this delicate environment. The current initiative responds to the need for water management and adaptation to climate change, mapping areas vulnerable to rising seas.
Mosman Councillor Patricia Harvey OAM has used her expertise with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences (Physical and Marine Zoology) as a founding member of SCCG and Chair for a decade from 1997 to 2007, leading the group in pursuit and achievement of ecologically sustainable development of our metropolitan coastal zones.
In 2000 she was also appointed Chairperson of the newly established Sydney Harbour Catchment Management Board.
We are indebted to people like Cr. Harvey, especially with future challenges of climate change and urban pressures, who continue to care for our precious coastal environment.
Cr Denise Wilton, Mayor of Mosman
