Options for the Lake Illawarra Entrance

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Consultation has concluded

Wollongong and Shellharbour City Councils are working together with the NSW Government to assess options for the Lake Illawarra Entrance.

The project, called the Lake Illawarra Entrance Options Study, is looking at options to manage the impacts and changes that have occurred around the lake entrance and lake entrance foreshore.

The community is now invited to share feedback on the options.


Background:

In 2007, Lake Illawarra was permanently opened, by building training walls where the lake meets the ocean (the entrance) by the former Lake Illawarra Authority. This was done to address several issues including water quality, odour and algal blooms. The permanent opening of the channel has led to some improvement in water quality but has created significant and unintended changes to the lake and its entrance channel.

The changes that have impacted the Lake include:

  • Increased erosion along the Windang foreshore
  • Movement of sand underneath the Windang bridge piers and need for protection works
  • The lake’s water level now constantly fluctuates with the ocean tides. This means the average water level has dropped, but the tidal range in the lake has increased, and is projected to continue to increase for a long time
  • Increasing tidal ranges within the lake that have led to impacts on key habitats including seagrass and saltmarsh
  • Undermining of built assets such as jetties and boat ramps

About the Study:

In 2020, Shellharbour and Wollongong Council created a Coastal Management Program (CMP) for Lake Illawarra to coordinate its management among stakeholders. Through strategic direction and actions, the CMP aims to address threats to the lake's value and sustainability. The Lake Illawarra Entrance Options Study is an action under the 'Manage the Entrance Channel (EC) ' strategy, one of nine management strategies identified.

The study is looking at options for managing the lake entrance, and parts of the foreshore within the entrance channel that are actively eroding. The study is considering a range of environmental, social, economic and cultural perspectives. The UNSW Water Research Laboratory (WRL) are the expert consultants doing the study. The study has been done in two stages.

Stage 1 - Initial work involved collecting data in and around the entrance and a literature review of the lake entrance and other similar lake systems. Over 50 possible management options were developed and reviewed to come up with a shortlist. You can find documents from Stage 1 in a folder on this page.

Stage 2 - We are currently in this stage. It has involved detailed assessment of the shortlisted options and now consultation with community.

Find out more

You can find out more by:

  • Watching the video above which provides an overview of the Lake Entrance Options Study including the shortlist of options
  • Reading the FAQs
  • Reading the Summary (20 pages)
  • Reading the Study Report and Appendices

Printed information will be available at any of our Wollongong City Libraries.(External link)

You can also:

  • Talk to Council staff and the consultants at one of our drop-in information sessions:
    • Warilla Barrack Point Surf Life Saving Club – Friday 29 November, 1.00 - 3.00pm
    • Windang Senior Citizens Centre – Saturday 30 November, 10.30am - 12.30pm

If you have any accessibility needs or require further support to attend a drop-in session, please call 02 4227 7111.

Provide your feedback:

Please share your thoughts with us by 5pm 20 December 2024.


Accessibility and language assistance
If you are d/Deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech or language difficulty, you can contact us through the National Relay Service(External link) on 133 677. If you need an interpreter, please use the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450. You'll need to provide our phone number when using these services, 02 4227 7111.



This project is supported by Wollongong City Council and Shellharbour City Council with technical and financial assistance provided by the NSW Government through its Coastal Management Program.


Wollongong and Shellharbour City Councils are working together with the NSW Government to assess options for the Lake Illawarra Entrance.

The project, called the Lake Illawarra Entrance Options Study, is looking at options to manage the impacts and changes that have occurred around the lake entrance and lake entrance foreshore.

The community is now invited to share feedback on the options.


Background:

In 2007, Lake Illawarra was permanently opened, by building training walls where the lake meets the ocean (the entrance) by the former Lake Illawarra Authority. This was done to address several issues including water quality, odour and algal blooms. The permanent opening of the channel has led to some improvement in water quality but has created significant and unintended changes to the lake and its entrance channel.

The changes that have impacted the Lake include:

  • Increased erosion along the Windang foreshore
  • Movement of sand underneath the Windang bridge piers and need for protection works
  • The lake’s water level now constantly fluctuates with the ocean tides. This means the average water level has dropped, but the tidal range in the lake has increased, and is projected to continue to increase for a long time
  • Increasing tidal ranges within the lake that have led to impacts on key habitats including seagrass and saltmarsh
  • Undermining of built assets such as jetties and boat ramps

About the Study:

In 2020, Shellharbour and Wollongong Council created a Coastal Management Program (CMP) for Lake Illawarra to coordinate its management among stakeholders. Through strategic direction and actions, the CMP aims to address threats to the lake's value and sustainability. The Lake Illawarra Entrance Options Study is an action under the 'Manage the Entrance Channel (EC) ' strategy, one of nine management strategies identified.

The study is looking at options for managing the lake entrance, and parts of the foreshore within the entrance channel that are actively eroding. The study is considering a range of environmental, social, economic and cultural perspectives. The UNSW Water Research Laboratory (WRL) are the expert consultants doing the study. The study has been done in two stages.

Stage 1 - Initial work involved collecting data in and around the entrance and a literature review of the lake entrance and other similar lake systems. Over 50 possible management options were developed and reviewed to come up with a shortlist. You can find documents from Stage 1 in a folder on this page.

Stage 2 - We are currently in this stage. It has involved detailed assessment of the shortlisted options and now consultation with community.

Find out more

You can find out more by:

  • Watching the video above which provides an overview of the Lake Entrance Options Study including the shortlist of options
  • Reading the FAQs
  • Reading the Summary (20 pages)
  • Reading the Study Report and Appendices

Printed information will be available at any of our Wollongong City Libraries.(External link)

You can also:

  • Talk to Council staff and the consultants at one of our drop-in information sessions:
    • Warilla Barrack Point Surf Life Saving Club – Friday 29 November, 1.00 - 3.00pm
    • Windang Senior Citizens Centre – Saturday 30 November, 10.30am - 12.30pm

If you have any accessibility needs or require further support to attend a drop-in session, please call 02 4227 7111.

Provide your feedback:

Please share your thoughts with us by 5pm 20 December 2024.


Accessibility and language assistance
If you are d/Deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech or language difficulty, you can contact us through the National Relay Service(External link) on 133 677. If you need an interpreter, please use the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450. You'll need to provide our phone number when using these services, 02 4227 7111.



This project is supported by Wollongong City Council and Shellharbour City Council with technical and financial assistance provided by the NSW Government through its Coastal Management Program.