Let’s Clean Bardenarang Creek

Approached by a number of concerned community members about the shockingly sad state of Bardenarang Creek following recent floods, Councillor Nathan Zamprogno went to investigate their concerns for himself.

“It is in a very sorry state,” Mr Zamprogno said.

“It is well beyond what we could expect from the usual Clean Up Australia Day events.

“How do you get plastic out of a tree that is 20 feet up?” Mr Zamprogno visited Friendship Bridge, an historic landmark for the community representing the meeting place between the Europeans and the local Darug people for the first time back in 1871.

As a result of that visit, Mr Zamprogno went back to Council staff and asked whether creek cleanups could be scheduled into their ongoing flood recovery works.

He put in writing his concerns regarding the state of a number of local creeks in the context of ongoing flood recovery efforts.

“I would like to know whether creek cleanup of flood debris is in the scope of works we are undertaking,” he wrote.

He said that he knew of several local groups that were eager to help, but they required additional resource assistance, such as skips, tools and safety gear.

Mr Zamprogno said that some direction would benefit those group, particularly regarding what they can and should take on and what contractors and staff should do with recovery funding.

He asked Council if the money they already had for flood cleanup encompassed creek cleanups and if such cleanups were on the to-do list.

“I perceive people’s focus is on cleaning debris from roads and properties, but our creeks are equally important,” he said.

“If there’s a pot of money to do clean up, then are our creeks on that list?”

Mr Zamprogno recalled helping locals pull tonnes of rubbish out of Bardenarang Creek at a Clean Up Australia event a few years ago and remembers the pride those locals had in caring for our environment.

The current situation, though, is beyond the ability of volunteer groups to remedy due to the sheer volume of debris and safety concerns, according to Mr Zamprogno.

• Topics:

• Floods
• Environmental Issues