Water quality at Gunnamatta Bay Baths and Gymea Bay Baths has taken a dive.
Both swimming areas were graded Poor in the 2015-16 State of the Beaches report, released this week.
Heavy rainfall for three months could have been a factor, but there was no similar deterioration in water quality in the lower Georges River and Botany Bay, where all but two locations, Foreshores Beach and Yarra Bay, were rated Good.
Even the status of Boat Harbour, which is the closest swimming area to the Cronulla sewage outfall, improved, to be graded Good.
A range of measures being taken by councils to reduce pollution were listed in the report.
Environment Minister and Cronulla MP Mark Speakman said, heavy rainfall in November and December meant stormwater was a major cause of pollution to recreational waters.
“Wet conditions continued in January, which was the wettest for Sydney since 1988, with several severe thunderstorms causing heavy rain and localised flooding which resulted in stormwater and wastewater affecting many swimming sites,” he said.
Mr Speakman said, despite the wet conditions, 83 per cent of the state’s swimming sites were graded as Good or Very Good.
“The report has delivered good news again for beachgoers across NSW, with our state’s beaches remaining some of the cleanest in world,” he said.
SUMMARY
Ocean beaches: Greenhills, Wanda, Elouera, North Cronulla, Shelly Beach and Oak Park were graded Very Good. (South) Cronulla Beach was graded Good, as was Boat Harbour.
Port Hacking: Congwong Bay was graded Very Good and Horderns Beach and Lilli Pilli Baths were Good. Jibbon Beach was also Good, but deteriorated from Very Good the previous year. Gymea Bay Baths and Gunnamatta Bay Baths deteriorated to Poor.
Lower Georges River and Botany Bay: All were graded Good, apart from Foreshores Beach (Very Poor) and Yarra Bay (Poor)
Visit: environment.nsw.gov.au/beach/reportann.htm
