Recent heavy rain has reminded me Georges River Council area is a tale of two cities.
Georges River to the south of Forest Road, is in Georges River catchment with many millions being spent on storm water management.
To the north is Cooks River (pictured) catchment which, while being hit by a council drainage levy and Sydney Water levy, has little or no money spent on water quality or flood management.
I have been involved with an estuary study with Cooks River Alliance, the combined councils river management organisation focused on Cooks River and Wolli Creek (which flows through Penshurst, Narwee, Beverly Hills Kingsgrove and Hurstville).
Having worked hard for our area it galls that Georges River Council is in denial that an arm of Cooks River rises from and flows through our communities.
They say they are not in the Cooks River catchment, which they obviously are. They will not send officers or councillors to meetings where flooding issues along Wolli Creek could be resolved.
They blame Sydney Water for the problems as they own the stormwater canals which carry away water from our housed, streets and parks (for which we pay rates). Sydney Water is undertaking remediation for domestic sewer connections attached to stormwater.
They are doing their part. Why are council staff and councillors unwilling to join in to resolve major problems like our neighbouring councils?
Brian Shaw
Botany Bay and Catchment Alliance Inc
