Harbourside Beaches Water Quality Report Released

Each year the NSW Government releases a water quality report which monitors the water quality of 250 NSW swimming sites.  The State of the Beaches report 2017 – 2018 was recently released.

The good news is that Sydney’s North is the cleanest area for a swim, with 91 per cent of sites rated good or very good.  Greenwich Baths, Tambourine Bay and Woodford Bay were rated good. Lane Cove Council maintains a number of Gross Pollutant Traps in the catchment to reduce the impact of storm water to the waterways. In 2016–2017 more than 40 cubic metres of material was prevented from entering the river.

Greenwich Baths

Greenwich Baths is a popular swimming spot in the Lane Cove Council area and they also run a Nippers programme. The Baths have a netted swimming area and a sandy beach.

Tambourine Bay

Tambourine Bay is in the lower Lane Cove River. The swimming enclosure has been removed and there is now a beautiful picnic area.  Last year Tambourine Bay had a poor rating.  This year it has been rated good.

Woodford Bay

Woodford Bay is another popular swimming spot for kids.  Woodford Bay is also a place of great historical importance.  The first record of contact between the British and the Cameraygal people took place at Woodford Bay on 14 February 1790.

Woodford Bay is also listed on the Heritage Register.  It is one of the 3 remaining examples of timber “shark” paling harbourside baths left in Sydney.

This site is a 20 by 25 metre swimming enclosure on the western side of Woodford Bay in the lower Lane Cove River.

Northbridge Baths

Many Lane Cove families like to swim at Northbridge Baths.  It only received a fair status.

The most important fact to take away from this report is that swimming in harbourside water areas after rain is not a good idea.

Cover Photo:  Credit Source Greenwich Bath Facebook Page

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