re Terrills comments about Penrhyn estuary

[Penn Gwynne <>]

G'day Phil, are you saying that they are in fact going to have to dredge? the port expansion can't go ahead without dredging? is this correct?

 

Perhaps someone should re-read THEE Ramsar agreement.

 

John A. Gamblin

please read on.

Phil Straw <> wrote:

 

Re: Penrhyn estuary.

 

Those who have been visiting Penrhyn estuary over the last ten to twenty years will be fully aware that wader numbers have crashed dramatically over that time. The area is under constant change from public activities including boat launching, jet skis, walking dogs off leash, as well as natural changes such as encroachment of mangroves. This area will continue to become degraded as habitat for waders unless someone is prepared to spend a million or two on restoring the area. Fat chance of that!

 

While the proposed port expansion is going to be an eye sore and will partly encircle Penrhyn the compensatory work proposed by Sydney Ports Authority will result in a much larger area of wader feeding habitat and roosting sites. The result will be an area totally out of bounds for any people, dogs, boats and jet skis.

 

Some may ask whether the birds will continue to use the site once the port expansion goes ahead. I had the same question in mind when I specifically visited similar sites in Japan. The Yatsu-higata shorebird site is a totally enclosed area of mudflats with buildings on most sites and a freeway viaduct cutting across one corner. The wetland is about 40 ha but only about 35 ha is totally open due to the freeway. Yatsu has two small channels connecting it to Tokyo Bay, which is about 1km away. Yatsu-higata is so important for birds it has been listed as a wetland of international importance for waterbirds under the Ramsar convention because it attracts up to 10 000 waterbirds including regular counts of between 2000 and 4000 waders during migration. We are lucky to get 100 or 200 waders at Penrhyn estuary these days.

 

*Already stuffed eh? mind you perhaps? those 100 or 200 waders have a very specific reason for returning?*

 

The proposed new wader habitat at Penrhyn will be a little smaller than Yatsu-higata but will most likely have a channel 130m wide connecting it to Botany Bay.

 

*Dredging eh?*

 

While I am not in favour of habitat loss from landfilling or as a result of disturbance, I am in favour of gaining more habitat as a result of development if this is possible and wherever there is an opportunity.

 

*How can mankind fool around with nature then call it gaining more natural habitat?*

 

No one who is objecting to the port expansion has come up with a way to enhance Penrhyn (or any money).

 

*WHY does the port have to expand? where's thee stressor?*

 

I suggest that anyone responding to the EIS when it comes out push for as much habitat as possible as well as a quality all-weather viewing area for bird watchers and members of the public. I am of course assuming that the port expansion will go ahead. The NSW Wader Study Group will have a lot more information about Penrhyn and what we should be asking for in its next newsletter due out in a week or two.

 

Phil Straw,

Chairman NSW Wader Study Group

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