Sedimentation

and Erosion
at Georges
River

Teresa Wang 10G
Teacher: Mr Passlow





"#$%&"'%(
)*+,- "./,( PursLvllle, SL. Ceorge preclncL
"01234.3*5/ *6 78/ 9:;/570<,70*:( 1o lnvesLlgaLe Lhe lncreased levels of eroslon and sedlmenLaLlon
ln Lhe Ceorges 8lver.
=*+45 >4/570*:5(
1. WhaL are Lhe causes of Lhe lncreased raLe of sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon aL Ceorges 8lver?
2. Pow has local lnfrasLrucLure and developmenL affecLed Lhe Ceorges 8lver?
3. WhaL do Lhe local lnhablLanLs of Lhe area Lhlnk of Lhe dlfferences beLween Lhe pasL and
presenL of Ceorges 8lver?
4. WhaL can be done Lo prevenL lncreaslng sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon levels?
Lroslon and sedlmenLaLlon are naLural processes of Lhe envlronmenL. Powever, wlLh Lhe rlslng levels
of polluLlon caused by humans, sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon levels are lncreaslng aL an unnaLural raLe,
whlch lmposes a concern Lo Lhe surroundlng envlronmenL. 1hey are ma[or lssues for all waLerways.
1hls does noL affecL humans only, wlLh Lhe lack of clean envlronmenL Lo be surrounded ln, buL also
affecLs Lhe aquaLlc ecosysLem as lL blocks sunllghL from reachlng marlne planLs and anlmals. Whlle
some sedlmenLs don'L affecL Lhe blockage of sunllghL, Lhere are always denser sedlmenLs LhaL llmlL
Lhe peneLraLlon of sunllghL, much more Lhan Lhe flner ones.
l wanLed Lo flnd ouL Lhe causes of Lhe lncreaslng levels of sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon aL Ceorges
8lver, speclflcally, and how Lhe local man-lnhablLed envlronmenL affecLs Lhe naLural process of lL. ln
addlLlon, l declded LhaL flndlng ouL Lhe oplnlons of oLhers who llve wlLhln Lhe local area would prove
Lo be effecLlve for my lnvesLlgaLlon.
lor my prlmary research, l declded Lo head over Lo Sylvanla WaLers and Lhe edge of Ceorges 8lver,
and lnLervlewed a few of Lhe flsherman slLuaLed Lhere, on my focus quesLlons. As well as Lhls, l
creaLed a survey for a few of my frlends who llved around Lhe SL. Ceorge reglon. ln addlLlon Lo Lhe
sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon, l also Look plcLures of Lhe rocks and waLer of Lhe area, as well as Lhe
polluLlon nearby and Lhe oysLers - or lack Lhereof.
My resulLs were malnly based on Lwo dlfferenL sldes, one porLlon would say LhaL Lhey llved close Lo
Ceorges 8lver and are exLremely concerned abouL Lhe lncreaslng sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon, whlle
Lhe oLher porLlon are noL compleLely aware of Lhe dlfference beLween sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon ls,
and aren'L exLremely concerned wlLh Lhe deLerloraLlng naLural envlronmenL, ln Lhelr reglon.





9?%&@AB'%9@?(
SedlmenLaLlon ls Lhe producL of unconLrolled eroslon, and ls Lhe accumulaLlon of gravel and oLher
forelgn parLlcles. lL ls one of Lhe greaLesL polluLanLs LhaL lmpacL Lhe LarLh's envlronmenL, and ofLen
resulL ln los of ferLlle soll, lncrease of floodlng, damage Lo planL and anlmal llfe, and sLrucLural
damage Lo man-made bulldlngs. lL ls caused by a number of facLors. SedlmenLs may have come from
wlnds, raln or general plck-up by waLer flow. CLher posslblllLles lnclude nearby consLrucLlon slLes,
exposed earLh, rock eroslon, seml or fully decomposed organlc maLLer, and local lnfrasLrucLure.
Whlle eroslon ls a naLural process, Lhe amounL of human lnLeracLlon ls overwhelmlng, and has
lncreased Lhe raLe of eroslon by Len Lo forLy percenL.
SedlmenL ls more responslble for rlver degradaLlon Lhan any oLher polluLanL as deposlLs of sedlmenL
reduce Lhe capaclLy Lo sLore waLer. 1hls resulLs ln more frequenL and severe floods and lncreased
properLy damage, causlng Lo be a concern for boLh humans and naLure. Lvery year, mllllons of
dollars are spenL Lo replenlsh waLerways Lo remove sedlmenLs from draln sysLems, and waLer
LreaLmenL planLs. ln addlLlon, Lhls damages aquaLlc llfe as lL severely lmpacLs Lhe healLh of hablLaLs
and waLer quallLy. SedlmenLs block ouL sunllghL, resulLlng ln a loss of sunllghL reachlng Lhe waLer and
a loss of aquaLlc planL communlLles.
1he Ceorges 8lver dlsLrlcL ls one of Lhe mosL hlghly urbanlzed ln AusLralla and whlle lL ls an en[oyable
Lo area for lelsure acLlvlLles and vlslLlng, lL ls also belng lmpacLed upon. Aslde from weeds and
lnLroduced anlmals, eroslon and sedlmenLaLlon are slgnlflcanL conLrlbuLlons Lo Lhe Ceorges 8lver's
lncreaslngly unhealLhy caLchmenL. lL has become lncreaslngly ofLen LhaL Lhe waLerways are noLed Lo
become shallower Lhan usual afLer heavy ralnfall. 1he Lopsoll of Lhe banks of Lhe rlver ls washed lnLo
Lhe waLerways, carrylng organlc maLLer and nuLrlenLs, and ln some cases, anyLhlng Loxlc and harmful
Lo Lhe envlronmenL. As a resulL, Lhls lncreases Lhe rlsks of polluLlon, blocked dralns, floodlng, and
healLh problems, as well as endangerlng anlmal and planL specles.
AfLer scourlng Lhrough a large mass of news arLlcles from !"# %#&'#(, Lhe prlme paper for Lhe Shlre, l
reallsed LhaL Lhere were very few lssues: Lhe sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon aL Ceorges 8lver as well as
Lhe oysLer farmlng lssues, flnanclal and houslng problems, and Lhe conLroversy of Lhe poLenLlal Moss
ln enshursL. 1he one concern LhaL capLured my aLLenLlon Lhe mosL was Lhe flucLuaLlng levels of
sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon of Lhe Ceorges 8lver, due Lo Lhe facL LhaL lL ls slLuaLed only Lhree blocks
away from my house.
l found lL profoundly lnLeresLlng Lo sLudy Lhe dlmlnlshlng healLh of a naLural source of Sydney's
envlronmenL, raLher Lhan Lo sLudy a sub[ecL concernlng eLhlcal lssues. lL ls always heard on Lhe news
and medla abouL human lnLeracLlon harmlng Lhe envlronmenL. Lven wlLhouL Lhe news, mosL ln
Sydney undoubLedly know abouL Lhe Cook's 8lver, whlch has losL a vasL ma[orlLy of lLs planL and
anlmal llfe ln Lhe pasL few decades, and ls almosL aL Lhe polnL of absoluLely no reLurn Lo lLs orlglnal
healLh. lf Lhe level of sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon ln Lhe Ceorges 8lver rlses aL an lncreaslngly
dangerous raLe, lL wlll Lurn ouL Lo be [usL llke Cook's 8lver.



AfLer Lhe pasL few years ln hlgh school, l have learnL much from Lhe sub[ecLs of geography and
sclence ln Lhe areas LhaL concern mosLly on Lhe naLural envlronmenL. l have galned plenLy of
knowledge abouL boLh Lhe poslLlve and negaLlve forms of human lnLeracLlon wlLh Lhe earLh - how
whlle we sLrlve Lo replenlsh lL back Lo lLs orlglnal form as much as posslble, we sLlll lnfllcL damage Lo
lL ln Lhe end.
lor prlmary daLa, l spenL roughly Lhree Lo four hours vlslLlng dlfferenL areas of Lhe Ceorges 8lver and
Sylvanla WaLers, whlch ls a dead-end exLenslon of Lhe Ceorges 8lver, near where l llve. ln some
areas, Lhe waLer was a dark blue-green shade, whlle Lhe sand was sLalned wlLh a few dark sploLches.
1he rocks were dark and many were severely eroded. ConLrarlly, several oLher areas had
LransparenL, clean waLer wlLh almosL lnLacL rocks wlLh several layers. As for secondary daLa, l
compleLed some research by vlslLlng Lhe marlna on one end of 1om uglys 8rldge, as well as golng
onllne for addlLlonal lnformaLlon on Lhe concernlng lssues aL Ceorges 8lver: sedlmenLaLlon, eroslon,
oysLer farms, local lnfrasLrucLure, and Lhe slowly deLerloraLlng marlne llfe.
1he alm and ob[ecLlve of Lhe fleldwork was Lo flnd ouL whlch areas seemed Lhe mosL damaged, and
where Lhe eroslon and sedlmenLaLlon seemed Lo be Lhe worsL. AnoLher ob[ecLlve was Lo flnd ouL
how oLher people around Lhe area and oLhers who llved ln Lhe SL. Ceorge reglon were affecLed by
Lhe sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon of Ceorges 8lver, how and whaL Lhey Lhlnk caused Lhese Lwo aspecLs
of naLure Lo lncrease dangerously, and how Lhey Lhlnk would be a good, effecLlve way Lo prevenL
Lhls lssue from progresslng.
laces vlslLed:
1om uglys 8rldge Marlna
CysLer 8ay ark
Sylvanla WaLers
Looked Lo flnd ouL:
1he polluLlon around Lhe dlsLrlcL, whlch cause Lhe lncreaslng levels of sedlmenLaLlon and
eroslon
Pow people can reduce Lhese unnaLurally lncreaslng levels
1he dlfferences beLween Lhe dlfferenL areas of Lhe preclncL
WhaL Lhe local lnhablLanLs Lhlnk of Lhls lssue






CD%E@A(
lor my prlmary research, l declded Lo creaLe Lwo dlfferenL surveys - one for my frlends who llve ln
Lhe SL. Ceorge reglon (noL llmlLed Lo around Ceorges 8lver), and one for Lhose who llved on Lhe slde
of Ceorges 8lver.
lnlLlally, l was plannlng on flndlng ouL whlch common sedlmenL or sedlmenL comblnaLlon blocks ouL
Lhe mosL sunllghL and consequenLly, harms Lhe envlronmenL. l wanLed Lo flnd ouL how, lf ln any way,
Lhe sedlmenLaLlon and LurbldlLy affecLed Lhe peneLraLlon of llghL. Powever, Lhls plan was noL
broughL lnLo acLlon, due Lo Lhe facL LhaL mosL enLrles Lo Lhe bank of Ceorges 8lver had Lo be passed
Lhrough prlvaLe properLy and were a parL of people's homes.
l spenL a few hours around Ceorges 8lver and Sylvanla WaLers, capLurlng phoLographs of my
surroundlngs, as well as surveylng sLrangers who walked by, wheLher Lhey were flsherman, Lhe local
people, sLudenLs, sporLlng players, or random people Laklng a sLroll.
MosL of Lhe people l surveyed ranged from mlddle aged Lo Lhose aged ln Lhelr sevenLles. 1here were
plenLy of flshermen ouL by Lhe rlver, and Lhey had answered around half of my surveys. 1he vasL
ma[orlLy of Lhem were male.
$4.;/F 6*. 6.0/:G5 0: 78/ $7H I/*.</2%8/ $80./ ./<0*:(
1. Are you affecLed by Lhe lncrease of sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon ln Lhe Ceorges 8lver? lf so,
how?
2. WhaL do you Lhlnk are Lhe causes of lncreased eroslon?
3. ln your oplnlon, whaL can be done Lo solve Lhe lssue?
$4.;/F5 6*. 78*5/ J8* -0;/ :/,. I/*.</5 &0;/.(
1. Pow are you belng affecLed by Lhe lncrease of sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon ln Lhe Ceorges
8lver?
2. WhaL do you Lhlnk has been Lhe cause of lncreased sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon?
3. Pow are you helplng Lo prevenL lL? WhaL do you Lhlnk would be a greaL way Lo help?





=9?A9?I$ "?A &D$B)%$(
$4.;/F 6*. 78*5/ K1*57-F 6.0/:G52,+L4,0:7,:+/5M J0780: 78/ $7H I/*.</ ./<0*:2%8/ $80./
A/7,0-5 *6 78/ N/.5*: "./ F*4 ,66/+7/G OF
78/ 0:+./,5/ *6
5/G01/:7,70*: ,:G
/.*50*: 0: 78/ I/*.</5
&0;/.P 96 5*Q 8*JP
R8,7 G* F*4 780:S ,./
78/ +,45/5 *6
0:+./,5/G /.*50*:P

9: F*4. *30:0*:Q J8,7
+,: O/ G*:/ 7* 5*-;/
78/ 0554/P

13 year old
lemale
norLh Sydney Clrls
no Pumans volunLeer
13 year old
lemale
norLh Sydney Clrls
Well l'm glad you
asked, Lhe lncrease of
sedlmenLaLlon and
eroslon ln Ceorges
8lver ls lrrelevanL Lo
me as l do noL know
where lL ls aL
Me Councll can plck up
Lhelr game, lncrease
pollcles agalnsL
polluLlon and slgn Lhe
MonLreal roLocol.
13 year old
lemale
norLh Sydney Clrls
noL LhaL l know of 8aln, deforesLaLlon
and lnfrasLrucLure
lanLlng more Lrees
13 year old
lemale
norLh Sydney Clrls
no, because l don'L llve
close Lo lL aL all, and
l'm surrounded by
suburban houses.
l Lhlnk lncreased
eroslon ls caused by
Lhe uprooL of naLlve
Lrees and grasses,
whlch LradlLlonally
hold Lhe soll LogeLher
when lL ralns.
lanL more Lrees and
sLop Lhese planLs from
belng uprooLed.
13 year old
lemale
norLh Sydney Clrls
no, and lL has mosLly
Lo do wlLh Lhe facL LhaL
l dldn'L know LhaL
Lhere was a Ceorges
8lver.
1he naLural
envlronmenL such as
wlnd, waLer (e.g. raln,
acld raln and currenLs).
8alslng awareness and
developlng acLlon
plans mlghL help.
13 year old
lemale
norLh Sydney Clrls
no eople and naLure SLop people from
polluLlng
13 year old
lemale
norLh Sydney Clrls
no, l llve falrly from
Lhe Ceorges 8lver.
olluLlon, land
clearlng, weaLher,
people dlgglng up
nearby land
roLecL Lhe nearby
area, make lL a no go
zone, and Lry Lo
replenlsh Lhe naLural
ecosysLem.
13 year old
lemale
norLh Sydney Clrls
?es, l llve near Lhe rlver
and qulLe ofLen, vlslL lL.
WaLer: Lhe raln and
wlnd affecLs Lhe rocks
a loL
olluLlon ls also
anoLher ma[or cause.
8alslng awareness
13 year old
Male
no 8ad managemenL,
lncreased and
8eLLer councll
managemenL, add



norLh Sydney 8oy unnecessary ralnfall,
human lnLervenLlon ln
Lhe area causlng
problems wlLh naLural
processes
fences Lo proLecL
vulnerable areas,
replanL necessary
vegeLaLlon LhaL can
help prevenL eroslon,
and replenlsh eroded
soll/dlrL/rocks
13 year old
lemale
norLh Sydney Clrls
?es. l llve along Lhe
caLchmenL area, and lf
Lhe caLchmenL erodes,
Lhe land, Lhe houses
and Lhe bulldlngs ln
Lhe area would dle.
l'm guesslng Lhe
amounL of human
lnLeracLlon ls affecLlng
lL mosLly - boaLs,
bulldlngs, houses and
harbours.
1he councll could
creaLe campalgns for
awareness and make
regulaLlons.
16 year old
lemale
norLh Sydney Clrls
l don'L Lhlnk Lhe
Ceorges 8lver eroslon
dlrecLly affecLs me.
1he lncreased eroslon
may be naLural when
Lhe waLer flows and
may be caLalysed by
acld ln Lhe waLer and
whaL else causes
eroslon may be Lhe
lack of Lrees around
Lhe banks.
1o help Lhls, planLlng
Lrees, and bulldlng
walls Lo sLop Lhe banks
from collapslng could
work.
13 year old
lemale
norLh Sydney Clrls
no. Chemlcals ln Lhe waLer SLrlcLer regulaLlons
could always help.
13 year old
lemale
norLh Sydney Clrls
?es, l llve falrly close Lo
Lhe caLchmenL and lf
Lhe banks erode away
and Lhe waLer level
lncreases, Lhen Lhe
area l llve ln wlll be ln
danger.
Acld raln, polluLlon,
lnfrasLrucLure and
boaLlng
Lnforclng regulaLlons,
creaLe campalgns and
Lhe councll should be
more acLlve.
17 year old
Male
1empe Plgh School
no. l llve ln a relaLlvely
suburban area LhaL ls
more dlsLanL from Lhe
Ceorges 8lver
caLchmenL.
1he lncreased
sedlmenLaLlon and
eroslon may be due Lo
Lhe dlfferenL Lypes of
polluLlon LhaL reach
Lhe caLchmenL such as
alr and waLer. lL can
also be because of Lhe
ongolng renovaLlons
and human
lnLeracLlon.
1o solve Lhe lssue,
Lhere musL be a loL Lo
be done. Lnforclng
sLrlcLer regulaLlons wlll
allow Lhe ecosysLem Lo
slowly recover, as well
as reduclng Lhe
amounL of human
lnLeracLlon wlLh Lhe
waLerway.
14 year old
Male
8lakehursL Plgh School
?es, l llve along Lhe
caLchmenL. My area
wlll be severely
affecLed lf Lhe lssue
becomes worse.
Aclds and chemlcals Pavlng more people
aware of Lhe slLuaLlon
slnce a loL of people
don'L know whaL
sedlmenLaLlon and
eroslon ls, much less,
Lhe dlfference and
relaLlonshlp beLween



Lhe Lwo.

16 year old
Male
norLh Sydney 8oys
noL dlrecLly. LveryLhlng, really -
chemlcals, human
lnLeracLlon, boaLlng,
and Lhe lncrease of
ralnfall are Lhe maln
causes.
lf Lhe councll becomes
more acLlve and
conLrlbuLes more Lo
Lhe lssue aL hand,
maybe lL can be a sLep
Lo belng flxed.
14 year old
Male
klngs School
no Chemlcals and
polluLlon
Campalgns

As seen from Lhe above survey resulLs, Lhose who llve near Lhe Ceorges 8lver caLchmenL are aware
of how Lhey may be affecLed by Lhe lncrease of sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon, whlle Lhose who llve ln
Lhe more suburban parL of Lhe reglon are noL as worrled. WhaL Lhey Lhlnk are Lhe causes conslsLlng
of mosLly Lhe same: local lnfrasLrucLure, polluLlon, chemlcals, aclds, waLer, wlnd, boaLlng and
deforesLaLlon. 1o help geL rld of Lhls lssue, mosL of Lhe meLhods lnclude holdlng campalgns,
enforclng sLrlcLer regulaLlons, sLop polluLlng and geLLlng Lhe governmenL Lo be more lnvolved.

$4.;/F 6*. 78*5/ J8* -0;/ OF I/*.</5 &0;/.
A/7,0-5 *6 78/ 3/.5*: E*J ,./ F*4 O/0:<
,66/+7/G OF 78/
0:+./,5/ *6
5/G01/:7,70*: ,:G
/.*50*: 0: 78/ I/*.</5
&0;/.P

R8,7 G* F*4 780:S 8,5
O//: 78/ +,45/ *6
0:+./,5/G
5/G01/:7,70*: ,:G
/.*50*:P

E*J ,./ F*4 8/-30:<
7* 3./;/:7 07P R8,7 G*
F*4 780:S J*4-G O/ ,
<./,7 J,F 7* 8/-3P
llsherman
32 years old
Male
When Lhe Lldes geL
hlgh and all Lhe rock
and soll ls eroded, Lhe
waLer goes above Lhe
normal level and lL's a
remlnder LhaL lL's a
LhreaL Lo our homes.
1he polluLlon and
bulldlng of
lnfrasLrucLure around
here.
1o be honesL, l haven'L
really helped much. l
never acLually puL
much LhoughL lnLo lL
unLll now, buL maybe
have everyone aware
of Lhls.
Llderly wlLh a prlvaLe
properLy
63-80 years old
lemale
l'm noL affecLed by lL
rlghL now, and lL'll
conLlnue Lo be llke Lhls
for years. 1here are
problems wlLh Lhe
sedlmenLaLlon and
eroslon ln Lhe Ceorges
8lver buL lL won'L
become a ma[or
concern for anyone
unLll Lhe generaLlon or
Lwo afLer mlne.
1here has been a loL of
rebulldlng and
lnfrasLrucLure golng on
and l assume LhaL's Lhe
maln cause.
l haven'L helped lL
much buL campalgnlng
would be a brllllanL
ldea.
!ogger l llve a few sLreeLs 1he lncrease of waLer - CeLLlng people Lo sLop



23 years old
Male
away from Lhe rlver, so
l'm noL belng affecLed
as much buL l'm sure
my area wlll be soon.
ralnfall, and acld raln -
for sure. 1he polluLlon
LhaL we cause as well.
polluLlng and belng
more energy efflclenL.
llsherman
30-40 years old
Male
CurrenLly, Lhere lsn'L
an lssue. l'm noL belng
affecLed by lL buL lf lL
geLs worse, l wlll.
olluLlon mosLly.
1here's a consLrucLlon
slLe rlghL where Lhe
Sylvanla WaLers
branches ouL from
Ceorges 8lver. 1haL's a
huge problem.
l Lry Lo cuL down on
drlvlng myself and
llLLerlng. 1he besL way
Lo help ls Lo sLop
polluLlng because lL's a
maln facLor.

lrom Lhe above survey, whlch has been compleLed by a few people who llve by Lhe Ceorges 8lver,
shows relaLlvely slmllar resulLs. 1helr oplnlons on Lhe lncrease of sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon levels
relaLe Lo each oLher ln more ways Lhan [usL one, and Lhelr vlews on Lhe lssue are Lhe same: Lhey
aren'L concerned for Lhe momenL, buL ln Lhe fuLure, Lhls wlll grow Lo become a blgger lssue noL [usL
for Lhem, buL Lo Lhelr surroundlng communlLy as well.

"?$RD&9?I %ED >BD$%9@?$(
TH R8,7 ,./ 78/ +,45/5 *6 78/ 0:+./,5/G .,7/ *6 5/G01/:7,70*: ,:G /.*50*: ,7 I/*.</5 &0;/.P
lrom secondary sources, l have compared Lhe facLual resulLs Lo Lhose provlded by Lhe people l had
surveyed. 1he prlme source of sedlmenLs by Ceorges 8lver ls Lhe local lnfrasLrucLure and
consLrucLlon slLes LhaL are locaLed ln Lhe area. As seen ln
Lhe plcLure Lo Lhe lefL, Lhere ls a consLrucLlon slLe only a
few meLres away from Lhe waLerway. 1he magnlLude of
dlsLurbance caused by Lhls speclflc human lnLeracLlon ls
gradually lncreaslng as lL has become more lmporLanL Lo
renovaLe bulldlngs. ConsLrucLlon slLes can erode, buL
sedlmenL can be conLrolled.
naLure lLself ls anoLher cause. 1he wlnd blows sedlmenL
parLlcles across land and waLer. CbsLrucLlons help
reduce Lhe wlnd's eroslve capaclLy and Lhe sedlmenLs
are ofLen deposlLed ln Lhese areas. WaLer plays anoLher maln role ln Lhe lncreased raLe of
sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon aL Ceorges 8lver. llowlng waLer carrles away rlch soll and maLerlals. 1he
deposlLlon of eroded soll sedlmenL ln waLer bodles resulL ln Lhe poLenLlal desLrucLlon of aquaLlc
hablLaLs.
Acld raln ls anoLher facLor, whlch ls caused by global warmlng and Lhe hole ln Lhe ozone layer. lL ls a
growlng problem noL [usL ln Lhe reglon, buL lnLernaLlonally, as lL parLlcularly damages lakes, sLreams,
and foresLs, as well as Lhe planL and anlmal llfe LhaL llve ln Lhose ecosysLems. 1he comblnaLlon of
sulphur dloxlde (SC
2
) and nlLrogen oxlde (nC
x
) acceleraLes Lhe decay of naLural llfe.




UH E*J 8,5 -*+,- 0:6.,57.4+74./ ,:G G/;/-*31/:7 ,66/+7/G 78/ I/*.</5 &0;/.P
As seen ln Lhe plcLure Lo Lhe rlghL,
Lhls dead end of Lhe Ceorges 8lver ls
murky and dlrLy. 1hls ls due Lo Lhe
polluLlon LhaL has been caused by
human lnLeracLlon where sporLlng
grounds and new houslng properLles
have been consLrucLed. lL has been
proven LhaL every Llme bare soll ls
exposed, Lhere ls Lhe poLenLlal Lo
creaLe slgnlflcanL volumes of
sedlmenL-laden runoff. 1he local
lnfrasLrucLure and developmenL
wlLhln Lhe preclncL causes polluLlon
and dlsLurbance Lo Lhe surroundlng
envlronmenL, resulLlng ln a hlgher chance of lncreaslng sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon raLes. nolse
and alr polluLlon can affecL Lhe aquaLlc ecosysLem ln Lhe rlver, as bacLerla, dusL and addlLlonal
sedlmenLs are forced lnLo Lhe waLer.

VH R8,7 G* 78/ -*+,- 0:8,O07,:75 *6 78/ ,./, 780:S *6 78/ G066/./:+/5 O/7J//: 78/ 3,57 ,:G
3./5/:7 *6 I/*.</5 &0;/.P
lrom lnLervlewlng a local lnhablLanLs llvlng near Ceorges 8lver, l found ouL LhaL Lhelr resulLs were ln
mosL cases, qulLe slmllar. Appearance wlse, Lhey do noL recognlze much dlfference ln Lhe Ceorges
8lver, ln Lhe pasL and presenL. lLs surroundlngs, however, have changed drasLlcally. Pouses have
been consLanLly renovaLed and have become larger and prlvaLe beaches can now be owned. More
boaLs vlslL Sylvanla WaLers and oLher branches of Lhe Ceorges 8lver. 1he waLer has become a llLLle
more polluLed. 1he rlver lLself does noL have very dlsLlncL dlfferences.
1hey do, however, know how much Lhe envlronmenL has changed. 1he deLerloraLlng healLh of
Ceorges 8lver has noL gone unnoLlced, as Lhe local lnhablLanLs are growlng lncreaslngly worrled. noL
only does Lhls affecL Lhe naLural ecosysLem wlLh Lhe poLenLlal LhreaLs of desLroylng planL llfe, whlch
Lhen effecLlvely desLrucLs aquaLlc anlmal llfe, buL Lhls also affecLs Lhe communlLy ln a soclal and
economlc manner. 1he collapslng of banks wlll lead Lo waLer levels reachlng houses by Lhe edge of
Lhe rlver and wlll furLher erode.
WH R8,7 +,: O/ G*:/ 7* 3./;/:7 0:+./,50:< 5/G01/:7,70*: ,:G /.*50*: -/;/-5P
ConLrolllng and mlnlmlzlng can prevenL Lhe lncreaslng raLe of sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon levels.
Whlle Lhe local councll ls busy wlLh oLher maLLers of lmporLance, Lhls lssue concernlng one of Lhe
maln waLerways of Sydney should be bumped up hlgher on Lhe llsL of prlorlLles. 1hey can become
more acLlve ln Lhe conLrlbuLlon of helplng Lhe aquaLlc envlronmenL. AddlLlonally, Lhe promoLlng of
campalgns can be done Lo allow Lhose who are or wlll be affecLed, Lo undersLand Lhe enLlre lssue
LhaL ls presenL. rograms and campalgns can be held Lo ralse awareness and Lhus, Lhe coordlnaLed
efforLs are able Lo help replenlsh Lhe healLh of Ceorges 8lver. 1he governmenL can also enforce



sLrlcLer regulaLlons, especlally on developmenL approvals. 1hey could lnclude Lurnlng boaL moLors
off when Lhe boaLs are sLaLlonary, no polluLlng and also Lo mlnlmlze Lhe amounL of dlsLurbance aL
Lhe banks, as well as seL ouL hlgher sLandards ln new plannlng schemes. lurLhermore, walls can be
bullL Lo prevenL Lhe lncrease of sedlmenLs and eroslon, as well as prevenLlng Lhe banks Lo collapse.
8eforesLaLlon can also done Lo prevenL Lhls lncreaslngly concernlng lssue.
I*;/.:1/:7 &*-/5(

1he sLaLe and federal governmenL of AusLralla have Lhelr hands full, wlLh more economlc and
pollLlcal manners, meanlng LhaL Lhe local councll needs Lo conLrlbuLe Lo Lhls lssue. 8y uslng
secondary research, l dlscovered LhaL several counclls have uLlllzed sLraLeglc caLchmenL
managemenL approaches Lo susLaln and lmprove Lhe rlver's healLh, by runnlng programs LhaL alm Lo
lmprove waLer clarlLy, reduce floodlng and lncrease blodlverslLy. PursLvllle ClLy Councll recognlzes
Ceorges 8lver Lo be Lhe number one envlronmenLal asseL. LducaLlon ls whaL Lhey belleve Lo be Lhe
mosL profound way Lo approach Lhls lssue as Lhey have adopLed an approach Lo ensure maxlmum
beneflL ls derlved from resources LhaL are dlrecLed Lowards Lhe preservaLlon of Lhe rlver and lLs
relaLlve caLchmenL.
'@?')B$9@?(
lrom my resulLs, lL can be seen LhaL Lhe lssue of Lhe lncreaslng sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon raLes
revolve around several dlfferenL problems. l have concluded LhaL lL ls llke an anlmal chaln, where
one concernlng lssue grows Lo become more LhreaLenlng Lo Lhe envlronmenL, as lL conLlnues Lo llnk
Lo oLher dlfferenL maLLers, whlch ln Lurn, produce Lhe larger problem
Whlle Lhe flucLuaLlng raLes of sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon caused by naLure lLself, Lhe prlme facLor for
Lhls lssue ls human lnLeracLlon. ln my oplnlon, Lhls caused by naLure lLself, Lhe prlme facLor for Lhls
lssue ls human lnLeracLlon. ln my oplnlon, Lhls problem can slowly be flxed, sLep by sLep. 1hrough
volunLeerlng Lo help or replenlsh Lhe envlronmenL and allowlng oLhers Lo undersLand Lhe real lssue
on Ceorges 8lver, Lhls can be a baby sLep. lcklng up rubblsh, recycllng, uslng publlc LransporL more
ofLen and Lurnlng off elecLrlclLy when necessary, can be useful ways Lo sLarL off. As groups and
lndlvlduals develop a furLher and more ln-depLh undersLandlng of Lhls Loplc, Lhe communlLy can
work LogeLher Lo sLop Lhe polluLlng - or aL leasL, Lo depleLe Lhe amounL of currenL polluLlon. Such
meLhods could lnclude sLrlcLer pollcles and regulaLlons on boaLlng and local lnfrasLrucLure.
As a resulL, Lhe sedlmenLs caused by man wlll decrease, as well as Lhe eroslon ln Lhe area of Lhe
Ceorges 8lver reglon. 1hls can lead Lo a more successful and healLhy envlronmenL for anlmals, planLs
and humans. 1he sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon levels can sLablllze and hopefully, decrease, as Lhe local
councll conLrlbuLes more resources and lnformaLlon for Lhls arlslng lssue.
WlLhouL Lhe councll's promlses, Lhe communlLy ls lnsecure even when [olned LogeLher as a large
group Lo replenlsh Lhe aquaLlc ecosysLem. 1hls means LhaL lL ls lmporLanL LhaL Lhe local counclls
lnvolved and affecLed by Lhe lncreaslng levels of sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon musL be compleLely
dedlcaLed Lo helplng Lhe communlLy wlLh Lhls concern, as one of Lhelr maln prlorlLles, raLher Lhan
belng aL Lhe boLLom of Lhe prlorlLy llsL. 8y reflnlng Lhe Ceorges 8lver preclncL, Lhls can addlLlonally
be one sLep closer for Lhe world, lnLernaLlonally, Lo aLLempL Lo successfully eradlcaLe as much man-
caused eroslon as posslble.



DX")B"%9@?(
My experlence whllsL compleLlng Lhe Senlor Ceography ro[ecL was Lhoroughly en[oyable. l have
learnL a loL ln Lhls unlL of work as l venLured Lo a broader sLudy ln geography, whlch l found Lo be
qulLe relaLable Lo a pro[ecL earller Lhls year ln Sclence. uesplLe llvlng ln Lhe SL Ceorge reglon, l had
never vlslLed Ceorges 8lver or Sylvanla WaLers for a sole purpose. 1he closesL Lhlng Lo LhaL was
belng drlven or Laklng Lhe Lraln across 1om uglys 8rldge, whlch ls a brldge LhaL arches over Lhe
Ceorges 8lver. l was able Lo admlre Lhe beauLy of Lhe area l had never seen before, and lL was qulLe
a Lhrllllng experlence.
hoLography ls one of my hobbles so naLurally, whlle l was Lhere, l Look plenLy of phoLos. uesplLe
Lhe wlndy weaLher LhaL was presenL, l reallsed how greaL Lhe scenery was, whlch was raLher
opposed Lo my mum's orlglnal LhoughLs. 1he houses Lhere looked exLremely cozy, enLlclng me Lo
[usL walk closer and lnspecL Lhe lnslde from Lhe exLerlor of Lhe house - even my dad sLopped several
Llmes Lo admlre Lhe beauLy of Lhe harbour, Lhe bay and Lhe houses.
l found Lhls Lask Lo be medlocre. lL wasn'L slmple, buL lL wasn'L exLremely dlfflculL. Lven Lhough our
class had recelved Lhe SC 1ask halfway lnLo Lhe Lerm, raLher Lhan ln Lhe flrsL few weeks, l found
myself Lo manage my Llme profoundly well, whlle oLhers sLruggled Lo flnd a concernlng lssue ln Lhelr
local dlsLrlcL. 1he hardesL porLlon of Lhls assessmenL was mosL deflnlLely Lrylng Lo flnd whlch parL Lo
lnvesLlgaLe - Lhe oysLer farmlng lssues, Lhe sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon, Lhe LurbldlLy, or Lhe
problemaLlc causes of Lhe local lnfrasLrucLure lLself? Whlle l pondered, lndeclslvely, l asked a few of
my frlends on whaL Lhey Lhlnk would be Lhe mosL manageable and useful Lo lnvesLlgaLe, and Lhe vasL
ma[orlLy of Lhem answered wlLh, SedlmenLaLlon and eroslon".
1he [ourney was an lncredlble one, and deflnlLely changed my oplnlon on Lhe sub[ecL, geography. l
had always LhoughL LhaL geography was anoLher Lyplcal sub[ecL LhaL hadn'L capLured my lnLeresL buL
from Lhls Lerm's assessmenL, l now beg Lo dlffer from my orlglnal percepLlons on geography. Whlle
some parLs of Lhe pro[ecL confused me Lo no end, l managed Lo flnd a way ouL of my problems and
pull Lhrough.
Some people were hard Lo lnLervlew, and some lgnored me. uesplLe how rude Lhelr remarks were, l
merely lgnored Lhem and moved onLo a few oLhers ln Lhe dlsLrlcL who looked nlce and conslderaLe.
CLher Lhan LhaL, Lhe resulLs were easy Lo collecL. Secondary daLa was no huge lssue for me, as l was
able Lo fllp Lhrough books, prevlous sclence Lasks, and onllne webslLes for lnformaLlon relaLlng Lo my
Loplc and lnvesLlgaLlon.
nexL Llme, l Lhlnk l would llke Lo lmprove on belng more declslve and sLralghLforward declslon,
raLher Lhan consLanLly dwelllng on Lhe lnlLlal quesLlon. ln mosL cases, l have been exLremely
lndeclslve ln chooslng one speclflc opLlon for mosL asslgnmenLs and pro[ecLs ln Lhe pasL, and every
Llme, l Lell myself Lo be more sLralghLforward nexL Llme, yeL lL never happened. Powever, Lhls Llme, l
plan on dolng so.
l had never LhoughL of sedlmenLaLlon and eroslon Lo be such a huge lssue wlLhln Lhe communlLy, as
lL ls consldered Lo be a naLural process. Cnly now, do l reallse how lmporLanL and concernlng lL ls. l
have lL my responslblllLy, Lo aLLempL Lo sLop polluLlng by caLchlng publlc LransporL as ofLen as



posslble, and Lo sLop llLLerlng. lurLhermore, l wlll educaLe my peers on Lhls Lo allow Lhem Lo be a
global clLlzen, as l sLrlve Lo be one as well.

DY%&" 9C"ID$(








#9#)9@I&"NEZ(
Sclo1o8lverlrleds, 'Lroslon and SedlmenLaLlon',
hLLp://www.scloLorlverfrlends.org/Lroslon_and_SedlmenLaLlon.pdf
LA, 'ChapLer 3: SedlmenL and Lroslon ConLrol',
hLLp://www.epa.gov/reglon6/6en/w/sw/sedlmenL.pdf
nSW CovernmenL [LnvlronmenL & PerlLage], 'ConLrolllng Lroslon and SedlmenL',
hLLp://www.envlronmenL.nsw.gov.au/susLalnbus/landscapeLroslonSedlmenL.hLm
AusLlLCA, '8esL racLlce Lroslon and SedlmenL uocumenL',
hLLp://www.ausLleca.com.au/publlcaLlons/besL-pracLlce-eroslon-and-sedlmenL-conLrol-bpesc-
documenL
Ceorges 8lver, 'lmpacL and roblems', hLLp://www.georgesrlver.org.au/lmpacLs-and-roblems.hLml
Ceorges 8lver, 'Local CovernmenL', hLLp://www.georgesrlver.org.au/local-governmenL.hLml
nSW LnvlronmenL, 'nSW WaLer CuallLy and 8lver llow Cb[ecLlves',
hLLp://www.envlronmenL.nsw.gov.au/leo/georgesrlver/reporL-01.hLm
Ceorges 8lver, 'LducaLlon', hLLp://www.georgesrlver.org.au/LducaLlonal.hLml
nSW CovernmenL [LnvlronmenL & PerlLage], 'Lower Ceorges 8lver SLormwaLer AcLlon ro[ecL',
hLLp://www.envlronmenL.nsw.gov.au/sLormwaLer/casesLudles/georgesrlver.hLm



Ceorges 8lver, 'Ceorges 8lver LsLuary Pandbook',
hLLp://www.georgesrlver.org.au/lgnlLlonSulLe/uploads/docs/CLC8CLS208lvL820LS1uA8?20P
Anu8CCk.webvlew.pdf
CxlAM, 'lnfrasLrucLure, eople and LnvlronmenL',
hLLps://www.oxfam.org.au/explore/lnfrasLrucLure-people-and-envlronmenL/
ueparLmenL of lnfrasLrucLure, lannlng and naLural 8esources, '8lodlverslLy of Lhe Ceorges 8lver
CaLchmenL', hLLp://m.plannlng.nsw.gov.au/plansforacLlon/pdf/grc_blodlverslLy_sLudy_ll-
LerresLrlal_ed-cover.pdf
AusLlll, 'new SouLh Wales ConsolldaLed 8egulaLlons',
hLLp://www.ausLlll.edu.au/au/legls/nsw/consol_reg/gmrepn2rc713/s11.hLml
Ceorges 8lver, 'Clossary', hLLp://www.georgesrlver.org.au/Clossary.hLml
WaLer Lncyclopaedla - Sclence and lssues, 'Lroslon and SedlmenLaLlon',
hLLp://www.waLerencyclopedla.com/Ln-Ce/Lroslon-and-SedlmenLaLlon.hLml#b
Lnglneers AusLralla, 'Soll Lroslon and SedlmenL ConLrol Lnglneerlng Culdellnes',
hLLps://www.englneersausLralla.org.au/slLes/defaulL/flles/shado/8epresenLaLlon/ollcy20oslLlon
s/SusLalnablllLy/Soll20Lroslon20and20SedlmenL20ConLrol20Lnglneerlng.pdf