Eurobodalla’s famous beaches are getting back to their beautiful best after a summer marked by bushfires followed by heavy rain.
While some beaches, and particularly those close to river mouths, still have fire debris washed from creeks and rivers, the majority are clearing naturally. Council's manager of environmental services Deb Lenson said while both Council and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service would continue to monitor the situation, it was usually best to let nature take its own course.
“It’s not environmentally or economically wise to physically clear debris from the beaches unless there is a safety risk,” Ms Lenson said.
“We have limited capacity for waste disposal and obviously the first priority is the bushfire clean-up around homes and towns.”
With 143 kilometres of coastline, Ms Lenson said it was again easy to find a safe spot to surf, swim or beachcomb.
“Only a couple of beaches are still being impacted, mainly near the river mouths at Tuross and Moruya, as well as Mystery Bay,” she said. “Most of the beaches at Batemans Bay and Narooma now look good.”
Given the extent of this summer’s bushfires, Ms Lenson said Council and state agencies were monitoring estuaries and beaches to see what the impact would be.
“We’ve never had anything like this before, so we don’t know how long it will take for the environment to fully recover,” she said.
“At the moment we are seeing our beaches recovering and looking forward to them returning to their usual pristine state.”
Council will continue to regularly test water quality as part of its usual monitoring programs but advises residents and visitors to avoid swimming after heavy rain as a matter of course.
Murky or discoloured water could pose a health risk while logs and other debris could prove dangerous to swimmers and watercraft.
Above: Creative Eurobodallans are decorating our beaches with debris sculptures, like this one on Shelley Beach at Moruya’s South Head.
