Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Hawkesbury River is one of Australia's iconic treasures and one of the most beautiful features of the Berowra electorate. It's a wonderful ecosystem and is also enjoyed for recreation and commercial purposes. I'm delighted that $18,000 of federal funding has been recently given for the planting of mangroves along the banks of the Hawkesbury.

This community project is being led by Hornsby Shire Council's ecologists and environmental scientists to protect and improve the estuary and build resilience in the estuarine foreshore through propagating and planting mangroves on the Hawkesbury. The project will be the first of its kind on the Hawkesbury and will enable the protection of the foreshore from erosion, the creation of habitat for fish and other wildlife, improvement of river water quality by removing sediment, and increasing fish stock in the waterway.

The Hawkesbury River mangrove planting project will involve collaborations between community groups, schools and the council. The grant will enable seed collecting and planting, the establishment of an onsite nursery in the estuary and the installation of sediment fences. Local school students will be given the opportunity to participate in the project, with the project being used to educate students about the importance of mangroves in estuary management.

Planting mangroves contributes to carbon storage as carbon stocks build up in mangrove areas from the accumulation of organic matter such as dead leaves and branches. Protecting and increasing the resilience of the Hawkesbury through the mangrove planting project will ensure that this unique waterway on the edge of metropolitan Sydney can be enjoyed and utilised for leisure and industry for generations to come.