Waterways

No matter where you live in Hornsby Shire you live in a stormwater drainage catchment and everyone’s actions contribute to the overall health of our catchments. A catchment is an area of land over which water flows and eventually is collected at the lowest point. Most of our sub-catchments drain into the Hawkesbury estuary except for a few of the sub-catchments in the Lane Cove catchment area that drain into Sydney Harbour.

The rainwater that runs off our roofs, roads and footpaths, along with the stormwater, flows into the local waterways which then flow into the Hawkesbury estuary at the bottom of the catchment. Since estuaries are at the bottom end of catchments, their condition can be affected by activities occurring within the upstream freshwater catchment. Estuary users rely on a healthy system. These users are those who like undertaking recreational activities like swimming, fishing, boating as well as local commercial seafood industries such as oyster farmers and commercial fishers.

Some of our catchments are still in a relatively natural state while others have been heavily developed, with natural creek lines replaced by concrete channels to control flooding. This has had a large impact on our creeks and rivers.

Hornsby Shire is lucky to have expansive bushland, wetlands and creeks that provide community with important ecological, recreational, economic and social benefits.