A new agreement between six councils is set to see a more co-ordinated approach to the future management of the Hawkesbury River and its coastline.
Hawkesbury City Council has come together with The Hills Shire, Ku-ring-gai, Northern Beaches, Central Coast and Hornsby Shire councils to join the new Coastal Management Program.
Prior to its creation, health of the river, which covers a distance from Yarramundi in the Hawkesbury to Box Head and Barrenjoey Head in the Northern Beaches, has been managed by different plans and projects under each local government area.
The program aims to ensure that all six councils adopt a consistent and co-ordinated approach to planning for the Hawkesbury river system, especially in areas which cross boundaries, as well as protect against coastal hazards including erosion and slope instability.
The Hills Shire Mayor, Councillor Michelle Byne said that she was pleased to have her council take part in the program.
"While we don't have a beach here in The Hills, we do have many vital waterways which drain into our oceans, including the Hawkesbury River," she said.
"The Hawkesbury River is tidal which means we are classified as a coastal council, something which may come as a surprise to many residents. I'm proud that we can do our part in maintaining, managing and restoring our precious waterways and coastline and this Program will go a long way to supporting this.
"Working with our fellow councils means a more unified approach to caring for this important river and the ecosystems it supports."
Stage one and two of the project received more than $350,000 funding under the Coastal and Estuary grants program to complete studies and identify risks associated with coastal management.