Tallow Creek - community update

Published on 22 August 2019

Council staff in consultation with NSW Government agencies including NPWS, NSW DPI Fisheries and the Marine Park Authority are continuing to investigate the recent fish kill at Tallow Creek to improve entrance opening protocols to try to minimise the chances of it happening again.

Tallow Creek is one of 70 estuaries in NSW that are known as Intermittently Closed and Open Lakes and Lagoons or ICOLLs.

Tallow Creek at Suffolk Park is a complex system because there are a number of private properties, businesses and public areas that back onto the creek which flood when the sand builds up and closes the system to the ocean for periods of time.

Chloe Dowsett, Council’s Coastal Biodiversity Coordinator, said no one wants to see a repeat of the fish kill that happened in June, and while Council and agencies improve protocols relating to the future opening of Tallow Creek, the community should be aware that the mouth of the creek has closed.

“This means that water levels behind the sandbank at the creek mouth are starting to rise, and are currently sitting at 2 metres,” Ms Dowsett said.

“At the meeting on 27 June 2019 Council resolved that its preference is that no further openings of the Tallow Creek ICOLL be undertaken unless there is agreement of Arakwal Corporation, NPWS,  and Cape Byron Marine Park, and that there is a low probability of a fish kill at the proposed opening time.

 “This means that as the water rises some properties will be affected by flooding and the public walkway to the beach will not be accessible,” Ms Dowsett said.

“Naturally this has an impact on people’s ability to enjoy their yards, but there are also environmental considerations that need to be taken into account, with the avoidance of a fish kill being the primary consideration,” she said.

“This issue is very complicated with sections of the community having very different ideas about what should and shouldn’t be done with respect to the management of the Tallow Creek ICOLL.

“Council and NSW Government agencies are now exploring strategies to improve the future management of the creek and whilst this is happening we are asking for people’s patience and understanding because the ultimate aim is trying to avoid fish kills whilst balancing the expectations and needs of the community,” Ms Dowsett said.

Facts about Tallow Creek

For more information contact Chloe Dowsett, Coastal Biodiversity Coordinator on 6626 7128 or Annie Lewis, Media and Communications Coordinator, on 6626 7320.