Northern Beaches Council endorses new charter for beach protection

Sydney's Northern Beaches Council has endorsed the Zero Waste to Ocean Charter, highlighting the need for a range of initiatives to eliminate waste flowing into local waterways and beaches.

This new water quality benchmark offers a set of principles to guide Council’s work on protecting and improving the waterways and beaches on the Northern Beaches.

Council currently removes around 1,200 tonnes of rubbish from their networks every year, which is equivalent to stopping three tonnes of waste going into the ocean every day.

This Charter will support even greater and more widespread waste removal efforts across a range of different areas from stormwater pipes to planning future development.

The charter would commit Council to embed four principles in its action and strategic planning, and will support Council’s adopted Environment and Climate Change Strategy to safeguard its catchments and waterways, making them healthy, resilient and sustainable.

Charter principles include enhanced waste removal initiatives in the existing stormwater network, setting quality benchmarks, community education and integrating best practice into development controls.

Council will incorporate the principles in everyday practice and is calling on all councils to join in its goal for zero waste in shared waterways.

Click here to access the Environment and Climate Change Strategy 

Image of Pittwater courtesy of Northern Beaches Council