Cooks River Research Articles

A Review of ‘Bad River: The Cooks River’ - Film by Beau Miles. Published on YouTube 28 July, 2022.

A Review of ‘Bad River: The Cooks River’ - Film by Beau Miles. Published on YouTube 28 July, 2022.

The impact of two extensively-modified rivers (Georges and Cooks Rivers) on a receiving basin exhibiting minor ecological risk (Botany Bay) (Australia)

Botany Bay is a large, tide-dominated, drowned river valley on the eastern seaboard of Australia, which was initially planned as the first European settlement in the country. The Georges River has a large catchment (936.5 km 2) and comprises mainly undeveloped parkland (62%), while the Cooks River catchment is small (103 km 2) and substantially modified (90 %). The extent of anthropogenic change and level of ecologic risk were determined for these areas using sedimentary metals as an initial screening assessment of environmental condition of these waterbodies. Cooks River was assessed as one of the most anthropogenically-modified urban rivers on the east coast of Australia with sediments exhibiting severe metals enrichment and moderate ecologic risk. Georges River sediments were highly enriched with moderate to slight ecological risk. Both Georges and Cooks Rivers discharge to Botany Bay, which was mantled in highly metal-enriched sediments, but exhibited only minor ecological risk. These results illustrated an unusual example of an estuary significantly influenced by metal-enriched sediments, but exhibiting minimal ecological risk. This anomaly was due to high anthropogenic-metal concentrations in the fine fraction of surficial sediment, which were considerably diluted by abundant metal-poor coarse material resulting in low total metal concentrations and reduced adverse ecological risk. The low proportion of fine material in surficial sediment was possibly due to increased ambient wave and tidal energy in the bay. Size-normalised metal distributions show distinct dispersion pathways from Cooks and Georges Rivers to the mouth of Botany Bay. Stormwater was a major source of metals to the system, supplemented by leakage from waste dumps and secondary sourcing by remobilisation of enriched-legacy sediments.

River Dreams: the People and Landscapes of the Cooks River

River Dreams: the People and Landscapes of the Cooks River

Storm events as key moments of microplastic contamination in aquatic ecosystems

Microplastic (MP) pollution is an emerging issue in aquatic sciences. Rain and storm events are responsible for the mobilization and transport of a range of pollutants in aquatic systems, yet to date no study has examined how microplastic abundance changes in waterways during such events. The aim of this study was to determine how microplastic concentrations changed over the course of the storm event in an urban estuary. Sampling was conducted at high frequency before, during, and after a storm event that caused flooding in the Cooks River estuary, Australia. Microplastic abundance increased during two days of heavy rain from 400 particles m3 before storm event to up to 17,383 particles m3 after the event. Variation in microplastic abundance was positively related to five-day average antecedent rainfall. The results highlight the importance of rain and storm events as key moments of microplastic contamination in aquatic systems. The results have implications for considering the maximum number of microplastics that aquatic life may be exposed to and the importance of strategies to manage stormwater to minimize the input of microplastics to aquatic ecosystems.

Impacts and adaptation options for estuarine vegetation in a large city

Climate change adaptation options for natural systems are particularly challenging in high density urban settings. We model the vulnerability of estuarine vegetation (mangroves, saltmarshes and Casuarina forest) to sea-level rise in Australia’s most populous city, Sydney, and conduct a detailed assessment of impacts and adaptation options for a densely urbanised estuary, the Cooks River. Our modelling demonstrates a range of opportunities for the preservation and, in some cases, expansion of estuarine vegetation area under sea-level rise, though this is largely dependent on the degree of flexibility applied in the management of existing open space. Mangrove area increases under a high sea-level rise scenario, more so than under a low sea-level rise scenario, due to opportunities for landward colonisation. However, this would require estuarine vegetation expansion and land-use conversion of recreational, industrial or private land. Sediment nourishment emerges as a potentially cost-efficient means of preserving wetlands. The mix of wetland types is likely to change without active management, with higher proportion of mangrove and substantially less saltmarsh under all scenarios. Implementation of living shorelines, as opposed to hard defensive structures, could be incentivised. This could be achieved by planning concessions, ‘payment for ecosystem services’ such as managing ‘blue carbon’ values, and zoning controls that promote visual amenity and ecological adaptation.

River Dreams: the People and Landscape of the Cooks River

River Dreams: the People and Landscape of the Cooks River

Pollution Removal Performance of Laboratory Simulations of Sydney’s Street Stormwater Biofilters

The City of Sydney is constructing more than 21,000 square metres of street biofilter units (raingardens) in terms of their Decentralised Water Master Plan (DWMP), for improving the quality of stormwater runoff to Port Jackson, the Cooks River, and the historical Botany Bay. Recharge of the Botany Sand Beds aquifer, currently undergoing remediation by extraction of industrial chlorinated hydrocarbon pollutants, is also envisaged. To anticipate the pollution removal efficiency of field biofilter designs, laboratory soil-column simulations were developed by Western Sydney University partnered with the City. Synthetic stormwater containing stoichiometric amounts of high-solubility pollutant salts in deionised water was passed through 104 mm columns that were layered to simulate monophasic and biphasic field designs. Both designs met the City’s improvement targets for total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP), with >65% median removal efficiency. Prolonged release of total suspended solids (SS) on startup emphasised the need for specifications and testing of proprietary fills. Median removal efficiency for selected heavy metal ecotoxicants was >75%. The researchers suggested that Zinc be added to the targets as proxy for metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and oils/greases co-generated during road use. Simulation results suggested that field units will play an important role in meeting regional stormwater improvement targets.

Complex relationships between shallow muddy benthic assemblages, sediment chemistry and toxicity in estuaries in southern New South Wales, Australia

Synoptic sediment quality triad (contaminants, benthic assemblages, toxicity testing) data were collected for sites in Sydney estuary, adjacent Cooks River and five less-modified southern estuaries. Matching data tested relationships between contaminants and benthic assemblages, correlations with specific contaminants, and the ability of sediment quality guidelines to predict the risk of adverse effects.Significant but weak relationships occurred in complex patterns between assemblages, contaminant concentrations and environmental variables. Maximum benthos abundance occurred where sediment contamination was high and was dominated by polychaetes. Spionidae (polychaete) and Galeommatidae (mollusc) abundances were strongly correlated with site environmental characteristics and with varying mixtures of metals and organic contaminants.The risk of adverse effects on benthic assemblage structure increased with increasing sediment toxicity except for areas of very high contamination and for non-bioavailable anthropogenic chemicals. The overall weight-of-evidence scores differentiated the highly modified sites from less-contaminated southern estuaries, where toxicity scores were higher than predicted.

Managing expectations for sustainability in a changing context – in Sydney's –inner west – a GreenWay governance case study

This case study documents the actions taken by a community to create a greenway in a medium density urban environment in Sydney's inner west, the Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay. The vision is to create a pedestrian and cycle path through regenerated bushland and urban parks, making use of a disused rail corridor. The 5 km corridor aims to link the community and natural environment to two of Sydney's water assets, and is consistent with state and local government goals to create a more sustainable and liveable urban environment. The GreenWay came tantalisingly close to being realised, until the political context changed. The case study explores: the phases of the GreenWay project; the capacity of the community to plan its own future; and the subsequent interactions between government and community. We highlight the role community, government and external bodies can have in urban ecological retrofitting and in designing innovative and inclusive governance models for sharing a public asset; and draw out lessons for managing community engagement, expectations, frustrations and trust in a changeable environment, both socially and politically. We also recognise the ongoing task of building social and institutional capacity towards a single vision.

Speciation and quantification of organotin compounds in sediment and drinking water by isotope dilution liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

A rapid, simple isotope dilution method for detecting organotins in sediment samples.

Enabling sustainable urban water management through governance experimentation

A shift towards sustainable urban water management is widely advocated but poorly understood. There is a growing body of literature claiming that social learning is of high importance in restructuring conventional systems. In particular, governance experimentation, which explicitly aims for social learning, has been suggested as an approach for enabling the translation of sustainability ideas into practice. This type of experimentation requires a very different dynamic within societal relations and necessitates a changed role for professionals engaged in such a process. This empirically focused paper investigates a contemporary governance experiment, the Cooks River Sustainability Initiative, and determines its outcome in terms of enabling social learning for attaining sustainable water practice in an urban catchment. Drawing on the qualitative insights of the actors directly involved in this novel process, this paper provides evidence of changes in individual and collective understanding generated through diverse forms of social interaction. Furthermore, the research reveals perceived key-factors that foster and/or hamper the execution of this new form of experimentation, including project complexity, resource intensity and leadership. Overall, this paper highlights that, while implementation of governance experimentation in a conventional setting can be highly challenging, it can also be highly rewarding in terms of learning.

Dulwich Hill

Dulwich Hill, a suburb of the Marrickville local government area, is located seven kilometres south-west of Sydney. The traditional owners of the land were Cadigal of the Eora nation. The suburb is located on both sides of a ridge, and consists of a number of low hills, which were once heavily timbered. The lower land slopes towards Cooks River and was covered in dense ti-tree scrub.In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Dulwich Hill developed as a desirable residential district with a small village shopping centre and isolated but significant pockets of industry. It is a suburb shaped by twentieth-century subdivisions. Dulwich Hill has retained a village atmosphere, even with the late twentieth and early twenty-first century developments where former factory sites have been redeveloped for large apartment complexes. These complexes are themselves small villages within the suburb of Dulwich Hill.

Belmore

Belmore, in the City of Canterbury, is part of the traditional land of the Bediagal people. The area was once covered by a forest of Sydney blue gum, blackbutt, red mahogany and ironbark trees, growing on clay soils derived from Wianamatta shales. Water came from three small creeks, which flowed in a north-easterly direction into Cooks River.The earliest colonial surveyors followed an Aboriginal pathway (which became Punchbowl Road/Milperra Road) which led from Cooks River to Georges River. Before 1810, this pathway became a convenient access road from Sydney through Canterbury Farm, crossing Cooks River at the 'Punch Bowl' ford, and land grants were surveyed along the route. Once over the ford, travellers could turn south on a track, now Burwood Road at Belfield, and pass through country which is today's suburb of Belmore, south-east to King's Grove Farm and the land grants beyond. Canterbury Road was not formed as an access road into Sydney until after the 1830s, and it was not gazetted until 1856.

The mangroves of Wolli Creek, Sydney

West et al. (1984, 1985) described the distribution of mangroves in New South Wales. In those reports, five mangrove communities of Sydney are briefly described. They are Pittwater (0.180 sq km), Port Jackson (0.914 sq km), Botany Bay (3.996 sq km), Georges River (2.028 sq km) and Port Hacking (0.328 sq km), Both Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. Var australasica (Walp.) Moldenke and Aegiceras corniculatum (Stckm.) Blanco are recorded from all five years. Yet within the Sydney region, another mangrove community appears to be thriving. Wolli Creek, the principal tributary of Cooks River, contains a mangrove community growing over at least 0.024 sq km. This study reports on the mangrove community at Wolli Creek and attempts to document the historical development of this community.

Hurlstone Park

Hurlstone Park, in the City of Canterbury, is part of the traditional land of the Wangal people. Hawkesbury sandstone outcrops form cliffs above Cooks River at the southern edge of the suburb, and two small creeks once ran down the hill from the Canterbury Road ridge, ending in wetlands along the river bank.

Trace metal concentrations in sediments and oysters of Botany Bay, NSW, Australia.

Surfical sediment (< 63 microm) trace metal concentrations (Zn, Cu, Pd, Cd, As) were analyzed from seven sites in Botany Bay, NSW, Australia, to assess the extent of contamination from the surrounding urban areas. The northwest shoreline of Botany Bay contained high surfical sediment trace metal concentrations relative to the southern shoreline. Surfical sediment Pb concentrations (10-120 microg/g) were above the current ANZECC/ARMCANZ interim sediment guideline value (50 microg/g) for the protection of benthic ecosystems at the northwest sites. Cooks River was identified as a major source of trace metals. Oysters grown in Botany Bay have greater Zn, Cu, and Cd concentrations than two relatively pristine reference locations, Jervis Bay and Batemans Bay, indicating that the Botany Bay region has elevated biologically available metal concentrations. Oyster tissue trace metal concentrations were below the Australian and New Zealand Food Authority standards. Translocation of oysters to sites around the bay identified Pb and Cd as the only trace metals to be accumulated over 3 months. Copper concentrations in transplanted oysters declined at most sites, indicating that the sites investigated in this study have less bioavailable copper than Woolooware Bay, the source of the oysters. The shallow waters along the southern shoreline are protected from the tidal flow that carry contaminated sediments and the biologically available trace metals appear to be low.

Levels of selected chlorinated hydrocarbons in edible fish tissues from polluted areas in the Georges/Cooks Rivers and Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia

During the period from February to March 1995 edible fish were sampled from various locations known to be polluted with chlorinated hydrocarbons. Samples were collected from five locations in the Georges/Cooks Rivers and four locations in Sydney Harbour. The muscle tissue of a range of fish species from each location was analysed for selected chlorinated hydrocarbons (i.e. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides). The Georges/Cooks Rivers locations were in Prospect Creek. Chipping Norton, Saltpan Creek, Cooks River and Alexandra Canal. The Sydney Harbour locations were in Duck River, Parramatta River, Homebush Bay, Iron Cove and Long Bay. Chlorinated hydrocarbons were found in the tissues of fish sampled from every location. The major contaminants were PCBs and the Group A organochlorine pesticides, which include chlordane, dieldrin and heptachlor epoxide. At some locations, the mean concentration of one or more of these contaminants was significantly greater than the National Food Authority Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) in certain fish species. DDT and/or its metabolites were not found above their MRL at any location, but were detected at all locations. The highest mean concentrations of PCBs were detected in fish from Prospect Creek, Chipping Norton, Duck River, Alexandra Canal and Homebush Bay. The highest mean concentrations of Group A pesticides, particularly chlordane and dieldrin, were detected in fish from Alexandra Canal, Cooks River and Duck River. The highest mean concentrations of DDT were found in the tissues of fish from Prospect Creek. The fish species which accumulated contaminants to concentrations exceeding the relevant MRLs were yellow-fin bream (Alexandra Canal, Cooks River, Saltpan Creek, Duck River, Homebush Bay and Parramatta River), sea mullet (Prospect Creek, Chipping Norton, Cooks River, Alexandra Canal, Saltpan Creek, Duck River, Homebush Bay and Iron Cove), pink-eye mullet (Prospect Creek) and silver biddy (Prospect Creek, Chipping Norton, Alexandra Canal and Iron Cove), whereas the luderick, fan-tail mullet and sand whiting had mean concentrations of contaminants below the relevant MRLs.

Trace metals in oysters and sediments of Botany Bay, Sydney

Trace metal concentrations (Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn) in Sydney rock oysters ( Sacostera commercialis) and sediments (<53 μm fraction) were determined for six sites in the northern regions of Botany Bay. Levels for lead, cadmium, copper and zinc in oysters ranged (in μg g −1) from 1.38 to 15.3, 1.81 to 16.3, 56.1 to 212 and 1806 to 2902, respectively. In sediments, levels ranged (in μg g −1) from 599 to 4081, 3.57 to 91.0, 191 to 1113 and 227 to 1472, respectively. Such values indicated high levels of contamination, especially in the sediments. Indeed, high proportions of the samples displayed metal concentrations that exceeded the prescribed limits for oysters and sediments. No significant correlations in metal concentrations were found between oysters and sediments, suggesting that changes in the sediment metal loading are not solely influencing the levels of bioavailable metal. The results supported the conclusion that different rates and mechanisms of metal accumulation are taking place in the two types of samples. Variability between sites was high, particularly for oysters. Multidimensional scaling identified that the Cooks River (site 3) and La Perouse (site 6) sites were most dissimilar, both to each other as well as to the other four sites. This was a reflection of high contamination in the Cooks River and the generally low levels in the La Perouse reference sample. The configuration was mainly influenced by the sediment parameters, rather than the oyster metal concentrations, indicating the sediment data were better for identifying site similarities. These ordinations provide evidence of the usefulness of multidimensional scaling in elucidating the physico–chemical variability of the sampling sites.

Dominance of point source in heavy metal distributions in sediments of a major Sydney estuary (Australia)

Size-normalized (<63 μm) distributions of Cu, Zn, and Pb in the surficial sediments of one of Sydneys' four major estuaries – the Georges River/Botany Bay estuary – are not facies or depositionally controlled, but rather their distribution is dominated by source. Point sources (waste dumps, sewage overflows, and discharge from a polluted river) are responsible for elevating sediment heavy-metal concentrations up to 50 times above background. Nonpoint sources contribute in raising baseline levels to four times background and comprise mainly stormwater and also marinas, moorings, and wharfs/jetties. Heavy metals disgorged from a point source (Cooks River) strongly impact the sediments in the lower estuary, which has implications for the construction of a new runway for Sydney airport.

The bedrock topography of the botany basin, New South Wales

Abstract The bedrock topography of the Botany Basin has been determined from seismic‐sparker records made in Botany Bay and Bate Bay, and from seismic‐refraction and gravity measurements on the Kurnell Peninsula. Supplementary information has been obtained from boreholes both on land and in the sea. The Cooks and Georges Rivers formerly constituted the main drainage of the Basin and flowed generally southeastwards (beneath the present Kurnell Peninsula) and joined the Port Hacking River east of Cronulla. The depth of the bedrock channel of the former Georges River is 75–80 m b.s.l. at Taren Point, 90–95 m beneath the Kurnell Peninsula and 110–115 m at its junction with the Port Hacking River channel. The bedrock channel of the former Cooks River is about 30 m b.s.l. at Kyeemagh, its present entrance to Botany Bay, and it joined the Georges River at a location now 90 m b.s.l. beneath the Kurnell Peninsula. A second drainage system existed in the north and east of Botany Bay and generated the present mouth ...