NmDue to budget cuts, the regular water testing programme that maintains Sydney’s immaculate beaches is in jeopardy of closing. Local councils must now decide whether to continue supporting it.
Since 1985, the state government has financed the Beachwatch programme, which measures the levels of pollution and contamination.
The programme, which finds anything from algae to faeces in the water, is well-liked by swimmers in Sydney.
“I definitely need to know whether it is safe for my children to go in,” a swimmer stated.
“I surf and swim every day so it’s nice to know it’s not contaminated,” someone else said.
The Liberal government set aside $18.5 million to expand the programme in the previous budget, but the Labour government has now declared that it will not be footing the entire bill.
“Beach users want to know when they go to the beach it’s clean and safe, it is important to have that daily monitoring, instead, Labour is looking at forcing councils to pay for it,” Mark Speakman, the opposition leader, said.
14 Sydney councils have been a part of the Beachwatch programme up to this point without having to pay for the service.
Many had not anticipated for these adjustments, so they will now need to figure out how to continue funding the programme.
The Waverley Council, which oversees the beaches in Bondi, Tamarama, and Bronte, will be required to pay about $19,000 annually. Coogee’s Randwick Council has provided quotes over $39,000 annually. To keep testing, Northern Beaches Council—which stretches from Manly to Palm Beach—would need to pay $130,000.
However, the testing has always been funded by the regional governments that use the programme.
The government of New South Wales declared that it will align all councils with respect to financing.
All councils that opt to use the Beachwatch programme will now be responsible for covering the costs of their own collection and testing as of July 2024.
“This threatens the viability of Beachwatch and this threatens the safety of beach users,” Speakman stated.
