Haywards Bay - Environment

Haywards Bay is surrounded by 85 hectares of reserve and offers nearly 5 kilometres of waterfront to Macquarie Rivulet and Lake Illawarra.. It is located fifteen minutes from the heart of Wollongong and 90 minutes from Sydney’s CBD. (Daily Telegraph 28/1/2006)

The Lake Illawarra Authority (LIA)  is in the early stages of planning the management of Haywards Bay foreshore.  This is a result of a Deed of Agreement between Winten Property Group and the Authority that 81 hectares of foreshore land will be transferred to LIA at the conclusion of the subdivision development, or on 31 December 2010, whichever occurs first. (Lake Illawarra Authority Annual Report 2007-2008)
The land is liable to flooding and has significant conservation and recreational value. Water quality control ponds, which currently treat stormwater runoff from the development site, are included in the land to be transferred to LIA.  There is also an aboriginal midden and portions of the Macquarie Rivulet delta which contain large areas of saltmarsh. (Lake Illawarra Authority Annual Report 2006-2007)

Haywards Bay has large areas of samphire (a small saltmarsh herb) with mud flats. When the water levels are suitable the area becomes a haven for the Pacific Golden Plover, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt as well as other visiting waders, herons and ducks. (Lake Illawarra Authority Community Newsletter, July 2005).

Other birds that have been recorded as being in the area are -
Great egret
Cattle egret
Lesser golden plover
Grey plover
Crested tern
Caspian tern
Eastern curlew
Greenshank
Common sandpiper
Culew sandpiper
Japanese snipe
Bar-tailed godwit
(Yallah Local Environment Study, Wollongong City Council)